Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood

The term emotion generally refers to an immediate response when we anticipate or experience rewarding or punishing events or stimuli. Since they are stimulus or event driven, they tend to be short-lived, and we subconsciously classify them as being either good or bad emotions.  

Back in 2015, I wrote The Essential Oils of The Mind Body Spirit. It was an instant bestseller and has remained the most popular of all the books I have written. You can find it on Amazon if you’d like to read more about how essential oils affect mood,  but in it, I talk about the Eight Primary Emotions theory.

The theory, first founded by psychologist Robert Plutchik, says we are all born with eight emotions hard wired into our brains. That wiring means that the body reacts in predictable ways, and that we are all subject to certain urges when particular emotions arise.

The Eight Primary Emotions

The theory was first developed in the 1980s and has been expanded over recent years to bring in a few more. The full list of primary emotions has now grown from the original eight to become:

  • Joy
  • Happiness
  • Satisfaction
  • Fulfillment
  • Contentment
  • Peace
  • Fear
  • Shame
  • Sadness
  • Hurt
  • Guilt
  • Frustration
  • Dissatisfaction
  • Disappointment

Primary emotions happen instantaneously. They are swift and  respond to them automatically. We notice a car coming at us, for example and fear jolts us out of our trance to ensure we move out of the way. Our bodies react unconsciously forcing us to move quickly.

I find it interesting that both positive and positive and negative emotions appear on the list. Indeed, psychiatrists are keen to stress that there are no feelings that should not be expressed. Clearly though, whether you should act upon some of them is a different matter! 

Every emotion has value. They show us aspects of our personality and inform why we act in the ways we do. They dictate our responses and inform the way we think. Tomorrow’s thoughts and actions all derive from how we choose to respond to these emotions today. 

To reiterate, if  psychologists are to be believed, problems begin when we begin editing ourselves to decide what’s appropriate to feel or not. All those societal constructs and lessons we have learnt from parents, from school, cultural associations become intertwined and our  inner voice starts working overtime. 

Rumination now, there’s a word! 

No-one really says it any more do they? 

I’m resurrecting it! 

Primary Emotions Become Secondary Emotions

Rumination seems to be at the seat of all our troubles. That niggling jumble that turns things over in our minds, squabbling as to what we should or should not think. As they churn, primary emotions change. Over time, those which have not been effectively expressed, gradually merge into secondary emotions. 

Disapproval, disdain, hatred, coldness, hostility, persecution complex and paranoia. Distrust, jealousy, worry, anxiety, insecurity, low self esteem, self-hatred, depression, anger and rage.

Festering emotions sit stagnant in our systems, polluting our psyche and preventing easy flow of energy. When we talk about emotions being at the seat of most illnesses, it is these which create the rancid pus sitting beneath much is-ease.

To intervene in an emotional /health situation, it’s so important to pay close attention to thought patterns. Give them room to move, to drift and be acknowledged.

And then to intentionally change them.

To recognise when you are under the influence of a fear pattern and to begin to regain some control.

The key is to learn to isolate emotions in terms of some kind of time scale.

Remember 

Primary emotions happen immediately after an event.

These change within minutes, morphing into secondary emotions. The problem is though, these mask the initial response makes it more difficult to identify what true emotion is at play. 

It’s  hidden deeper beneath the secondary feelings. 

So, just when we’re starting to gain an understanding of what is going on, Plutchick put another layer in. 

Of course, he did! 

Tertiary emotions 

Neurotransmitters flood the system as our thoughts reinforce the anger of the secondary emotions. 

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to stop your mind going over and over things as a means of reinforcing your enraged world view? 

That’s because the body actually becomes addicted to those neurotransmitters. It keeps creating the same response over and over, so it can get another fix. 

Read that again. 

Now ponder at the wonder of nature in helping us to develop such strong emotional habits from such a very early age.

Learning to center your emotions is vital.  

