In Uncertain Times, This Is Where You Start — Part 3
Safe-guarding your nervous system is critical. This post teaches how to shift your nervous system by combining two of the body’s fastest-acting inputs.
Friends,
To be able to stand firm through what’s unfolding in the US, self-care is vital. I learned this the hard way, living through the breakdown of civil rights, law and order, and economic collapse in Zimbabwe. That’s where I began a basic practice — one I’ve built on over the years — so that now I’m able to stay calm, clear, and steady, no matter what.
Case in point: I wrote the protest posts while my partner was in the Major Trauma unit, after being airlifted from a motorbike accident. This week, I’ve written in between looking after my partner — currently bed-ridden — and taking my son to hospital and the GP after a severe allergic reaction to penicillin, with possible glandular fever. All while navigating my own health challenges.
Calm, clear, and steady under pressure.
Part One walked through the early signs of a nervous system that’s already under pressure, and taught you a simple stress barometer: breath awareness. Part Two introduced diaphragmatic breathing, a simple, powerful way to shift your internal state and bring the nervous system back into balance. Today, we’ll layer in a second signal, one that works through two additional pathways in the body, and requires virtually no effort at all: essential oils.
They’re often dismissed as pleasant but inconsequential, as if scent has no real bearing on physiology. But certain essential oils can slow the breath, calm the heart, lift the mood, or sharpen focus. That’s not magic, but chemistry — quietly interfacing with your lungs, your bloodstream, your brain and your nervous system.
In this post, we’ll explore how essential oils work on three distinct biological systems, and why combining them with breath makes their impact far greater than the sum of their parts.
What We'll Cover Today:
The Chemistry of Essential Oils
Essential oils contain dozens to hundreds of active chemical compounds that interact with the human body — aldehydes, esters, alcohols, phenols, ketones, and oxides among them. Scientists have discovered that each of these classes tends to follow certain patterns in how it behaves (though not rigidly so. There is overlap, and the effects can vary depending on the concentration, the broader chemical context, and the individual response).
But in general, aldehydes — for instance — are often antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Esters usually have calming or antispasmodic effects. Alcohols tend to be gentle and balancing, while phenols are stronger — stimulating and powerfully antimicrobial, though sometimes irritating. Ketones can support cell regeneration or break down mucus (though some are toxic in higher doses). Oxides — like those in eucalyptus — are typically helpful for the respiratory system. While these aren’t hard rules, they’re a useful starting points when you’re trying to understand what an essential oil might actually do.
That said, if there’s one group that deserves particular attention, it’s terpenes.
Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in all essential oils. Yes, they give the oil its scent, but more importantly, they’re biologically active. That means they interact with the body in measurable ways. Limonene, for example, found in citrus oils, has been linked to improved immune response and reduced stress. Linalool, common in lavender, can lower anxiety. Pinene, from pine and rosemary, may help with focus and respiratory function. Terpenes aren’t just pleasant smells — they’re chemicals with physiological effects.
Terpenes rarely act alone. In a high-quality essential oil, they work alongside the other compounds, enhancing or moderating each other’s effects. This is often referred to as the entourage effect — the idea that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
So while essential oils are often treated as superficial or purely sensory, their chemistry tells a different story. Terpenes, in particular, offer a direct link between scent and biology, and they deserve far more serious attention than they’re usually given.
Brain, Body and Evidence
Essential oils are remarkably versatile, thanks to their ability to interact with the body through three primary routes: smelling, inhalation, and topical application. Topical use is typically aimed at a localised effect — relieving muscle tension, easing skin irritation, or supporting wound healing — so we won’t focus on it here. Instead, we’ll turn to smelling and inhalation. While they may sound interchangeable, they refer to distinct processes, each with different implications for how essential oils influence the body and mind.
Smelling is the passive detection of scent through the olfactory receptors, while inhaling is a more deliberate process. It involves drawing aromatic molecules deep into the lungs, engaging both the sensory and respiratory systems more fully, and potentially delivering broader therapeutic effects.
The olfactory system is where it all begins. When you smell something, molecules dissolve in the mucous lining of specialised tissue inside your nose. This tissue houses millions of olfactory receptors — around 400 distinct types — each tuned to recognise certain odour molecules.
