PENERAPAN EDUKASI AROMATERAPI SEBAGAI STRATEGI NON-FARMAKOLOGIS DALAM MENGURANGI STRES BELAJAR PADA SISWA SMP NEGERI 2 GADING REJO

Abstract

Adolescents are a group vulnerable to experiencing stress and anxiety due to academic demands, psychological changes, and social environmental pressure. Aromatherapy, as a complementary therapy, is known to have a relaxation effect and can help reduce stress levels and improve learning focus through the mechanism of stimulating the limbic system. This Community Service (PKM) activity aims to increase students' knowledge and understanding of the benefits and safe use of aromatherapy in managing stress and anxiety. The implementation method included counseling, practical demonstrations of aromatherapy use, interactive discussions, and evaluation based on pre-test and post-test on 20 respondents. The results of the activity showed a significant increase in knowledge after the counseling. Students' understanding of the function of aromatherapy for relaxation increased from 70% to 100%, while knowledge regarding the benefits of aromatherapy in improving learning focus increased from 65% to 95%. Furthermore, all participants (100%) understood the types of aromatherapy and how to use them correctly after the activity. These results indicate that interactive method-based education and visual media are effective in increasing adolescents' understanding of complementary therapies, especially aromatherapy. This program is recommended for continuous implementation through collaboration with schools to support students' mental health and quality of learning.