ESSENTIAL OILS FOR SEASONAL DEPRESSION
The rain, the clouds, the cold... it can be enough to make us want to pull the covers over our heads. Every year around 10 million experience winter S.A.D. According to Kelly Gillooly of University of Louisville (UofL), Seasonal Affective Disorder is a common disorder that can be caused by fewer daylight hours and reduced amounts of serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical that regulates mood in the brain.
❤️*Disclaimer -These recommendations are to help with lowlevels of seasonal depression. Please see below for further help with S.A.D.
From UofL Peace Hospital, “If you are struggling with symptoms of SAD or another mental health concern, know that it is always OK to seek help! Getting help can improve your quality of life. If you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are in a crisis, dial 988, a free hotline. A trained, compassionate counselor will talk with you and provide resources.”
Some of the culprits that increase our chances of experiencing SAD are shorter days which can lower our vitamin D. Vit D is very important for cardiovascular & bone health and is necessary for our bodies to make serotonin. Lower Vit. D also affects our sleep/ wake cycle. So as you can see, S.A.D. is not in our head. It is real and can sometimes cause some real-life wellness challenges. So, what can we do to help ourselves through these cold and rainy days?
If you are experiencing S.A.D. this winter, I have some tips to help you keep it at bay until the sun reappears this spring! Go Outside. Yes, I know it may be cloudy and no longer the optimal 74 degrees and sunny that we all love but we need sunlight just like summer tomatoes, just year-round. Even on cloudy days, 20 minutes a day can so very beneficial for our mood, mental and physical health. Bonus tip - - If you have trouble sleeping, go outside first thing in the morning for 2-3minutes and then again right before the sun goes down. This will help your body will reset!
Eat Foods With Vitamin D, This includes salmon, mackerel, sardines, whole eggs and mushrooms.
Tend To Your Self. Allow extra time for quiet, peace, and self-care. It’s ok if you don’t want to party like it’s 1999 on a winter night. This season is made for some down time and self-reflection. Maybe you can invite a friend to the movies or make a trip to your favorite library. If you’re experiencing loneliness this season, your library will likely have book clubs and other events that will welcome you.
Essential Oils. One of my favorite things to do, that you can do anytime and anywhere is to bring in your own sunshine! As an aromatherapist, carrying essential oils everywhere I go truly helps with my emotional health. If I’m stressed, I pull out a roller bottle and take in a nice big breath. During the winter, my favorite essential oils are the citrus oils. When I open my grapefruit, lemon or sweet orange essential oil, it’s like a burst of happy hits my brain! Want to add a little warm comfort to the citrus essentialoil? Go ahead and add an herbal essential oil like rosemary, peppermint or basil. The combo is enough to brighten your day and help you get through whatever you need to work through at that moment.
The reason that essential oils are so popular worldwide is that they can not only help you heal physically, like putting lavender on a bug bite or making a healing salve with tea tree,
frankincense and roman chamomile; they can also help you healemotionally. How many medications can help with both? They are truly unique in this approach.
Featured essential oil blend recipe is 10 drops of Sweet Orange,5 drops of Clary Sage, and 3 drops of Frankincense to invite some blissful joy into your winter day.
You can find this bundle here!
WINTER JOY!
Sending warm wishes for a cozy winter!
Michele
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