The brown leaves have fallen leaving us to transition into the Winter Blues. This can leave us feeling depressed, sad, and lacking energy. A combination of factors contribute to “winter blues” or “seasonal depression” such as cold weather, lack of sunshine, and it’s the sick season.
Essential oils are a natural way to combat the blues. They can help you sustain energy, bring you a sense of peace, balance, joy and revitalize your mood.
Here are the top 5 essential oils to enhance your mood and well being:
Bergamot has been used for years by Aromatherapists as a natural mood enhancer. The aroma of bergamot has a citrus quality that brings about happiness, reduces stress, and stimulates circulation. Bergamot is the oil most often used when someone is feeling unhappy or sad. It is a great pick-me-up during winter.
Pink Grapefruit has amazing energizing properties that will wake up your mind and body, while fighting off exhaustion that comes with winter’s lack of sunshine.
Winter tends to make people feel tired and unmotivated. This oil provides an excellent burst of energy. Pink Grapefruit is energizing, uplifting and smells amazing.
Ylang Ylang essential oil is a floral, sweet smelling oil that is derived from the Ylang Ylang tree commonly found in the rainforests of certain Asian and South Pacific Islands like Indonesia, Philippines, Java, Sumatra, Comoro, and Polynesia.
It is often used as a mood booster that also helps to balance emotions and bring calm to the mind. In addition to being an anti-depressant, it also contains properties that help with insomnia and lack of libido.
Patchouli essential oil has been traditionally used to enhance the mood and reduce anxiety. It uplifts the mood, instills feelings of hope and motivation, drives away disappointment, and relaxes tension in a large majority of people. By stimulating the release of pleasure hormones like serotonin and dopamine, feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and sadness simply disappear.
The scent of Patchouli isn’t for everyone. If you are not fond of the scent, try blending it with other essential oils such as bergamot, cinnamon, lavender, or grapefruit.
Frankincense essential oil is a body, mind and spirit oil that acts to calm your mind and uplift your spirits, while at the same time increasing energy levels. Many enjoy using this ground oil during yoga or meditation.
Another property of Frankincense oil you may want to consider is its ability to boost the immune system; useful during the crucial cold and flu season.
To receive the most benefits, it is best to inhale the oils, so they can directly interact with your limbic system. Diffusers are a great way to inhale essential oils, as well as adding a few drops to bath salts.
As always, ensure you are using quality essential oils purchased through a Certified Aromatherapist or Aromatologist. If you are not purchasing high quality oils, you may not receive the full benefit. It is always recommended that you speak to a doctor if you are pregnant, or using with children.
Source:
https://medium.com/@holisticaromatherapy/essential-oils-that-beat-winter-blues-46863783f46f
© 2016, Serenity Aroma
Marian Grande, CAP, IPHM