Likewise, contemplating which fundamental emotions cause you stress, as an individual can be very helpful. Once that has been ascertained, it becomes simpler to choose oils to move emotions onto healthier places.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood 

Interestingly, if you look at mood from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the more volatile we are, the more yang energy is seen as flowing through the body. 

Yang is hot, fierce and active. 

Yin energy is passive, receptive and yielding. Whilst there are varying degrees of it, and some essential oils do have a slightly yang nature to them, the majority of plant medicines have a yin element to them. This might explain why they are so good at settling us down. 

A Note on Safety Before We Go Into The Specific Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood

I have not included any safety data on any of the oils in the posts, since the listing process was complicated enough and I feel it would only add to confusion for the reader. Please refer to The Complete Guide for Clinical Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for the Physical Body for full safety data on specific oils. This is available as a free resource on many ebook platforms.

Fellow aromatherapist Patricia Davis states that the lighter the dilution used of an oil, the more likely it is to act on the emotional body, as opposed to the physical one. I agree with this, and would suggest that, in all cases, the best way to affect mood is through inhalation. 

Simply add one drop of essential oil to a tissue, use an aromapendant, or sniffy stick, and simply inhale the oil for between  five to fifteen minutes daily. 

Please do not use any essential oils in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, topically or inhaled. Avoid rose, myrrh, Jasmine and Clary Sage during the first 37 weeks too. 


Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood - Inspiring  Positive Emotions

Essential Oils to Inspire Love 

Rose 

The quintessential elixir of love. Associated with love goddesses since the dawn of time, our brains are hardwired to recognise the connection between the fragrance of a rose and feeling a surge of love. This is romantic love, but it’s also worth remembering that many of these love goddesses were also war deities. Passionate love, but the scent of Rose also has an anti-conflict action to it. When days are tense and bickery, it’s a tremendous oil to use. Heart opening and soothing. 

Rose is also a great help for new moms struggling to bond with their children. Melissa essential oil  is also great for this. Rose is an expensive oil however so you could also try Geranium essential oil which has the same softness and romance. 

Geranium 

Easily passed off as a poor man’s Rose, but that sells it short. It is amazing for stress, particularly for money worries, but also helpful when you are struggling with relationship difficulties. 

Jasmine Absolute 

There is an old Sanskrit saying that says “Where there is Jasmine, there can be no worries”. Certainly in the case of romance, that must be true. 

Nicknamed Queen of the Night, the Jasmine plant coaxes moths and pollinators to fertilize her. She climbs, wraps her tendrils around anything she finds and clings on. Uninhibited, sensual and languid, Jasmine lures even the most tense person into her embrace. 

Neroli 

Traditionally Neroli or Orange Blossom as it is sometimes more helpfully known, is used as a wedding flower. Its white blooms have a light, sweet and powdery fragrance that relaxes, soothes and calms. There is an innocence to Neroli, where everything feels like the first time, a tender moment that has been eagerly anticipated and nervously waited for. It’s curious, open and pure.

Although it does have the feeling of a doe eyed ingenue, Neroli is particularly helpful for older women, when they are going through the change. It’s as if it chases away their cynicism and settles their mood. 


The secondary emotions of love are affection, lust and longing.

Essential Oils to Inspire Affection

Cypress 

Expressive, joyous and light 

Lavender 

Gentle and easy

Mandarin 

Jovial, chatty and easy 

Ylang Ylang

Harmonious, euphoric and balanced (somewhat aphrodisiac) 

Tertiary emotions that can grow from affection are 

Adoration, liking, attraction, caring, tenderness, compassion and sentimentality.    

