8 Essential Oils for Focus & Deep Work

From time to time, it can become difficult to stay focused on the tasks at hand. 

Whether our circadian rhythms dip or we’re facing a lot of stress at the office, it can be tough to focus and engage in deep work even when we really need to. When this happens, aromatherapy can be a better choice than gulping down another cup of coffee.

But there are dozens of essential oils to choose from. If you’re not sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Today, let’s break down eight essential oils for focus and deep work in detail. 

1. Peppermint Essential Oil

First on the list is peppermint essential oil. Peppermint essential oil is phenomenal for improving your focus and work energy because it stimulates your mind without increasing tension. Thanks to its effects on your sinuses, it can also alleviate mild stuffiness.

That’s all because of the primary constituent in peppermint oil: menthol. This compound is invigorating, cooling, and revitalizing all in one. When you inhale peppermint essential oil, you might find that you breathe more easily and that you think a little clearer than before. 

Some people even find peppermint oil to be beneficial for improving their mood. This, in turn, can have a net positive impact on work productivity.

2. Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary essential oil is another solid choice for improving focus and deep work results. It features a novel spicy aroma. When studying or doing lots of work, it’s important to place yourself in an invigorating environment so that you maintain focus. However, you have to be careful not to overstimulate yourself or you’ll become distracted.

Rosemary essential oil is perfect for this. It’s stimulating and sharpening enough without going overboard. Therefore, it can be a perfect essential oil for enjoying during meetings, teleconferences, or when studying for school.

Just be sure to use Rosemary ct Cineole, which is the first of two primary varieties of rosemary. This variety has much more 1.8-Cineole, a phytochemical that is tied to productivity boosts.

3. Ginger Root Essential Oil

Ginger root essential oil might be perfect for those who work from home and prefer to work in office environments. Ginger root essential oil features a spicy, fresh, and warming scent. For many, it’s the perfect blend of comfortable and invigorating all at once.

Ginger root essential oil can be phenomenal for helping you when your motivation is low or if you are having trouble with emotional troubles or work drive. Thanks to its chemical makeup, ginger root essential oil might also help soothe your respiratory system, making you breathe more easily if you are currently plagued by springtime allergies or stuffiness in your house.

Some folks find ginger root essential oil perfect for alleviating nausea or easing chronic pain, too. Seen in this light, ginger root essential oil could be a solid cornerstone oil for future aromatherapy habits you cultivate.

4. Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary sage essential oil is another good choice for boosting productivity and mental wellness. Also sometimes called the Woman’s Oil, clary sage essential oil has an important effect on your endocrine system. Thus, it may help you overcome mood imbalances, particularly those caused by hormone fluctuations.

For example, if you have a lot of stress from working at home or from working at a stressful company, clary sage oil can help. You might find your emotional resilience boosted when inhaling clary sage essential oil. Clary sage essential oil produces a very pleasant aroma regardless, so it’s great for aromatherapy and calming you down at the end of a long day.

That said, it can be a little overly calming for some people. Thus, it might not be the best for studying hard or late into the night. It’s best used as an essential oil when distracting stress is the primary culprit behind you being unable to work. Some people use clary sage oil to address menstrual pain and reduce the symptoms of conditions like chronic stress or anxiety.

5. Lemon Essential Oil

Who could forget lemon essential oil? This essential oil has been used in ancient cultures around the world for millennia, and for a good reason. It’s a vibrant and invigorating citrus oil extract and can be perfect for boosting productivity or helping you focus.

Even better, lemon essential oil can eliminate distracting or stuffy odors in the air. There’s a reason why lemon essential oil is often used as a fragrance for cleaning products or solutions! On top of that, lemon essential oil is very rich in limonene, a constituent that can reduce anxiety, elevate mood, and more.

Thanks to these benefits, you might find that lemon essential oil reduces mental fogginess, particularly in the morning and evening. Lemon essential oil can boost your energy, enhance your thought clarity, and even reduce procrastination. Pair it with an open window, and you might find your attitude improving in just minutes.

6. Turmeric Essential Oil

Turmeric essential oil is a phenomenal choice for overall aromatherapy. This regenerative, protective essential oil features an earthy and warm fragrance. Thus, it’s a top-tier choice if you have a lot of negative feelings, like stress and anxiety, that build up and prevent you from working or focusing.

This is partially due to turmerones: key constituents that make up a lot of the chemical effects in turmeric. Some recent studies have indicated that turmeric oil can address the symptoms of mental diseases ranging from dementia to Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, turmeric essential oil can’t cure these ailments by itself.

Nevertheless, you might find that turmeric essential oil’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can improve your resilience, help you focus, and alleviate negative feelings across the board.

7. Jasmin Grandiflorum Essential Oil

Jasmine Grandiflorum essential oil is intoxicating, potent, and romantic. It’s sometimes reputed as an aphrodisiac, but it can be enjoyed in standard aromatherapy if you need to focus while enhancing your creativity.

In fact, many Jasmine Grandiflorum aromatherapy fans believe that this oil can promote open-mindedness and help you alter your perspective. Therefore, if you are in a slump with your work and can’t crack a creative problem, Jasmine Grandiflorum could be just the ticket.

However, note that all Jasmine oils are harvested through solvent extraction. That’s because steam distillation is too intense for the soft white flowers of Jasmine plants. This makes Jasmine Grandiflorum different from other standard essential oils. 

Instead, it’s called an absolute oil. You’ll notice the difference in the fragrance, which is marked by more floral and sweet notes rather than musky notes.

8. Black Pepper Essential Oil

Last but not least, consider adding black pepper essential oil to your aromatherapy routine. Black pepper oil has a sharp and strong aroma that lingers for some time after aerosolizing. That can be a great thing for folks who need to boost their concentration for several hours, like when you need to study before a big test.

However, black pepper essential oil isn’t overwhelming in any capacity. It can improve your stamina and help you feel renewed or reinvigorated without making you feel jittery or distracted. As a spicy oil, it may also lead to ancillary physiological benefits, like boosted circulation, clearer respiratory airways, and even relief for sore or painful muscles. It’s the perfect pick for getting through an afternoon slump while retaining high productivity.

Note that you only need a few drops of black pepper oil at any time due to its strength and spiciness. If you add more than a few drops, you might accidentally make the oil a bit too concentrated for your liking!

How Can I Use Essential Oils for Focus and Work?

Whenever you use essential oils for aromatherapy, only add a few drops of your chosen essential oil into the aromatherapy device, like a steamer. Essential oils are typically mixed with carrier oils so that they don’t overpower the senses.

Each essential oil requires a different number of drops to be effective. Always read the back of your chosen essential oil bottle to add the right number of drops before enjoying aromatherapy.

Summary

Ultimately, any of the above essential oils could be great remedies for the daily afternoon slump or for dealing with stress when you need to work. It might be a good idea to try several essential oils and see which one works best for you!

Pair some of these essential oils with other remedies, like top-tier supplements and wellness products, and you’ll be well on your way to maintaining productivity all day long. 1AND1’s premium supplements and other supplies could be just the ticket – we even offer an Aromatherapy Diffuser if you’re ready to start incorporating essential oils into your lifestyle.

Sources:

Eucalyptol | C10H18O – PubChem | NCBI

Limonene: Aroma of innovation in health and disease | NCBI

The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer’s disease: An overview – PMC | NCBI