Aromatherapy Tips for Combating the Winter Blues and Holiday Blues

As joyful as the holiday season is supposed to be, the days leading up to Christmas can be filled with stress, chaos, hectic schedules, deliciously tempting but unhealthy food, lack of quality sleep and dealing with disagreeable loved ones and fellow shoppers.

The reality of Christmas Eve and Christmas day can also be a difficult time for those that cannot be with their loved ones at Christmas, for those that are in dysfunctional families, for those that have painful past memories associated with Christmas, for those with financial stress and for those that are enduring health issues of their own or those of a loved one. And often, those that are caught within one or all of these categories tend to remain silent about their feelings around the holidays so that they do not put a damper on the joyful mood of those around them.

The shorter hours of daylight during winter as well as the increase in cloudcover, cold and snow can also make it difficult to maintain an energetic, cheerful, positive disposition.

I have been challenged with stress, the blues and even depression during the holidays, and aromatherapy has been a tremendous aid to me during difficult and emotionally challenging times of my life. Aromatherapy isn't a wonder-cure for the winter/holiday blues, but by following the below tips, you can help to naturally uplift your spirits, calm your nerves and energize your mood:

Check out AromaWeb's Winter Blues blends for a selection of blends that can help ease the symptoms of the winter blues. They're also good for holiday stress and holiday blues.

The holiday/winter blues isn't the same as depression, but the aromatherapy techniques that can help improve your outlook are similar. If you're suffering from either the holiday blues or the winter blues, read AromaWeb's detailed Aromatherapy and Depression article. It provides guidelines on the many ways that you can easily implement aromatherapy to help improve your spirits and improve your outlook.

Do pay close attention to the Aromatherapy and Depression article's paragraphs regarding Eating and Nutrition and Exercise. Proper nutrition and exercise is not just essential for physical health, but it also nourishes and strengthens your nervous system, your emotions and your ability to focus and think clearly.

When you're down, stressed and immensely busy, it's easy to forget to give yourself a moment to take an aromatic bath, enjoy a brief self massage or diffuse your favorite essential oil blend. It's also harder to eat well and exercise. If you need to, set up a way to help yourself remember and be sure to carve out the time needed to care for yourself. You deserve it!