Essential Oils to Inspire Adoration

Ylang Ylang 

Euphoric, entrancing and bewitching

Rose

Full of love and open heartedness

Jasmine Absolute 

Aphrodisiac, uninhibiting and beguiling

Sandalwood 

Binding, relaxing and meditative

Essential Oils to Inspire Likeability

Mandarin

Chatty, easy and conversational 

Lime 

Zesty, sprightly and fun

Palmarosa 

Amiable and inviting

Essential Oils to Inspire Attraction

Palmarosa

Intriguing and curious 

Rose  

The ultimate love token 

Ylang Ylang 

Sensuous and inviting  

Sandalwood 

Masculine and soothing 

Patchouli

Gritty, masculine and reassuring


Essential Oils to Inspire Caring

Lavender 

Gentle and soothing 

Melissa 

Restorative when caring for someone is difficult 

Fennel

Provides stamina for the long haul 

Essential Oils to Inspire Tenderness

Monarda 

Delicate. The softest touch. Has an affinity with babies and also people who have decided they want time on their own.

Lavender

Kind and considerate

Neroli 

Soft and tender love

Fennel 

Carefulness that stands the distance

Essential Oils to Inspire Compassion

Hemp 

Helps to see someone else’s side

Neroli 

Softness

Rose  

Love 

Spearmint

Particularly helpful when dealing with kids and teenager

Celery seed 

Helps bonding. Lovely for struggling parent and child relationships and new moms. 

Essential Oils to Inspire Sentimentality  

I can’t see a reason you would want to inspire this, so there are no oils listed.

Essential Oil to Curb Lust

Marjoram 

If there is a need to curb the lust or infatuation for some reason. Enforced celibacy, for example. Marjoram is anaphrodisiac - this is, it puts you off it. 

The tertiary emotions arising from lust are: arousal, desire, lust, passion and infatuation. 

Essential Oils to Inspire Arousal   

Jasmine Absolute 

Luscious, juicy, lascivious and free

Ylang Ylang 

Entrancing and inviting

Patchouli 

All about the body. Thoughts just leave the room.

Sandalwood  

Meditative, tantric, arousing.

Agarwood 

Sacred, focuses all the energy in the pelvis

Tuberose 

Seductive. Expert, like a courtesan.

Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood when You feel the Pangs of Longing  

Marjoram

To curb sexual longing.

There are no tertiary emotions to longing.

Essential Oils to Inspire Joy

Bergamot is top of the list but any of your oils that are high in aldehydes. Some good examples would be  

Lemon Eucalyptus (80% aldehyde content)

Like a breath of fresh air blowing through your soul. It opens both the lungs and heart space as well as sending the spirit soaring. 

Lemongrass (80% aldehyde content

So full of adventure and possibilities. Lemongrass is eager and delighted with life. It helps you see possibilities where you would swear there had been none. It’s not just a solution finder, but one that makes you feel like a wizard, a hopeful inventor, a soothsayer maybe! Not just An Answer, but surely THE answer that transforms darkness into light. Who knows how you found the secret passage through the obstacles holding you back. Hard to explain, but if ever miracles were possible, they would, most assuredly, be flying on the coattails of lemongrass

May Chang  

Whimsical, light, playful, almost fairylike.

Melissa (50%)

Uplifting, happily nostalgic. Makes life feel like you have purpose and reason.

Lemon 

Mood balancing, happy, content, light hearted. Has a story teller feel to it, as if it were telling tales of giants and long lost treasure. Lots of wide eyed excitement and gasping!

Grapefruit 

Bold, brassy, not a care in the world. Grapefruit has a naughtiness to it. Mischief, minx-hood! 

The secondary emotions deriving from joy are cheerfulness, zest, contentment, pride, optimism, enthrallment and relief. 

Essential Oils to Inspire Cheerfulness     

The tertiary emotions that come from being cheerful are: amusement, bliss, gaiety, glee, jolliness, joviality, joy, delight, enjoyment, gladness, happiness, jubilation, elation, satisfaction, ecstasy and euphoria. 

Essential Oils to Inspire Amusement  

Mandarin 

Creates a party-like atmosphere.

Palmarosa 

Gentle happiness. Delight 

Essential Oils to Inspire Zest

All the citruses! 

Rosemary 

Quite bossy. Has command of things. Enthusiastic. 

Sweet Basil 

Not so much zest, as I’m a bit too scared to do otherwise. Procrastinate? You wouldn’t dare! 

The tertiary emotions that inspire from zest are: enthusiasm, zeal,  excitement, thrill & exhilaration.

