A Holiday Self-Care Ritual
The holiday season often amplifies emotion.
Joy and anticipation sit alongside grief, memory, tenderness, and fatigue —sometimes all at once.
When emotions are layered or unnamed, the mind can struggle to cope with it all. The body, however, has its own mind and responds immediately to scent.
Essential oils work through the olfactory system, which has a direct pathway to the limbic brain — the centre of emotion, memory, and regulation. This is why a single breath can steady us before we’ve had time to think.
Scent doesn’t ask us to explain how we feel.
It meets us where we are.
I have used essential oils for decades in different ways, depending on the need. From circumventing a cold; during pregnancy; getting toddlers to sleep; relaxing before an exam or interview; calming the bridal party on the day of; supporting family during a loved one's illness, or even death, essential oils are always near at hand for me.
Aside from being calming, relaxing, balancing, or remedial, essential oils are anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antibacterial. Of some 17,500 essential oils, only about 300 are produced commercially.
Some I use simply for inhalation. Others I enjoy topically, diluted in gentle carriers such as almond oil. A few — most notably oregano — are met with particular respect for their potency and power.
🌿 Essential Oils for the Holiday Season
🍊 Bergamot — Balance
Why:
Bergamot is a nervous-system harmonizer. It lifts low mood without overstimulation and steadies anxiety without dulling the senses. It’s especially helpful when emotions feel “mixed” — excitement layered with pressure or fatigue.
How to use:
- Inhalation: 1–2 drops on a tissue, slow breathing for 1–2 minutes
- Topical: Dilute in High Phenolic (HP) EVOO and apply to wrists or chest
- Diffuse in the afternoon when energy dips but the day isn’t done
💜 Lavender — Calm
Why:
Lavender speaks directly to the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of us that knows how to rest, digest, and recover. It softens the edges of stress and invites the body out of vigilance.
How to use:
- Inhalation before bed or during moments of overwhelm
- Topical: Diluted in HP EVOO, applied to temples, neck, or soles of feet
- Ideal for evening rituals, baths, or quiet moments of release
🌿 Frankincense — Deep Connection
Why:
Frankincense has been used for centuries in ritual, prayer, and meditation because it slows the breath and deepens awareness. It’s grounding without heaviness — especially supportive during reflection, grief, or spiritual connection.
How to use:
- Inhalation during meditation, journaling, or prayer
- Diffuse during quiet evenings or meaningful gatherings
- Topical (diluted): Over heart space or back of neck
🍊 Mandarin Orange — Happiness
Why:
Mandarin is gentle joy. It lightens the emotional field, supports digestion, and brings warmth without stimulation. It’s particularly beautiful for children — and for the child within us.
How to use:
- Diffuse during daytime or family gatherings
- Inhalation when spirits feel heavy or energy feels flat
- Topical (diluted): Abdomen or wrists
🌿 Oregano — “Doctor in the House”
Why:
Oregano is powerful, protective, and antimicrobial. It supports the immune system and is traditionally used during cold and flu season — but it must be used with respect.
How to use:
- Internal use only if properly diluted and sourced
- Always dilute in HP EVOO (never neat)
- Short-term use only
- Not for children, pregnancy, or sensitive individuals without professional guidance
This is the oil you reach for when the body needs support — not daily balance. Oregano is brilliant for congestion and I always travel with it to offer a post-flight immune boost.
There are many reputable companies making essential oils and there are many offering synthetic scented oils, which do not act the same way. Make sure to check the source. In Europe, I use Vessel Essential Oils.
To your health!
Marilyn
For deeper learning about essential oils and their varied properties, read more here. Read more.