Essential Oils for Introverts

I am a huge introvert, which means that conferences and in-person events often feel overwhelming and exhausting.

At the same time, I always learn so much about new healing modalities and have the opportunity to meet and learn from fascinating, kind-hearted people.

When one of my favorite companies extended the invitation-only opportunity to be an exhibitor at their conference, I really struggled with conflicting feelings.

On one hand, I was honored to be invited and I knew it would provide the opportunity to connect with some truly amazing individuals.

On the other hand, I was concerned about my own energy and health. I recently discovered mold in my home and was definitely suffering from lower-than-usual energy and mental stamina.

In the end, I decided it could be a powerful learning opportunity and agreed to attend and exhibit.

When I arrived, the intensity of the energy from competing frequency devices and mold in the hotel made me feel so ill that I feared I had made the wrong choice. Just as I was second-guessing myself, a trusted colleague appeared at my booth complaining of shockingly similar symptoms – headache, crushing fatigue, mild nausea.

Without thinking, I began creating a protocol for her that I also applied to myself and before I knew it, I started to feel better.

What is an Introvert?

Introversion has to do with how you gather energy.

While extroverts gain energy from social interaction, introverts tend to expend energy and feel drained, depleted, or exhausted after prolonged social interactions, like in-person events and conferences.

Like many introverts, I often need to “recharge” by spending time alone or in nature. It is interesting to note that a talk on trauma and dorsal vagal shutdown suggested that introverts might be in shutdown immobilization mode and not able to access the ventral vagal state necessary for social connection.

Characteristics of an Introvert?

Introverts are not necessarily shy or anti-social. On the contrary, many introverts – including myself – enjoy socializing but may notice that:

Crowds Drain Your Energy: You may feel exhausted after spending time interacting with other people or need to retreat to a quiet place to recharge. It is believed that introverts have to expend energy in social situations, unlike extroverts who gain energy from such interactions.

Enjoy Solitude: You may require periods of solitude to recharge. For example, you may enjoy spending some time alone, like taking a quiet walk alone or with a friend, reading a book or enjoying a hobby, binging a show, or spending a quiet night at home to help you feel recharged and energized.

Prefer to work on your own: You may find it easier to concentrate when working alone or choose solitary pastimes or hobbies, like running, yoga, or skiing where you have time to be in your own head. Working at your own pace may allow you to be creative, and productive and avoid worrying about navigating group dynamics.

Opt for a small group vs. large crowds: You may prefer connecting with a small group of close friends or interacting on a one-on-one basis via deep, substantive conversations over large gatherings with superficial interactions.

Sensitivity to Stimuli: Hectic or busy environments may make you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or struggling to focus. Researchers have found that introverts tend to be more easily distracted than extroverts, which is part of the reason why introverts tend to prefer a quieter, less harried setting.

Strong Self-Awareness: Your inward-turning nature might help you be highly self-aware, often dedicating considerable amounts of time to examining and understanding your own internal experiences, motivations, observations, and feelings. You may also enjoy understanding how and why you gravitate toward certain environments and avoid others.

Dissociate: You may zone out as a coping skill to manage overwhelm and help you escape from unpleasant or stressful situations. Letting your mind wander or drift to something more relaxing may be a helpful survival mechanism.

READ THIS NEXT: Essential Oils for Dissociation

Essential oils – especially those derived from grounded plants like trees which are intrinsically grounded through their root structure into the Earth – may help you ground and center yourself so that the external stimulation affects you less.

In the context of this overwhelming event, I was able to rely on essential oil blends to help me navigate my introvert overwhelm.

Natural scents, like essential oils derived from plants, also carry a vibration and smelling essential oils forces you to entrain your energy with the plant and helps connect you to nature and ground you, allowing space for reflection and avoidance of overstimulation.

Essential oils comprised of barks, roots, grasses, needles, and resin of plants also help you pull your energy centers down into the Earth.

Plants that grow under the earth are entrained with the earth’s energies. This is why stones, root vegetables, or essential oils from root plants that share space with the Earth, match the frequency of the Earth and can be used for grounding. Rock, crystals, and minerals, in particular, are able to hold a solid vibration so when you hold one in your hand or place it near your body, you have to change your frequency to match that of the rock or mineral. This is one reason that crystals are so popular for grounding.