Essential Oils to Inspire Enthusiasm

The same as for zest: Rosemary, Sweet Basil or citruses.

Essential Oils to Curb Zeal

(Does it feel like a negative emotion? Can lead bad places, I think) 

Hemp 

Helps you see other perspectives. 

Ylang Ylang

Always about the balance.

Essential Oils to Inspire Excitement, Thrill & Exhilaration.

Cinnamon 

Must be something about holiday memories, I think! 

Peppermint 

Whips cold through your spirit, as if you had bungee jumped! 

Grapefruit 

Confident, sassy, exuberant. Couldn’t give a flying.

Lime 

Bubbling over with anticipation. Feels like it is nervously giggling on a rollercoaster before it begins! 

Essential Oils to Inspire Elation 

Clary Sage 

Heady and euphoric. However, be careful not to overuse it. It can make you feel a little nauseous, and it really doesn’t go nicely with alcohol

Essential Oils to Inspire Excitement

Lemon 

Uplifting

Ylang Ylang 

Heady and euphoric

Essential Oils to Inspire Contentment      

Cardamom 

Feels like a bedouin feast on holiday. Warm and relaxed after all the sweet foods, in the warm evening air, under the moon. Cardamon asks you to sit and survey how far you’ve come. 

Camomile Maroc 

So calm and relaxed. It’s like idling on a swing with your feet still on the floor. 

Caraway 

Makes you feel very at peace with life,

Silver Fir 

Happiness to "just be" (or just bee). Minding your own business. Buzzing around merrily, just doing your thang.

The tertiary emotion of contentment is pleasure.

I’ll leave you to work out how you define pleasure in oils yourself. I’ll be heading up to arousal ;) Hoho.

Essential Oils to Inspire Pride

Cardamom 

Look at what I’ve achieved.

Essential Oils to Inspire Feelings of Triumph   

Sweet Orange

Seeing what you are capable of.

Red Thyme

Feeling happy with one’s place in life 

Essential Oils to Inspire Optimism

Any citrus oils

The tertiary emotions of optimism are eagerness and hope

Essential Oils to Inspire Eagerness 

Rosemary

Careful, it can be like a bull in a china shop! Come on, if you think you’re hard enough! 

Grapefruit 

Bring it on! 

Essential Oils to Inspire Hope

Citronella 

Bright with a spring in its step.

Spikenard 

Faith when it feels like all hope is gone.  

Essential Oils to Inspire Enthrallment    

The tertiary emotion that emerges from being enthralled is rapture. 

Garlic 

Tackles boredom. Helps take mediocrity of life in one's stride. There is an essential oil, but use it at your peril! It’s like a toxin that can escape from any receptacle you try to store it in! Sniff a bulb of it instead, or even release the fragrance through cooking. 

Fennel 

Overcomes boredom, brings perseverance & motivation. 

Melissa 

Engulfs your mind and draws you in. Has a very weird relationship with time. Keep an eye on the clock, or all may be lost! 

Caraway 

Helps the day ebb away

Essential Oils to Inspire Relief        

Geranium

It lets cares just lift away. Carries the weight off your shoulders.

Yarrow 

An end to the battle.

Essential Oils to Inspire Serenity  

Cedarwood 

Chases away negative thoughts

Sandalwood

Peaceful and meditative 

Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood On Bad Days

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Anger       

Ylang Ylang

To quell anger and regain balance and perspective. Ylang ylang essential oils helps you to "let go".

Left unchecked, anger can evolve into irritation, exasperation, rage, disgust, envy, torment.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Irritation 

Camomile Roman 

For someone who seems riddled with annoyance.

Sandalwood 

Easily irritated and irascible 

Tertiary emotions from being irritated are aggravation, agitation, annoyance, grouchiness and grumpiness.  

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Aggravation

Myrrh 

Soothing and philosophical. Godlike and divine.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Agitation

Geranium 

Who’s got time for this? I just want to lie here and chill.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Annoyance

Rose  

Softens the heart and makes you smile.