These receptors act like locks, with the 'key' a matching scent molecules. When a match occurs, the receptor converts that interaction into an electrical signal. That signal travels to the olfactory bulb, a structure just above your nasal cavity that processes and relays smell information to other areas of the brain.
One key destination is the limbic system — the part of the brain involved in emotion and memory. Here, structures like the amygdala and hippocampus respond to scent input with immediate emotional and psychological reactions. Even brief exposure to a scent can evoke a powerful memory, shift your mood, or trigger a sense of calm or alertness.
Because the limbic system connects directly with older parts of the brain that govern physiological functions — heart rate, breathing, hormonal balance — smells can also produce tangible physical changes, like slower breathing or reduced blood pressure.
Some signals from the olfactory bulb also reach the brain’s cortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions. This is why some essential oils can sharpen your focus and mental clarity, while others can help quieten your mind, supporting rest.
Inhaling essential oils offers a deeper level of engagement than simply smelling them. It activates both sensory and respiratory pathways, allowing the oils’ compounds to enter your bloodstream and produce effects throughout your body.
Unlike the passive act of smelling, inhalation involves drawing aromatic molecules into your lungs, where they interact with the mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract. This tissue is rich in blood vessels, making it an effective gateway for absorbing essential oil compounds. The respiratory system is closely linked to the circulatory system, so what you breathe in can influence your whole body. As a result, the oils can influence physical processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rhythm, and even hormone regulation. Additionally, they can quickly affect your mental state—promoting relaxation, reducing stress, or even sharpening focus, depending on the oil.
Which Oils To Use
When you're experiencing a slow, grinding kind of crisis that wears away at your resilience rather than knocking you off your feet in one blow, it helps to have tools that support both steadiness and emotional processing. Essential oils can play a valuable supporting role in helping you stay grounded, focused, and present.
Calming Essential Oils
Frankincense (Boswellia carteri/sacra/serrata/frereana) has a centering quality —almost like your breath drops lower into your body when you inhale it. It has a calming but not sedating effect on the nervous system, which makes it useful when you need to stay alert but anchored. It supports the parasympathetic nervous system, easing the physiological symptoms of stress and anxiety, including rapid breathing and a sense of tightness in the chest.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia/ officinalis) is the obvious choice for tension, but in long-term stress, its role shifts. It’s less about knocking you out and more about softening the edges — easing the constant low-level alertness that chronic stress can produce. It helps promote deeper breathing and supports sleep when your nervous system won't fully let go.
Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) offers a kind of ballast when you feel unmoored or disconnected from your body. Its heavy, earthy scent helps pull your attention back into the present, making it particularly useful when emotional stress manifests as mental fog, dissociation, restlessness, or overstimulation.
Then there are the citrus-based oils, which are often seen as light and cheerful. They carry more weight than they’re given credit for, particularly when your emotional state is flat, anxious, or fatigued.
Bergamot (Citrus aurantium/bergamia) stands out because it uplifts without overstimulating. It can lift your mood, reduce cortisol levels, and support parasympathetic activity, all at once. There’s clinical research behind it too: in controlled settings, bergamot essential oil has been shown to reduce physiological markers of stress, including heart rate and blood pressure, while also improving self-reported mood. It’s especially valuable when you feel low but still on edge — a common pairing in a slow-burning crisis.
Neroli (Citrus aurantium) — a personal favourite, which is distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree — goes even deeper. Quietly powerful, it calms and lifts, with a kind of elevator effect. If you’re stuck in despair or grief, it lifts you one level up, just enough to breathe. If your mood is neutral, it brightens, creating a gentle but unmistakable upward shift. That upward lift is exactly what makes neroli so valuable in slow-burning crises, when emotional depletion sets in and the nervous system begins to stall.
Neroli is also known for its ability to reduce cortisol (the 'stress hormone'), ease tension, and calm the heart without sedating. It works gently on the limbic system to regulate emotional reactivity, and is often used in trauma-sensitive contexts for exactly that reason — it helps you stay with your feelings, but from a safer distance.
Essential Oils for Focus
When focus is in short supply — whether from exhaustion, emotional overload, or too much cognitive noise — essential oils can offer a subtle but tangible shift. The right ones can help clear the static so you can think, decide, and move with more clarity.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is one of the most studied oils for cognitive performance. It’s been shown to improve memory, mental speed, and alertness —likely due to its impact on acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter tied to focus and learning. It’s especially useful when your mind feels sluggish but you need to stay mentally sharp.
