tips to help beat back the winter blues
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4 Tips to Help Beat Back the Winter Blues

Winter is a wonderful time of the year; however, the lack of sunlight during this time of the year can trigger seasonal depression in a lot of people. Today, we will be going through some self-care tips you can use to help combat these negative feelings.

Diffusing stress-busting essential oils, doing yoga, and taking extra care or time for ourselves are just a few examples of self-care routines we will look into below.

1. Stress-Busting Essential Oils

If you aren’t new to the beneficial world of essential oils, then you probably already know the positive effect aromatherapy essential oil has to offer. With so many essential oils you can use to melt stress and anxiety away, you may find it challenging to narrow down this vast selection to find something that works the best for you.

Relaxing in bed with a good book!
Relaxing in bed with a good book!

Lavender

One of the more popular essential oils used for stress reduction and relaxation is lavender. It contains both calming and soothing properties, when used with other essential oils such as chamomile or jasmine, it can help calm your nerves as well.

Rosemary

If you are looking for feelings of contentment to go along with stress relief, then rosemary is an essential oil you can diffuse for just that. This essential oil has been found to help improve your mood and for reducing cortisol levels.

The winter can be a pretty demanding time with work, the holidays, weight of all these responsibilities and stressors on your shoulders. These aromatherapy essential oils are a way to help.

Ylang Ylang

This essential oil is popularly known for its sedative, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, and antidepressant properties. Not only can this essential oil be used in aromatherapy, but it can also help reduce the symptoms of depression. It can increase your alertness, promote calmness, and help you unwind after a long demanding day.

woman doing yoga at home
Zen, peace, concentration and relaxation concept.

2. The Power of Yoga

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, can cause the brain to work overtime to produce melatonin. This is the hormone that our body uses to regulate our sleep patterns as well as our body clock. It is also a hormone that has been linked to depression.

If you find yourself without the energy or desire to brave the wintry world outside the house, then yoga is the ideal activity to engage in to bring a bit more of your consciousness back to the body.

When you engage in yoga, you are stirring up your body’s energy while strengthening and working out your physical body. Yoga for thirty minutes a day is a great way to combat SAD and can easily elevate your mood.

The winter months bring around cooler darker weather, making it a challenge to get out of bed and get energized for the day. Staying active is important. It will provide you with that momentum and focus you need to make it through even the toughest days.

Remember to spray your yoga mat with an energizing or relaxing yoga mat spray as well for added essential oil and aromatherapy benefits.

3. Diffusing Your Essential Oils

If you want to purify the air in your home and freshen things up to improve your mood at home, you can diffuse your favorite essential oils. An essential oil diffuser is one of the more basic ways to use essential oils to your advantage and is also one of the easiest.

4. Treat Yourself

Self-care is definitely important and is something we all should follow. So, never be afraid to treat yourself. Just because you are spending more of your time indoors during the winter, doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a few things to make you feel better.

Woman relaxing in bath with bubbles
Woman relaxing in bath with bubbles

Bubble Bath

Sometimes you will find that adding essential oils directly to bath water can cause skin irritation, and they don’t always incorporate well. Remember, oil and water don’t mix. Instead, you can add your favorite essential oils to bath salts, and you can still take advantage of the aromatherapy essential oil benefits they offer.

Combine 15 drops of your essential oil with a couple of teaspoons of a carrier oil like jojoba or coconut oil and half a cup of bath salts. You can then add it to the water.

If you don’t have bath salts, you can mix the essential oils with your carrier oil in the same way, shake the mixture, and then disperse it into your bathwater. You can then rest easy, breathe deeply, and take full advantage of the aromatherapy.

Lotions and Essential Oil Roll-Ons

If you do find yourself on the go during those winter months and want to help beat back winter blues, you can turn to lotions or essential oil roll-ons that allow you to practice positive self-care habits inside and outside of the home.

You can choose a lotion that contains coconut oil to help combat the dry skin winter often causes. Not only are you hydrating dry skin, but you can also find lotions containing lavender to help restore a more youthful glow or mint for a cool scent and refreshing sensation.

Essential oil roll-ons are an easy way to take advantage of aromatherapy on the go. Simply roll it over your skin and reapply as needed. It will help to lift your spirits and beat those winter blues.

Essential Oil Sprays

If you don’t have a diffuser handy and don’t love the idea of lotions. You can also make your own essential oil spray by filling a glass spray bottle with ¾ cup water, 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol, and up to 20 drops of your favorite essential oils. This spray can be used at home or on the go and can provide you with that instant burst of energy to lift your mood and brighten your spirit.

Final Thoughts

In order to balance or elevate your mood and beat back those winter blues, you need to take full advantage of everything aromatherapy essential oils have to offer. You will find yourself melting away the stress of the day and can help get you back on track.