Vetiver

Grounding and sagelike. Full of ancient wisdom and patience. If Yoda was an essential oil, he’d be vetiver!

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grouchiness

Melissa

Softens the mood. Helps you remember the good times. 

Grapefruit

“F*ck it! Whatever!” Shake it off with some playful mischief.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grumpiness 

Sweet Orange 

Smiling becomes pretty impossible to resist. 

A  Secondary Emotion of Anger is Exasperation

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Exasperation 

Lavender 

Soothing and relaxing.

Mandarin 

Too busy having fun to be bothered

The tertiary emotion deriving from exasperation is frustration

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Frustration

Star Anise 

Eases frustration 

Niaouli 

Instills patience

Citronella 

Removes creative blocks

Jasmine Absolute 

Sexual problems and frustration 

Marjoram 

Enforced celibacy  

Rage is a secondary emotion of anger.  

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Rage

Helichrysum 

For unchecked trauma 

Spikenard 

God has deserted me 

Valerian 

Numbs the heat

Cedarwood

Negates the fury

Over time, rage becomes outrage, fury, wrath, ferocity, and hostility.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Outrage 

Chamomile Roman 

Takes the edge off   

Mandarin 

makes things feel lighter 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fury  

Jasmine Absolute 

Cools the burning rage

Frankincense

Slows the breath 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Wrath

Monarda 

For the full force of such a hot, angry, yang energy, the most yin oil is Monarda 

Also try Bergamot  or Cardamom

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hostility

Choose heart chakra oils that allow the energy of love to keep flowing. Hostility comes when we start to shut down from people

Rose  

Softens the heart, and lifts depression.

Geranium

Warms coldness and brings a pink prettiness to the mind.

Clary Sage

Particularly if hormones are driving it. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Ferocity

Monarda 

it’s like gently pouring cooling water to douse the flames.

Mandarin

Makes the mood and personality a little lighter. 

Clary Sage 

If there is a hormonal aspect to it. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Bitterness

Ylang Ylang 

Just let it go 

Hemp

Try seeing it from someone else's point of view.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hate

Nutmeg

Soft, warming and bonding.

Palmarosa 

Gentle, amiable, accepting.

Patchouli 

Pushes negative thoughts from the mind. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood Scorn 

Lemongrass 

The oil always says “What if”. What if it were me? Brings compassion and acceptance.

Melissa 

Gentle, forgiving and generous. Although, Melissa means bee, so be careful you don’t lash anyone with your venom, because remember, stings kill bees. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Spite

Tangerine 

Makes you forget why you were so annoyed in the first place. Helps you get on with the world. 

Rosemary 

Helps you to stand up to people being spiteful to you. 

Sweet Basil

Says “Get out of your head.” Just do what needs to be done. Be careful with this one. She is never subtle. Choose your words carefully.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Vengefulness

Sage*** Prevents self sabotaging.

(*** Inhalation only. Also high levels of ketones would make it inappropriate for anyone suffering from epilepsy, pregnancy or any kind of psychotic disorder.)

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dislike

Mandarin 

Makes conversation easier and lighter. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Resentment

Ginger 

Warms the coldness of rage. 

Another secondary emotion of anger is disgust  

Use the sweetness of citrus oils.     


Tertiary emotions that evolve from being disgusted by someone or something are: revulsion, contempt, loathing and suffering

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Revulsion

Jasmine Absolute 

 This is particularly useful for anyone who has suffered abuse or sexual trauma. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Contempt

Hemp 

Helps you to see someone else’s point of view

Rose 

Brings down the divinity and healing of love


Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood-Loathing

Eucalyptus

Softens the mind. Distracting.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood- Suffering

Valerian

Numbs the pain

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Disgust 

Violet Leaf Absolute

Opens areas of the mind that have been closed

 

Anger Secondary Emotion Envy 

The tertiary emotions that evolve from feeling envious are revulsion, contempt, jealousy and loathing.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Revulsion

Rose

Softens the heart

Vetiver

Grounds 

YlangYlang 

Balances

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Contempt

Tangerine 

Cuts through spite

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Loathing

Sandalwood

Has a beneficence to it. Lends kindness.

