I lived in New York City during the September 11 experience and my most powerful memory was the emotional impact on the city. The energy in the city shifted in a dramatic way after that day. I was much younger at the time and not as clear in my understanding about collective energy and how it can impact our personal energy and mood.
The Seahawk’s Superbowl loss this past weekend is having a similar effect on my hometown of Seattle. We all have slightly less pep in our step, make less eye contact or conversation. As a city, we are sad. And my children and I really feel it. It has affected our energy, our moods, even our sleep. My very intuitive daughter said to me the other night, “I don’t even know why I feel so sad. Things in my life are pretty happy.”
That comment sparked an idea. I am not prone to depression, nor are my children, so I rarely get the opportunity to experience the impact of essential oils on depression first hand.
Essential Oils for Depression
I decided to do a little research on my children, myself and some friends. I laid out all the Vibrant Blue Oils and blends that are known to help with depression for a smell fest:
Uplift™ — Our go-to blend for reducing stress and generating a feeling of well-being, relaxation, and peace. It contains a lot of Ylang Ylang which is known to restore equilibrium and balance feelings of depression. Other ingredients include Rosewood, Spruce, Frankincense and Blue Tansy.
Frankincense™ — My personal favorite for lifting depression. I read that frankincense is one of the best essential oils to slow down your breathing which helps to reduce feelings of fear, nervous tension, stress, and anxiety. I also find it interesting that it will either smell amazing if your body needs it or unappealing if you do not.
Rose™ – Another favorite for any kind of depression or sadness. Its has a stimulating effect on the entire nervous system and helps to create a sense of well-being, joy, and balance.
Lemon™ — Many citrus blends are acknowledged for their uplifting effects. Lemon oil’s uplifting properties help to combat negative emotions, stress and depression.
Orange™ – My kids love this oil! It has a refreshing, energizing, and mood lifting effect that works great to ease feelings of panic, anger, irritation, and nervousness.
Lavender™ – I find lavender to be the best all around blend for curing everything, including depression. It has a calming and relaxing effect on body and mind and research even backs this up. In a 2003 double-blind trial, patients with mild to moderate depression showed improvement after receiving 60 drops of lavender tincture (1:5 in 50% alcohol) per day. (Comparison of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. tincture and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized trial. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 27(1):123-7).
We invited over some friends and neighbors and let everyone pick their favorite oil. Before the smell fest began, I had everyone rate their mood, energy and optimism on a scale of 1-10. After smelling the oils and deciding on their personal favorite, I asked them to again rate mood, energy and optimism. Across the board, the ratings all increased significantly.
So if you are feeling a little blue this winter season, consider dabbling in some oils to boost your mood, energy and optimism!
If this feels helpful to you, please feel free to comment below or on our Facebook Group. As always, please feel free to share any information with friends or family who might benefit by clicking one of the share buttons below!
Resources
Ready to get started? Click the links below to order today:
- Frankincense™ available here
- Lavender™ available here
- Lemon™ available here
- Orange™ available here
- Rose™ available here
- Uplift™ available here
