Whether you're overwhelmed by the holiday season, sick of cold weather, or navigating seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the winter blues are real. You might feel irritable, sluggish, overindulgent, or more inclined to spend time alone doom-scrolling or binge-watching. Sound familiar?
Here are six simple, natural ways to lift your spirits—and if you're really struggling, don't hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider for more support.
Aromatherapy to Boost Your Mood in Winter
You don’t have to be an aromatherapist to treat your winter blues. Whole Foods has a selection of basic essential oils, or you can order top quality oils from websites like Eden Botanicals or Mountain Rose Herbs. Purchase just a few oils for an olfactory first-aid kit to chase away the doldrums and land yourself back in the light. Here are my top recommendations for safe, inexpensive essential oils (and some ways to use them), plus a few extra special oils at the end for those who want to take it to the next level.
Citrus Oils to Brighten Your Mood
Citrus oils are uplifting in a simple and timeless way. The act of peeling an orange or grapefruit is something we have all been doing most of our lives—since the days when your grandpa bit the orange to get it started for you. Can you remember ever peeling and eating an orange and feeling sad at the same time? When you inhale the scent of a grapefruit, don’t you feel healthy and cheerfully alive?
To use citrus oils, you can put a few drops on the floor of your shower, far from the stream of water so they can vaporize slowly. If it’s not shower time, place 2 drops on a tissue and inhale deeply ten times. Or, you can just eat an orange or a grapefruit and take a moment to sniff the peel with intention. (Note: do not use citrus oils directly on your face or other sun-exposed skin, as some of them can cause serious rashes.)
Boost Mental Clarity with Lemon and Basil
These two essential oils work beautifully together to lift your mood and increase mental clarity. These may be used in a diffuser together, especially if you are trying to get a specific task done and need to focus and energize. If you don’t have a diffuser, use the tissue method above. And, again, you can get the same effect from crushing a fresh basil leaf with some lemon rind and inhaling deeply. Basil is also an excellent oil for stopping a headache in its tracks, so sniff a drop of basil (preferably the linalool chemotype) the next time you feel one coming!
Calm Your Nervous System with Lavender
I know, you’ve heard a lot about lavender. I remember when I moved to Colorado and I wouldn’t get a Subaru because everyone had a Subaru. But there’s a reason everyone drives Subarus out here: they're safe, they go off road like champs, and they kick ass in the snow. I now drive one, and both of my daughters do too.
Similarly, the reason lavender is so popular is that it works! Lots of research has now shown that lavender is an instant anxiety reducer, and can help with both sleep onset and sleep quality. Lavender is calming, reduces anxiety, helps with sleep, and it’s one of the few oils you can apply undiluted to the skin. I use it on burns, bug bites, and in moments when I’m about to lose my cool. It’s the oil that calms everyone in the room—even if they don’t know why.
Deeper Emotional Support with Rose, Frankincense & Ylang-Ylang
These next level essential oils, if you invest in high-quality ones, are really expensive. The good news is that you don't need much. Used after a shower diluted in an unscented base oil, or in diffusers, these three are powerhouses for eliminating negativity, inspiring confidence, calming the nerves, and encouraging self-love. (And they are really lovely together, by the way.)
So pick a few essential oils and experiment! Or, if you’d rather let us handle the alchemy, do the chemistry, try our Citrus Pearl Body Soap, Night Body Oil, or Nectar Nourishing Drops.
Uplifting Music to Improve Your Mood
Music, like scent, is evocative. We often get stuck in musical ruts, either listening to the same thing all the time, or putting it on in the background without any real intention. Make new playlists, find artists that you used to listen to in other periods of your life, or type in things like "Mood Booster Playlist" to find songs that make your toe start tapping. We have lots of public playlists on Spotify if you need a good place to start.
Nourishing Foods That Support Mental Health
Because we really are what we eat, and if you eat junk, you feel like junk. Focus on fresh vegetables, spicy salsas, healthy proteins, and whole grains like quinoa and brown rice. We often make excuses about not having time or resources to eat healthy, but the fact remains that good nutrition is a non-negotiable, foundational necessity for physical and mental health. You simply have to put good fuel in the machine, and if it becomes a priority, you can usually find a way to make it happen. Here are a few more recipes for inspiration.
Baths for Stress Relief and Emotional Reset
If you've got access to a bath tub, give yourself permission to slip into a bath once a week. In fact, try it before bed, and brush your teeth first, so you can get perfectly sleepy and slide under the covers without having to wake all the way up. You can soak in plain, warm water, throw in a handful of sea salt or epsom salt, or treat yourself to some other natural bath ingredients.
Morning Light for Better Sleep and Mood
Getting light in your eyes early in the day helps keep your circadian clock healthy, which ultimately improves the quality of your sleep, which is critical for managing your winter blues! A few minutes of bright, outdoor light (not through sunglasses or a window) every morning can make a huge difference in your internal regulation systems. setting you up for efficient rest and a better mood.
How Movement Improves Mental Health Naturally
If you've followed us for a while, you’ve heard me say the word endorphins a lot. It comes from two words: endogenous (meaning “from the inside”) and morphine (a pain relief drug). Yep, you can be your own doctor. How? Exercise. Walking briskly for 20 minutes a day is enough to alter your internal chemistry. How cool is that? Try combining movement with great music and soon you’ll be strutting down the streets (or on a treadmill), singing and dancing your way out of the gloom!
Hang in there, and try a few of these tips and tricks for chasing away the winter blues!
With love and warmth from us to you,
The information contained in this post is for educational interest only. This information is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any physical or mental illness, disease, or skin conditions.