Neroli 

Gentle and yielding

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Jealousy

Ylang Ylang 

Helps you let go. It is a wonderful oil for jealousy.


 

Anger Secondary Emotion: Torment  

Valerian

Helps a person hide from their problems temporarily

Camomile Maroc

Let’s you shrink down under problems and trust that what will be, will be.

Rose Otto 

Serene calm, amidst the madness. 


You’ll be relieved to know that torment has no tertiary emotions! 

 

Primary Emotion Sadness  

The  Secondary Emotions can can evolve from sadness, over time are: 

Suffering, sadness, disappointment, shame, neglect, despair. 

Essential Oils for Uplifting Mood:  Suffering

Myrtle 

It’s like a blanket being wrapped around you. 


The tertiary emotions deriving from suffering are  agony, hurt,  and anguish.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Agony

Valerian 

Feels numbing 

Melissa 

Uplifts, helps distance you from the issue and be in the moment. 

Black Pepper

Warms and numbs. Helps you to look to your own plan instead of worrying about everyone else. 

Copaiba

Heart centered. Wonderful for both emotional and spiritual pain.  

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hurt

Valerian 

Numbs feelings 

Rose Geranium

Makes troubles seem to drift away especially if you use it in the bath. 

Rose Otto

Tonic for the heart. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Anguish

Neroli 

Soft, comforting and cosseting.


The tertiary emotions of sadness are: depression, despair, hopelessness, gloom, glumness, sadness, unhappiness, grief, sorrow, woe, misery and melancholy.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Depression

Bergamot 

Like sunshine on the darkest of days

Yuzu 

Has a particular affinity for when marriage feels hard. Generally uplifting, though.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Despair

Melissa

Filled with hope, optimism and kindness

Lemon Grass 

Acknowledges the dire circumstances, but then asks what if…opens your eyes to hidden possibilities 

Galbanum 

Knows its way around the dark places and the way to connect back to the light.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Hopelessness

Melissa 

Feels kind. Filled with hope and optimism..

Sweet Orange

Positive outlook

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Gloom

Lemon 

Happy, bright and level headed.

Sweet Orange 

Smiles through the rain

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Glumness

Lemon 

Happy, bright and level.

Sweet Orange 

Upbeat and hopeful

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Unhappiness

There is a quietness to these oils. They feel like they are creeping around the quadrangle of a monastery, taking care, gently tending someone and waiting out the time it takes them to heal. 

Geranium 

Opens the heart space to allow the pain to leave. Lifts worries and burdens from the shoulders. 

Violet leaf Absolute 

Like the gentlest whisper. A kind of healing from the angels

Myrrh 

A salve for the deepest wound

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Grief

Rose  

The quintessential expression of love. Especially love that will not die. 

Holy Basil 

Recovery from shock, and the comforting embrace of the goddess Lakshmi and the body regains homeostasis and equilibrium. 

Melissa 

Coordinates helpful memory and softens the pain.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Sorrow

Vetiver

 The heaviest blanket to hide under

Spikenard 

An act of grace when all feels lost.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Woe

Mandarin  

Lighter, brighter and able to string conversations effectively. Restores interest and color to one’s life.

Lemon 

Stabilizes the mood, encouraging creativity to flow so one’s imagination and personality begins to stir again.

Petitgrain

A whisper of anticipation

Palma rosa  

The power to cut the cord to the past

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Misery

Patchouli 

Draws worries from the head and channels into useful practical energy. Calms frenetic panic in the body. Very grounding. 

Spikenard 

For fear, and the feeling that faith has deserted you

Cardamom

Allows you to sit and appraise how far you’ve come. Fells contented

Helichrysum  

For the wound that will not heal

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Melancholy

Benzoin

Liberates one from despair and makes a wonderful base note in blends. It is too thick to use in electrical diffusers however

Citronella 

Instills hope. There is something about oils high in citral that makes them feel positive and sanguine

Rose

Use it particularly for someone struggling with grief. 

