Essential Oil Diffusion for Mood Enhancement

Happy November, everyone!  As we embark upon the season of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), it seems like a good time to visit the concept of incorporating essential oils into our lives.  I realize I’m in the minority, but I actually prefer the shorter daylight hours.  Chalk it up to my natural draculian tendencies, but I feel more productive, active and upbeat during the quiet, dark solitude that accompany fall and winter.

Nevertheless, I am very sensitive to the many people who feel depressed during this time of year.  One potential way to alleviate some of those symptoms is to incorporate some natural essential oils (EO) into your home, work space and even in your daily car commute(s).  An extremely economical way is to keep a few vials of some uplifting essential oils around and simply dab a couple of drops (or two) directly onto a cotton ball or kleenex and then place it nearby where you can breathe in the scent.

If your’e feeling sad, a few EO’s I recommend include white grapefruit, blood orange and bergamot to lift your spirits.  These are all affordable citrus scents; perhaps my Floridian roots are shining through here, but I’ve not yet seen anyone inhale grapefruit EO and not smile.  If only for a  moment, the feeling of rejuventation that an EO can provide has the potential to provide a positive experience in your day.  And it doesn’t cost very much, which we all love!  If you’re not a fan of citrus scents, ylang ylang is an exotic floral scent also recommended for depression.  Because of its subtle similarities to the scent of Jasmine (a pricey precious oil), it’s been nicknamed the “poor man’s jasmine”!

I love the smell of precious oils, especially, german (blue) chamomile, rose absolute and jasmine and can personally attest to considerable emotional benefits provided from rose, in particular.  When my precious beagle, Holly, passed away in March, I was devastated, grief-stricken and extremely depressed.  My aromatherapy mentor and teacher filled a little glass vial pendant with Turkish Rose EO, which is used to help with grief.  I wore it 24/7 for weeks and inhaled it non-stop after Holly’s death and experienced noticeable improvement each day.  I truly believe it helped me through that horrible time and gave me the resolve to celebrate Holly’s wonderful, long life.  In her memory, I built a small garden with pretty plants in her doggie bowls, paw print tiles and other mementos from her life.  Call me crazy, but I honestly believe I received a lot of emotional strength from rose EO. I posted about EO’s for grief early this year.

As an added benefit, many of these essential oils also provide antisceptic, disinfectant and anti-viral properties.  Due to their small molecular structure, inhalation of pure EO’s allows them to enter our bloodstream, so the added health benefits go a long way in boosting our immune systems during the infamous cold and flu season.

May your holiday season be filled with health, hope and happiness.

In Health,
barbara-ann