Today’s guest post is written by Valerie Johnston who writes for Healthline.com.
Many people suffer from one form of depression or the other. Even if they are getting treatment, they still may deal with regular symptoms that can disrupt their daily life and lead to more severe conditions. If you suffer from depression, there are things you can change in your life to help fight off the symptoms, ease stress, and lead a more comfortable life. One thing that you should consider is aromatherapy. In fact, when you relax your mind and ease the stress, you may just be surprised at how much this can help to treat your symptoms related to the condition as well.
In addition, since aromatherapy will help to regulate your sleeping patterns, give you more energy, and help you deal with everyday stress, it will work to fight your depression on secondary levels as well. There are numerous different oils found in the natural world which will be of benefit to your body, mind, and mood. They can be used through baths, massages, diffusers, and perfumes depending on what you would like the most. The best thing to do is consider aromatherapy as a complementary treatment to what type of therapy you have decided on with your physician.
Why It Works
When you smell certain essential oils, the limbic system within your brain responds in a certain way, causing feelings of relaxation, amongst others. How the system works is complex, but you may feel better in mood, relaxed or happy. If you are depressed or sad, breathing in certain scents, may help you to relax your mind. Of course, you need to choose the right aromatherapy oils to best treat your symptoms of depression.
The Oils to Choose
The oils listed below are very helpful at treating depression. You can try different ones or different combinations until you find the ones that will help you the most.
- Lavender – this oil is actually used for many different things including tension, stress, headaches, insomnia, hypertension, and depression
- Jasmine – this essential oil will help fight fatigue, tiredness, and lack of focus. Use this oil when you need to concentrate or first thing in the morning
- Sandalwood – this sedative type oil is a great option to ease tension throughout the day, especially at night when you are trying to relax and sleep
- Ylang-Ylang – this essential oil will help to relax your whole body, can ease the symptoms of depression, and can help to quell anxiety and insomnia
- Clary Sage – used for treating depression specifically, this oil can also help to soothe anxiety and treat insomnia related to stress, anxiety, or depression.
How to Use the Treatment
If you only have mild symptoms of depression, aromatherapy can be enough to boost your mood all on its own. However, if you have been diagnosed with clinical depression, then use essential oil in addition to your treatment plan laid out by the doctor. There are different ways you can use aromatherapy as mentioned above:
- Go for a massage with the essential oils, which can be infused into the skin
- Take a warm bath with a mix of the right aromatherapy oils. The bath itself is relaxing as a nice addition to the oils. Take a bath like this a couple of times a week
- Burn incense when you are working, relaxing at home, or even doing chores. This will help you maintain a relaxed state even if you are dealing with stress.
Depression doesn’t have to rule your life. If you take steps to fight the symptoms, you can relax and enjoy the things around you. Aromatherapy has proven to be very successful at easing the effects of depression.
About the Author:
Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.comensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.