Angelica 

Understands death

 


Sadness Secondary Emotions:  Disappointment  

The tertiary emotions that derive from disappointment are dismay, disappointment and displeasure. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Disappointment 

Cardamom 

Helps you feel content with what has been achieved

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Dismay & Displeasure

Sweet Orange 

A smile in a bottle, when everything else feels wrong. It must be something about the sweetness that removes a bitter taste from your mouth. 

Sadness Secondary Emotions Shame

The tertiary emotions that can arise from feeling  shameful are: guilt, shame, regret, remorse, neglect, alienation, isolation, neglect, loneliness, rejection, homesickness, defeat, dejection, insecurity, embarrassment, humiliation and insult.

 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Guilt

Clove  

For overly busy moms who can’t quite seem to get the balance right for the kids. 

Myrrh  

plays on the heart, but also sexuality. Helps mobilize forgiveness especially of oneself. Has a particular affinity with sexual abuse and incenst.

Rose  

For affairs of the heart and illicit liaisons that don’t quite sit right.

Lemongrass 

This oil always opens closed doors in the mind by asking “What if…?” What if it wasn’t your fault. What if you did the best you could do under the circumstances. What if there wasn’t any other way.

Roman Chamomile

For when you know something you wish you didn’t. Helps you feel more in control of the information and to be less controlled by the anguish of what you should do with it. “Whatever will be will be”

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Regret

Roman Chamomile

Allows one to let go of the past. “It is, what it is”

Lemon  

Brings a smile of fondness. Let sunshine and sweetness back into memories that have gone dark and sour.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Remorse

Hemp 

Helps one see the other person’s perspective and to understand our own part in what went wrong. All cannabis medicines instill forgiveness from some dimension.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Neglect

Rose 

Self love

Geranium

Generosity to one’s self 

Angelica  

A kiss from the angels to remind you that you are loved.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Alienation Isolation and Loneliness

Vetiver 

Feels like being wrapped in a blanket 

Monarda

Draws kindred spirits to you. Helps you explain so people understand

Lemon  

allows clear communication and storytelling to engage others in your tale.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Rejection

Valerian  

Helps numb the pain so you can hide under it 

Rose  

Keeps the heart open

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Homesickness

Hmmm, difficult one. This is best approached by scent association to a person or place. For a Hungarian, maybe Paprika, Eucalyptus for an Aussie and Fish and chips for a Brit. 

Perhaps forest oils…Create a fragrant profile that recreates, rather than diminishes. Alternatively use the selections for loneliness.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Defeat

Helichrysum  

Seems to slide down a hospital wall to sit beside the person whose news has just been so bad their knees have given way under them. Helichrysum is gritty. It realizes that some things you never come back from. They change you. But it wants to see you take the medicine and turn it into gold. You will get through this. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dejection

All the citrus oils

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Insecurity

Lavender

To soothe

Valerian

To pacify runaway fears 

Spikenard 

For overwhelming terror

Roman Chamomile

To balance:  Whatever will be will be. Trusting in normality again. 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Embarrassment

Mandarin  

Very light. Helps one to laugh at oneself

Jasmine Absolute  

For sexual embarrasment 

Patchouli 

Moves the energy out of the head into the body

Spearmint  

Helps to process trauma from the past.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Humiliation

Valerian  

Helps to numb and sleep till the shock passes 

Ylang ylang  

Makes you feel lighter and more confident. Very sassy cougar kind of energy. So he betrayed me. I’ll show him. Elegant and refined.

Grapefruit  

Seems to dance the CanCan and show her knickers (If indeed she has any!)  very much an “F**k U” kind of attitude. 

Sweet Basil  

Demands that you get out of your head and get on with things. An extremely cruel to be kind energy, like a very efficient short sharp kick up the ass! 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Insult

Melissa

A specific choice for insult and misunderstandings. Especially for careers of people who have violent outbursts because of dementia. Melissa (Melissa officinalis) has a deep understanding of confusion. 