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105 Comments

    1. Yoga is something I try to do, but it is difficult to know what essential oils to use. Thanks for the tipsn

  1. Aromatherapy does wonders indeed. With all this confinement the blues come more often so these are good advices.

  2. I love using Oil Diffusers around my home. It certainly does lift your mood when you use the right combinations of Oils.
    I use Ylang Ylang and Lemongrass to help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. Due to COVID19 i am finding i am using this mix a lot more and it has certainly reduced my stress levels

  3. I haven’t tried ylang ylang before, but tomorrow I’ll go out and give it a try.
    As someone who suffers from the blues all year round, I’m always looking for something that might help.
    I often use rosemary and find something very soothing about it.

  4. I need to start up yoga again! Also looking into an essential oils necklace. I deal with so much stress on a daily basis being a special needs mom.

  5. My favourite essential oil is lavender. It helps me relax so I can sleep better at night.

  6. Aromatherapy definitely helps. I like citrus scents in the cold days of winter to make me think of sunshine

  7. I have heard great things about essential oils and I love that they now come in spray form!

  8. I like to take a shower in the evening to warm up. These are great tips. Thanks for posting!

  9. I do have a diffuser… but I haven’t been using it. I am about to set it up next to my office desk, right now!

  10. I have been using essential oils for a while now and they have been very beneficial. I use them in my essential oils mister and I use to have a calming spray that really helped with my anxiety/depression. It contained lavender, frankincense, and several other essential oils. I have actually been looking for more of this spray, but the company is currently out of it. So I’m actually excited I came across this blog article and I look forward to exploring the products Utama Spice has to offer.

  11. This is very helpful because I always suffer a great deal of depression during the winter months. I wish I could hibernate like a bear and just sleep through the winter. That or follow the spring and the summer around the world.

  12. This tips are very helpful. The smell of aromatherapy oils put me in a relaxing mood.

  13. I got some scented bubble bath for Christmas that I can’t wait to use and de-stress this winter.

  14. I have not used essential oils but I will try anything to get over this long winter and the terrible year we just went through

  15. Yes every single one of these help especially during these trying times! Not just once a month but at least weekly!

  16. I have only used spray lavender on my bed. I am new to oils and with the pandemic, I find myself needing more ways to relax and destress. Thank you for the information

    1. Thanks for the overcoming the winter blues tips. I think covid added in doesn’t help

  17. Thank you for all the great tips – and during these times especially – they are much needed. The power of essential oils is wonderful!

  18. I really need to try some of this stuff. I’m stressed all the time and often feel depressed.

  19. One of my favorite essential oils is lemongrass. I will from time to time dispense a few drops in the shower and when the shower is nice and steamy it will immediately lift my mood.

  20. Perfect time to read up on keeping my healthy in check now that it’s quarantine and I’m sitting in my chair more than ever! I’ve been struggling during the cold months, mainly January and February, I will definitely try out these tips!

  21. I’m interested in essential oils, but strong scents give me headaches. I also have read that they are bad for dogs.

  22. I LOVE to keep a good winter bubble bath routine with calming essential oils myself. Great tips! x

  23. Thank you for the recipe for a spray bottle aromatherapy mist. I use a small diffuser by my bed but had to stop using certain oils that aren’t good for my cats. The spray bottle is nice for using in rooms my cats don’t go in.

  24. Thank you for all the great tips. I’m always looking for ways to destress during this time of the year.

  25. Winter Blues are the worst! Its always a tough season for so many. I love using lavender to help relax me.

  26. Invaluable – the power of essential oils and yoga help me through the most challenging times

  27. I have a “depression” light (it’s a sun simulator) with a morning alarm set. That does wonders, as does an electric blanket or heating pad, aroma diffuser, your favorite drink, and maybe ASMR or some ambiance setting sounds.

  28. Excellent website and information. I love various essential oils, use different ones for various purposes. Thanks for this website

  29. I second rosemary! It’s earthy smell can instantly calm you and elevate your mood, as well as bring such a nice smell to your home. Thank you for all these tips!!

  30. These are all such wonderful suggestions…..but for ladies

    For men…aroma therapy is leaving a scented candle in the bathroom..

    But that may be just the ramblings of an old man

    Have a great Day

  31. I love all of them they’re all so nice and smells really good too but in my opinion I really like all of them and this website is very good. And I’m looking forward to winning this giveaway.

  32. These are great ideas, I have never thought about using essential oils but I know they can be so beneficial! I also love bubble baths but don’t take one often enough at all. Thank you so much for sharing!

  33. Thank you for all of these ideas, the winter blues have been at their worst these past few months so I’m trying anything to help. I use lavender in almost every form apart from essential oil, so I’ll definitely be trying that to see if it helps me any more. Thank you again 🙂

  34. Great information! I love essential oils. Lavender is one of my favorites. Always makes me feel relaxed.

  35. Very interesting and informative. I do use different essential oils for different purposes. I simply enjoy essentials oils in the diffuser and having the scent in my room.

  36. Thanks for writing this blog post and making readers of it aware of some of the things they can try to do to help fight the winter blues. I’m definitely interested in trying some of these suggestions out and hope they will really be able to elevate my mood during the winter months.

  37. Yes! The winter blues are real right now! The holidays are over and its cold. I was meant to live somewhere warm all year! Thank you for sharing!!

  38. I love using essential oils around my home – I have diffusers and bath oils – some great suggestions here.

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