When we think of picturesque winter scenes, we can imagine people surrounded by beautiful snowy surroundings, with glittering snowflakes falling and bright white snow underfoot.
Realistically, we rarely get a beautiful winter experience living in Britain. We often wake up to a gray sky, biting wind and freezing rain showers. Add to that dark mornings on the way to work and returning home after nightfall, and winters can feel long and gloomy.
Winter is the most common season for people to suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), with 1 in 15 people affected by SAD. The NHS defines SAD as “a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.” To learn more about SAD and the best essential oils to support you, read our previous article.
We often feel a real pressure to get through the winter months, we can struggle with the winter blues, we can lower the immune system and we can feel tired or lack motivation. Many of us only really slow down when our bodies physicalize us. During cold and flu season, when our bodies are battling viruses, this may be one of the few times we stop to take care of ourselves. We have several pre-blended essential oils to help you relax, beat the bugs or allow you to breathe easy.
How to thrive in the colder months
We live in a modern world where we are all often extremely busy. Whether it’s summer or winter, we have the same responsibilities, but if we consider how nature embraces winter, we can learn a few lessons about how we too can enjoy winter.
Many animals are often busy during the spring, summer and autumn months preparing for the coming winter months. Once winter arrives, they take time to stop and recharge.
Honey bees collect nectar to make honey and store it in the winter. Once the colder weather arrives, they stay in their hive and feast on their honey. During the fall months, squirrels are busy collecting and storing nuts in preparation for the coming winter months. Once winter arrives, both species and many more retreat and rest.
Plants and trees also use techniques to understand them. Trees begin to lose their leaves in mid-summer. Losing their leaves helps the tree retain water and use less energy in the winter. Essentially, the trees slow down.
The natural world understands that winter is a time to retreat, rest, and embrace a slower pace of life.
While we understandably cannot hibernate during the winter months, perhaps we can, like nature, take the opportunity that winter presents to enjoy a slower existence.
Ideas to help you embrace winter
- Leave major projects for the summer months, but plan them in the winter.
- Embrace winter hobbies: knitting, painting, reading or doing puzzles.
- Dress warmly and go outside when the winter sun is shining.
- Bake bread or pastries and breathe in the delicious scent.
- Order your spring bulbs or add flowering plants, such as winter heather, to your garden.
- Light the fire, grab a fluffy blanket and add comforting essential oils to your diffuser.
We can also use nature in the form of essential oils to encourage a slower pace of life and bring us comfort during the winter.
My top essential oils to help you rest and retreat
Here are my favorite oils that can help you retreat and relax during the winter months.
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) is all about relaxation. Its calming properties and soothing aroma will have you feeling relaxed in no time.
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) is a wonderful calming oil. It can help you slow your breathing and find inner peace. The ultimate essential oil to help you embrace the colder months.
Breathe in the sweet and floral aroma of Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) and feel your worries disappear. Geranium balances and helps uplift your emotions.
Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) has a wonderful aroma that rejuvenates and stimulates. If you’re feeling lethargic, struggling with the winter blues or SAD, look no further than grapefruit essential oil to bring you a little happiness.
Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) has a sweet but warming aroma. It is a useful oil to use in the winter months when we may need to focus more on our self-care.
I chose Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) to help you through the winter, because it has both a soothing and stabilizing effect. The rich and musky scent of patchouli is balanced and beautiful to use if you suffer from depression, anxiety or a bad mood.
Sandalwood (Santalum album) essential oil is not only one of the best oils to use in meditation, thanks to its ability to calm the mind, it also has antidepressant properties to help you get through the winter blues.
Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is a cheerful essential oil. It is uplifting, but also has calming properties and can be useful in supporting an overactive mind.
Diffuser blends and affirmations for winter
Using an aromatherapy diffuser is a great way to enjoy the above essential oils. Add up to 8 drops of any of the essential oils mentioned in water, in an electric aromatherapy diffuser or in a candle burner and diffuse in your chosen room for up to 20 minutes or make one of the following mixtures, in the same way:
A moment for me: Diffuse 2 drops Clary Sage, 2 drops frankincenseand 3 drops of jasmine essential oil.
Let’s charge the mixture: Diffuse 2 drops of Geranium, 3 drops of Grapefruit and 2 drops of Patchouli Essential Oil.
Ultimate relaxing mix: Diffuse 2 drops of Clary Sage, 3 drops of Sandalwood and 3 drops of Mandarin Essential Oil.
Close your eyes, inhale your chosen essential oil or blend. Breathe in the plant magic through your nose and exhale. Then choose one of the winter affirmations below to help you embrace the colder months and repeat:
- The silence of winter allows me to slow down.
- No amount of darkness can dim my light.
- Everything I need comes to me at a perfect time.
- I invite mindfulness and tranquility.
- I embrace the magic that darkness brings.
Final thoughts…
Life is busy and it’s hard to take a break. We feel a real pressure to keep going, but like nature, why not embrace the colder months and use them to your advantage. Give yourself permission to stop, rest and recharge. Like every winter, the dark days pass and soon you will notice that the buds are starting to appear on the trees, the birds are singing when you wake up and the sun is getting just a little warmer. It’s spring.
.