Essential Oils To Invoke Sympathy

Hemp

Helps one to see another person’s point of view

The tertiary emotion of sympathy is pity, although I am not sure how one would work with that aromatherapeutically.

Fear  

Spikenard  

The most powerful fear ally there is. Helps one have faith 

Valerian 

Works on similar physiological receptors as benzodiazepines do. Valerian numbs and distances you from the fear.

Cumulatively though, most base notes like Vetiver, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Patchouli and Benzoin bring energy down from the head to the body helping to ground you. 

The Secondary Emotions of Fear are Horror and Nervousness.

Horror 

Spikenard

The fear that makes you look like a terrified cat.  

Angelica  

Calls upon the angels for support. Understands death

Amber  

Not strictly an essential oil, but amber is wonderful for lifting trauma 

I would be remiss if I did not suggest Bach Flower remedies, in particular Rescue Remedy here.  Nothing else comes close in those immediate moments after a shock. 

The tertiary emotions that arise from being horrified are alarm, shock, fear, fright, horror, terror, panic, hysteria and mortification.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Alarm

Sandalwood

Pacifying and grounding

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Shock

Valerian  

Numbs and distances

Vetiver 

Smothers and warms under a safe blanket

Patchouli

Grounds, warms and holds, 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fear

Spikenard  

Restores faith in normality, or that one can cope with whatever is ahead, regardless of how awful.

Lavender  

Gently soothing and relaxing for “everyday fear”. By that I mean recurrent as opposed to your normal run of the mill…

Vetiver  

Grounding and tranquilizing. 

Geranium  

Specifically if the shock and fear comes from financial problems.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Fright and Terror

Again, Spikenard 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Panic and Hysteria

Frankincense

Slows the breath

Valerian

Distances and slows. Numbs the edges of the fear

Lavender 

Calms and soothes

Roman Chamomile  

Whatever will be, will be

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood  Mortification

Helichrysum  

For the scenes that there is no coming back from what has been seen. (Specific for serving veterans with PTSD)

Also, any kind of flower oil tends to warm and restore beauty and connection.

Essential Oils To Relieve: Nervousness

Lavender 

Relaxing and soothing

Camomile  

Whatever will be, will be. 

Geranium 

Pacifying, happy and confident

Violet Leaf Absolute

Very gentle. Suits very timid or overly sensitive types. Almost seems to whisper.

The tertiary emotions that arise over time from feeling nervous are: anxiety, nervousness, tenseness, uneasiness, apprehension, worry, distress & dread.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood:  Anxiety

Lavender

Relaxing and soothing

Geranium 

Lefts tension away. 

Chamomile  

Releases the grip on trying to control. Whatever will be, will be. 

Frankincense  

Slows the breath. Deeply soothing and pacifying.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood & RelievingTenseness

Juniper

Releases muscle tension

Black Pepper  

Helps one to look forward for their own path

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Uneasiness

Lemon

Settles the mood 

Neroli

Lightens and distances from worry

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Apprehension

Camphor 

Useful if someone has overwhelming fears that someone might hurt them.

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Worry

Neroli 

Soft, calming and positive

Cedarwood 

Clears unwanted thoughts

Birch  

Helps you see the truth in a situation

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Distress

Vetiver  

Grounding and centering

Frankincense

Slows the breath. Particularly helpful if you feel powerless.

Ylang Ylang

Restorative 

Valerian  

Numbs and distances 

Essential Oils For Uplifting Mood: Dread 

Geranium

Lifts cares from your shoulders (especially about finances)

Thyme  

Helps you face fears bravely

Marjoram 

Helps you to have confidence you can make the right decision.

Essential Oils for uplifting mood are deceptively simple to use. Essential oils have a cumulative effect, so even if you don’t feel effects straight away, please persist. Over the period of a month most people find they have come a very long way in their healing journey. I hope you find that too. 

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