Essential Oils for the Winter Blues to Navigate Your Emotions
The Winter Blues are kicking in for many with the cold arctic blasts, rainy, snowy, and unmotivating weather. It’s crazy but weather really does affect the way you think, feel, and talk to yourself and others.
When you think about it, the barometric pressure changes which affects our fluid systems such as kidneys, gut, blood, lymph, neurotransmitters, and hormones. All of these functions are vital to maintain mental and emotional stability. Fluctuating fluids in the body and mind can make you feel sluggish, stagnant, stuck, wishy washy, dizzy, frustrated, gloomy, and sad.
So, what can you do about it?
Smell some scents!
Scent therapy has been proven to improve memory, focus, concentration, cognitive abilities, mood, motivation levels, and emotional balance. The key is matching up the right scents or odors that meet you where you are and inspire movement to get you where you need to be.
Scent Therapy to Improve Mood
The most common emotions we battle on a daily basis are S.A.D. – Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.
Stress is a big word that can apply to anything and everything. You have heard the expression, “You cannot control stress, but you can control your response to it.” This is so true. The problem most people have is knowing how to control their response to it.
That is where scent comes in.
Citrus scents can boost your ability to smile, tap into the fun and joyful side of a situation, and lighten the heavy load that you are carrying on your shoulders.
- Lemon is known to shine a light on your path so you can see your vision. It also creates movement within to help you take steps towards your goal. When you are moving, even at a slow pace, it keeps you from feeling stuck and sad.
- Orange inspires creativity, movement in thoughts, and problem solving. When you can solve challenges, it provokes feelings of hope and accomplishment.
- Lime helps bring balance between thoughts and feelings during times of stress, changes, and transitions.
Flower scents help you feel harmony within your heart so that your head (intellect) can communicate with your gut (instinct) to bring you closer in alignment.
- If you are exhausted, burned out, wiped out, and stress out, smell some Roman chamomile to help nurture and take care of you.
- Lavender inspires harmony on all levels – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, energetic, and environmental.
- Ylang ylang allows you to tap into, acknowledge, and feel your inner beauty.
Spice scent ignites your inner fire, fuels your passion, and can propel your purpose-driven actions.
- Cinnamon is a hug in a bottle, so you feel supported and encouraged as you conquer a task and goal.
- Ginger inspires your inner fire to build momentum and sustain momentum.
- Cardamom helps you feel joy, even on the toughest of days.
Tree scents keep you grounded, rooted and connected to yourself.
- Cedarwood builds strength and stamina.
- Pine encourages resilience.
- Frankincense helps you feel connected with yourself and others.
DIY Aromatherapy Diffuser Blend Exercise
- Pick 1 essential oil from each scent category I have listed.
- Organize those by what you need most to least.
- Follow the 4-3-2-1- blending rule. 4 drops of the one you need the most. 3 drops of the one you need second most. 2 drops of the one you need third most. And 1 drop of the one you need forth most.
- It’s okay if you need all of them in equal amounts. You will use 2-3 drops of each.
- Add these essential oils in these amounts to your diffuser and smell for about 15-30 minutes.
- Note the following.
- How do you feel before and after your scent diffusion session?
- What are you now inspired to do and accomplish after your scent session?
- Acknowledge how much more energy you have that pushes the S.A.D.ness away.
- Honor the great strides you will make today.
- Enjoy your focus, joy, and momentum building energy throughout the day.
Parts of this article include excepts from the JennScents Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide.