Aromatherapy through the lens of trauma-informed care: Stress-reduction practices for healthcare professionals

In this post-pandemic era of short-staffing, limited resources, and an ever-growing rate of healthcare professionals reporting exhaustion, stress, anxiety, and burn-out, it is imperative to arm workers with easy to use self-care practices. Aromatherapy is a personal, easy to use, low-cost, effective complementary therapy to promote relaxation, stress reduction, grounding, and calm. Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant essences, such as essential oils, to support physiological and psychological wellness. When essential oils are inhaled, they impact the limbic system and sequentially the nervous system. Using a trauma-informed approach, aromatherapy is paired with polyvagal theory and somatic experiencing and presented with breathing practices and recommendations for use in the healthcare workplace.