While winter is a time of celebration and festivities, it is also a time when people commonly suffer from the “winter blues”. Shorter days, dark mornings and cold temperatures make us feel lethargic and depressed.
Aromatherapy may be the answer to our winter problems and a great way to combat the dullness of the season. With such a vast offering of essential oils, the dullness of winter can be kept at bay with a few easy practices. Each kind of oil helps ease different problems depending on your symptoms, from fatigue, coldness, irritability to depression.
Simple blends using citrus oils are perfect because they are considered to be energising and uplifting. Orange, lemon and grapefruit oils are inexpensive and favoured by most people because the aroma does not annoy others when diffused.
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) is great for those who get easily tired, sleepy and unmotivated during the winter months. It is one of the best oils to use in your burner on a dark morning when it feels so hard to wake up.
Orange (Citrus aurantium) has a sunny quality that is perfect during the winter when sunshine seems out of reach. It is mildly relaxing and can be used in an evening bath blend. It has an uplifting quality and is effective throughout the day. Add a few drops of orange essential oil to your oil burner or combine it with grapefruit or bergamot.
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is the oil most aromatherapists turn to when someone complains about feeling low or unhappy. Bergamot is the traditional aromatherapy mood lifter. You can use it in the burner, in bath blends and in massages.
So that’s how you can combat the symptoms of winter-induced melancholy. Most essential oils are safe and can be used even during pregnancy. Some citrus oils can irritate sensitive skin if applied directly, so always dilute them before use.
— The writer is an aromatherapist