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) brings clarity in a more immediate, sensory way. Its menthol content stimulates cold (temperature) receptors in the nose and airways, which increase alertness and opens the breath, both of which support sharper thinking. It’s ideal for that late-afternoon fog, or when you need to snap out of distraction and into action.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is less commonly used but worth considering. It has a clear, slightly peppery scent that’s been linked to improved concentration and reduced mental fatigue. There’s also a subtle mood-lifting quality to it, which helps if your lack of focus is linked to low motivation or mild depressive symptoms.
Lemon (Citrus limon) — and other citrus oils like grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) — can enhance mental clarity while also supporting your mood. Lemon, in particular, has been shown to improve cognitive performance and accuracy in task-based settings. It's a good option when you're mentally scattered and need to return to structured thinking.
You can also blend essential oils. A combination of rosemary, peppermint, and lemon is a strong starting point for focus and alertness. You’ll often see it in diffuser blends designed for study or work. But if your concentration issues are rooted more in anxiety or overthinking — your mind spinning rather than stalling — then frankincense, bergamot, or cedarwood might help by quieting background stress enough to let you actually focus on what matters.
The key is to work with your body, not against it. These oils don’t override your state; they shift it. So the right one won’t just make you feel more relaxed or more focused —it’ll make the act of relaxing or focusing feel more possible.
Layering Essential Oils with Diaphragmatic Breathing
When you combine essential oil inhalation with diaphragmatic breathing, you’re engaging three physiological systems at once. The olfactory system delivers scent molecules directly to the brain’s emotional and regulatory centres. The respiratory system absorbs those same compounds into the bloodstream via the lungs. And the act of deep, measured breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system —your body’s built-in mechanism for slowing down and restoring balance. Together, these three pathways create a powerful, layered intervention that interrupts the stress response and supports a shift toward regulation and calm.
To practise this, place a drop or two of essential oil into your palm, rub your hands together, and cup them loosely over your nose. Or, if you prefer, hold the open bottle just beneath your nostrils. Begin diaphragmatic breathing, and continue for 5 to 10 full cycles. Between each exhale and the next inhale, lower your hands and press your palms together to contain the scent — this helps prevent the aromatic compounds from dispersing too quickly. Then lift your hands again and repeat.
The scent engages the brain. The lungs absorb the chemistry. The breath tells the body it’s safe.
Essential Oil Safety
Be sure to use a therapeutic-grade essential oil and not a synthetic fragrance oil. They’re easy to mix up, but only true essential oils contain the active plant compounds that offer therapeutic benefits.
Before inhaling, do a simple allergy check. Dilute one drop of your chosen essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil (which you should have already tested on its own). Dab the mixture onto a small patch of skin and wait 24 hours. If there’s no reaction, you’re good to go. If irritation or any allergic response shows up, choose a different oil. Always go slowly and listen to your body.
Some citrus oils like bergamot are phototoxic. That means if you put them on your skin and go out into the sun, you might get a nasty reaction. If you're using one of these, avoid direct sunlight on that area for at least 12 hours.
Never ingest essential oils Some are toxic in small quantities, and — despite what wellness influencers might claim — internal use should only ever happen under professional supervision.
Some oils that are perfectly fine for adults can be harmful to little ones or unsafe during pregnancy/ breast-feeding. Avoid using essential oils around pets — some can be exceedingly harmful.
Each of the three practices I’ve now shared with you —aromatic inhalation, respiratory absorption, and diaphragmatic breathing — is helpful on its own. But when combined, they become something more: a layered, multisystem intervention that speaks directly to the brain and the nervous system all at once. It’s this integration that gives the practice its power.
In my next post, we’ll explore a brief and simple practice to deepen and extend the breath itself, building on the foundation that’s already been laid to strengthen your body’s capacity for calm and regulation. In the meantime, keep practising until diaphragmatic breathing becomes second nature. Choose an oil, engage your breath, and return to it often. The more you practise, the more effective the signal becomes.
— Lori
Thank you so much. Your writings are both concretely helpful and produce a sense of hope too.
i am praying for full restoring of mind body and spirit for your partner and your son. 🙏 thank you for writing in the midst of challenging circumstances.