Turn a shower into an oasis of relaxation

Soaking in a tub full of hot, scented water has its benefits, but on busy days, the process of filling that tub and soaking for twenty minutes can seem daunting. On even the most frantic morning, you can turn a two-minute shower into a haven of peace and an opportunity to indulge your senses.

Sprinkle one or two drops of lemon essential oil on the floor of the shower recess. Lemon oil is definitely a blues pick-me-upper. When you inhale the fresh, bracing, head-clearing scent, its properties go beyond the blood–brain barrier, helping to produce an uplifting effect on your mood.

One study has even found that depressed patients who were instructed to inhale lemon oil each morning needed fewer antidepressant drugs than those who did not – and some were able to get off their medication altogether. Start your day feeling purposeful and focused with this skin-tingling treatment.

Sprinkle 5 drops of lemon essential oil into a washbasin filled with warm water. Dip a clean face-washer into the water, wring it out, and proceed to briskly massage your body with it, using small firm circles. Start at your feet and move upwards, always moving towards your heart, which helps to stimulate your circulation.

Sprinkle another 5 drops of lemon essential oil on the floor of the shower recess. Run a warm shower (if you make it too hot, you will feel lethargic afterwards, rather than invigorated) and step in. Steam from the warm water helps disperse the oil and spread the aromatherapy benefits without any extra effort on your part.

Finish with a short blast of cold water at the end of your shower for a dynamic wake-up. Make sure you let the water play on the nape of your neck and chest for a super-stimulating effect.

Not only does this help shake off whatever grogginess the warm water may have caused, but it also closes your pores, which protects your immune system. When you get out of a steaming-hot shower, all of your pores are left wide open, which means that all the heat is allowed to leave your body.

Towel off, and resolve to keep that fresh, focused feeling with you all day.

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Turn a shower into an oasis of relaxation

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