The Winter Blues (and how massage & essential oils can help)

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Bee Tranquil Holistic Therapies

I guess I've got the Winter Blues

Winter blues and how massage, aromatherapy and essential oils can help

The daylight is just starting to get a bit longer. As I take my husband to work at 6.45am dawn is now breaking in the east and at tea-time it is still daylight. It definitely feels we have turned a corner.

Despite this, daylight hours are still quite short and the nights feel long which means many people can be suffering from the winter blues. When I was little I was told ‘you have the winter blues’ and now it is a recognised condition going under the S.A.D acronym or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Although there is still speculation what actually causes the winter blues, it is acknowledged it is to do with the shorter daylight hours and longer, dark nights. It is this lack of daylight that affects our serotonin levels (feel good hormone), melatonin levels (sleep hormone) and our circadian rhythm (body clock).

The reduction in serotonin makes us feel a little down and even slightly depressed. Increase in melatonin makes us feel sleepy during the day, lack lustre and unenthusiastic. The lack of daylight affects your body clock disrupting sleep patterns, your mood and hormones that can make us crave carb-filled starchy foods.

You may be suffering from the winter blues is you are feeling:

Lack of energy

Persistent low mood

Irritability

Loss of pleasure and / or interest in activities

Decreased libido

Difficulty concentrating

Changes in eating habits (craving carbs), appetite or weight

Feelings of despair, guilt or worthlessness.

Please, please if things are getting too much and you are overwhelmed go and speak to your GP.

How can massage help?

As mentioned above, the lack of daylight can reduce levels of serotonin in the body. Massage is known to increase these levels and increased levels of serotonin help to feel better, improve your mood, give you more energy and help you to feel calmer. Feeling calmer you are less irritable.

Massage can help you sleep. Winter can play havoc with your circadian rhythm (body clock) which can cause disrupted sleep patterns. This in turn can make you feel lethargic yet unable to sleep at night. Massage can help stabilise your sleep patterns. It can also relax you and your muscles, calms your breathing and heart rate and therefore, prepares you for sleep. As we know when you sleep better you feel better, have more energy, be less irritable and able to concentrate better.

Essential Oils for the Winter blues, bergamot, cedarwood, lavender, orange, Neroli, ylang ylang

My favourite essential oils to help tackle the winter blues

A massage is a good way to tackle the winter blues and bring back a bit of balance but when you have one of my aromatherapy massages you are getting an even bigger affect to feeling better.

My favourite essential oils to give you a boost in the middle of winter are:

Bergamot – described as sunshine in a bottle. I love this essential oil. It lifts a heavy heart, can bring positive energy and reduces anxiety, stress and tension. It is a sedative so can help sleep problems by putting the client into a restful state.

Cedarwood – this boosts emotional strength and stability and gives support during difficult times such as if you are anxious or depressed. It can help to reduce stress and tension which in turn helps the body to relax. It can clear the mind and help focus if you are feeling lack lustre. By helping the body to relax it can help improve your sleep patterns.

Lavender – wonderful, versatile, amazing lavender. It relaxes, improves sleep, decreases stress, tension and depression. It is excellent for diffusing negative moods.

Neroli – brings peace and balance to the body, mind and spirit. It provides strong emotional support and is incredibly calming and soothing.

Orange – with a cheerful and uplifting aroma, orange has a calming and relaxing effect. Orange is known to help induce sleep and enhance sleep quality. It boosts motivation and clarity of thought.

Ylang ylang – naturally enhances mood and is very calming. It is known to soothe feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness, tension, and sleeplessness. It reduces negative feelings including those of nervousness, shock and fatigue while promoting positive feelings of cheerfulness and optimism (can I have a gallon please?).

Depending on the detailed consultation you have at the beginning of a treatment with me, I would decide which of the above would make the best blend for you.

If you wish to put these in a diffuser, choose three and put 3 drops of your chosen oil in 20mls of water. Use for 30 minutes at a time*.

*On the slight chance you experience any side effects immediately turn off the diffuser or blow out the candle, take outside or out of the immediate environment and open windows to ventilate the space you are in.

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