Circulation for Focus and Energy

Large crowds can drain an introvert’s mental and physical energy.

In order to maintain my energy for all the attendees who stopped by our booth, I generously applied Circulation™ on the back of my neck to assist with blood flow to the brain.

Essential oils, like Circulation™, help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels which helps more blood circulate through them, enhancing the flow of oxygen to the brain.

Circulation™ blend supports healthy circulation to deliver oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the body and the brain, while simultaneously carrying toxins and waste to the kidney and liver to be eliminated. Circulation™ is formulated with several oils known to be high in sesquiterpenes, including Black Pepper, Ginger, and Frankincense that deliver oxygen to the cells. Apply 2- 3 drops of Circulation™ on the sides or back of the neck, over the left clavicle, on the wrists or ankles to support energy, brain endurance, and warmth of the distal extremities, like the fingers and toes.

READ THIS NEXT: Enhance Brain Circulation with Essential Oils

Parasympathetic® for Anxiety

Parasympathetic® calms your nervous system and helps you be present in the moment, to both your own body and to your mental, emotional, and physical needs.

This blend of clove and lime essential oils helps energize your physical body and mental capacity, helping to support the brain to calm the anxiety and overwhelm that introverts often experience at large events.

Your sympathetic “fight or flight” state turns on when survival and safety are threatened. When you are stuck in a cycle of sympathetic dominance – and not activating your parasympathetic nervous system – your body’s alert mechanism for survival remains on high and you can become trapped in a perception that you are not safe, which lays the groundwork for pessimism and negative thinking.

The parasympathetic system restores a sense of safety and balance which calms the brain and the body by activating your parasympathetic nervous system to help you identify and support your own needs. The research found that – when stimulated, your vagus nerve releases anti-anxiety chemicals that help you focus on positive emotions, decrease mental distress, and improve mental well-being.

Apply Parasympathetic® over the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) to activate the vagus nerve. This helps discharge energy and shift out of the frozen state into the healing parasympathetic state.

READ THIS NEXT: Parasympathetic for Anxiety

Small Intestine Support for Boundaries

One of the biggest challenges for me as an introvert and an empath is not taking on other people’s energy in crowded events. Small Intestine Support™ helps me maintain healthy physical and energetic boundaries.

On the physical level, the small intestine plays a critical role in the digestion process, absorbing and assimilating key nutrients while preventing harmful pathogens and toxins from entering the body.

On an emotional level, the small intestine plays a similarly discerning role with emotions, helping to understand experiences and determine healthy and appropriate relationships and boundaries.

Vibrant Blue Oils Emotion Balance Small Intestine Support™ blend supports the healthy functioning of the small intestine as it sorts and transforms food, feelings, and ideas into useful ingredients for the body/mind. It also helps correct imbalances where you are overly in tune with other’s criticism, feelings, or opinions at the expense of your own.

Small Intestine Support™ can be smelled or applied around the ears. You can start on the bottom of the ear at the earlobes and gentle massage upward along the exterior of the ear, hitting many of the major reflexology points. This article and chart show specific points on the ears for specific issues.

READ THIS NEXT: Supporting Personal Boundaries with Essential Oils

Attention for Grounding

Grounding helps you shift your focus and awareness back to your immediate surroundings and pull them out of whatever mental state has caused a disconnection so you can stay in the present moment and better connect with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, so you are able to rely less on dissociation.

Attention™ blend was designed to support children with ADD/ADHD and it works because it helps ground these kids into their bodies and when they are grounded, they are less distracted, impulsive, and more focused. Attention™ contains Vetiver, a perennial bunchgrass with very deep roots that help ground it to the Earth. Vetiver essential oil is extracted from these deep roots and is known to ground you mentally, physically, and emotionally, often helping you explore the root of your emotional issues. Attention™ also contains Frankincense™ – a resin extracted from trees that grow in the challenging climates of northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. These challenging climates make Frankincense™ uniquely resilient and supportive to help with grounding. Apply 2- 3 drops of Attention™ on the bottom of the feet and back of the neck to help with grounding.

READ THIS NEXT: 5 Essential Oils for Grounding

Identify Your Health Priority

Essential Oils for Introverts

What is an Introvert?

Characteristics of an Introvert?