Small or medium-sized temporary depressions during the change of seasons, the blues linked to lack of light and other winter blues are common at the start of the year, but also during the change of season in the fall. ! The days are shorter, our pace of life sometimes means we arrive at work while it is still dark and leave when it is already dark. It's proven ! We need sunlight and the rate of depression is higher in the Nordic countries where during the winter the nights are extremely long.
But these changes in brightness also affect many people in France. Brightness plays a determining role in the balance of several neurotransmitters and, consequently, in the synchronization of biological rhythms, including the circadian cycle (alternating between sleep and wakefulness). This drop in light linked to the change of season can cause slight depression, or even turn into a significant emotional disorder for 1% to 2% of French people.
This file will provide you with explanations and solutions to combat this state of depression linked to the changing seasons. We offer you 4 express recipes based on essential oils to “boost” your morale and many tips to put into practice when you feel a little blues coming on.
Synergy of essential oils to diffuse against depression
Very rebalancing and anti-depressing, this mixture should be used with a diffuser. It will invigorate your mind in the morning and soothe it in the evening thanks to its so-called adaptogenic essential oils: Ylang-ylang and frankincense. In addition, Hô wood will be rather invigorating and sweet orange rather soothing.
Ingredients :
- 2 drops ofHo wood essential oil
- 2 drops ofsweet orange essential oil
- 1 drop ofylang ylang essential oil
- 1 drop offrankincense essential oil
Preparation: Place the drops directly in a diffuser or prepare a small bottle (by multiplying all quantities by 10 for example) for several uses.
Precautions: Ho wood and sweet orange essential oil can potentially be allergenic. Not recommended for pregnant, breastfeeding women and children under 8 years old
How to use it ?
Diffuse the mixture for 30 minutes up to 3 times a day in bedrooms or living areas.
Harmonizing and psychic rebalancing massage with essential oils in case of blues
This synergy of essential oils acts on the nervous system thanks to its harmonizing, rebalancing and relaxing properties to help you combat temporary depression and the little blues.
Ingredients :
- 48 ml d'wheat germ vegetable oil or of rosehip
- 15 drops ofshell marjoram essential oil
- 15 drops offrankincense essential oil
- 15 drops oflemon verbena essential oil
- 15 drops ofylang ylang essential oil
Preparation: Pour all the ingredients into a 50ml bottle. Mix vigorously.
Precautions: Not recommended for people with asthma, pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 8 years old.
Do not use in cases of hormone-dependent cancers or mastosis. Do not expose yourself to the sun for 6 hours following application.
How to use it ?
Massage the back or chest morning and evening.
Bath salt with invigorating and positive essential oils to restore good mood and tone!
A positive spirit to start the day off right.
Ingredients :
- 100g of sel d'Epsom
- 2 tablespoons ofolive oil
- 7 drops ofHo wood essential oil
- 6 drops ofginger essential oil
Preparation: Mix the salt with the olive oil, then add the essential oils. Leave to sit for 1 to 2 hours ideally.
Precautions: Ho wood essential oil can potentially be allergenic. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 8 years old.
How to use it ?
Dilute part of the preparation in your bath under running water and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. You can do bath treatments at the rate of one bath per week for 2 months.
Relaxing roll on with anti-depression essential oils
Roll on convenient to take anywhere even to the office. It de-stresses, relaxes and helps you see life on the bright side!
Ingredients:
- 4,5 ml d'sweet almond oil
- 5 drops offine lavender essential oil
- 3 drops ofsweet orange essential oil
- 2 drops ofneroli essential oil
Preparation: Mix all the ingredients in a glass bottle fitted with a steel roll-on ball.
Precautions: Fine lavender and sweet orange essential oils can potentially be allergenic. Do not expose your wrists to the sun for 6 hours following application. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 8 years old.
How to use it ?
Apply to wrists up to 3 times a day in cases of stress and depression.Contraindications:
These synergies should not be used in pregnant women (during the entire pregnancy), breastfeeding women and children under 8 years of age (unless specifically indicated above).
These properties and methods of use do not constitute medical advice. For therapeutic use consult a doctor.
Symptoms of temporary depression and winter blues
Transient seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, or winter depression, is a type of depression that begins in fall or winter and ends in spring. It often recurs from year to year. The symptoms are quite similar to those of depression:
- Fatigue + loss of energy and initiative
- Difficulty getting up in the morning
- Permanent desire to sleep
- Dark thoughts and low mood
- Permanent hunger, especially for sugary foods
- Weight gain
- Willingness to remain alone
- Low desire for physical activity
One of the major differences between classic depression and seasonal affective disorder is that a depressed person often eats less. A person who suffers from seasonal depression sleeps a lot and eats more.
BE CAREFUL not to fall into a vicious circle: fatigue prevents you from doing sport and reduces your physical condition, lack of energy encourages the accumulation of tasks to be carried out at work. All this only increases your stress and your feeling of depression!!!
Frankincense essential oil (boswelia carterii):
Properties: It reduces stress and calms nervousness but it is also energizing and comforting. This oil is particularly suitable for diffusion in the air due to its woody and warm scent. It invites meditation. It can also be used in cases of emotional shock or anxiety.
Uses: it is perfect for diffusion or foot massage diluted beforehand in a virgin oil (3 drops in 10 drops of virgin oil for massage) for meditation or simply relaxation.
Warnings: Not recommended for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children under 8 years old.
Lemon verbena essential oil (Lippia citriodora):
Properties: It is the essential oil against depression par excellence! It is rebalancing: it calms and stimulates at the same time. It also helps with concentration and memorization. Frequently used in cases of depression, it also calms stress and anxiety.
Uses: two drops of lemon verbena on sugar or in a spoonful of honey to calm anxiety and find peace and serenity. The spoonful of honey can also be used to sweeten your evening herbal tea for a good restful sleep.
Warnings: Internal use reserved for healthcare professionals. This essential oil is dermocaustic and photosensitizing. To be diluted in vegetable oil when used on the skin. No exposure to the sun for 6 hours following application. Do not use in cases of hormone-dependent cancer or mastosis, in pregnant or breastfeeding women or in children under 8 years old.
Roman chamomile essential oil (Chamaemelum nobile):
Properties: this essential oil is calming, soothing and sedative, making it an essential oil of choice for depression accompanied by stress and anxiety with difficulty falling asleep. It also promotes joy of living and has anxiolytic properties. Taken in the evening, it promotes falling asleep and fights against sleep disorders.
Uses: a drop on the solar plexus quickly calms stress, fears and anxieties. Adults can also take a drop on sugar internally.
Warnings: Not recommended for pregnant women, those who are breastfeeding, or children under 8 years old.
Ho wood essential oil (cinnamonum camphora and linalool):
Properties: positive, this essential oil relieves depressive disorders (mild or seasonal depression), intellectual overwork and nervous fatigue. It is a tonic and a general stimulant. Its pleasant smell makes it an excellent anti-stress and invigorating oil to diffuse. Its cousin, rosewood essential oil, has equivalent properties but can be more expensive to purchase.
Uses: It must be diluted to a maximum of 15% in a virgin oil for its use in massage. Perfect for diffusion to tone and soothe the mind, a drop in your day cream will stimulate the skin tissue and prevent the appearance of wrinkles.
Warnings: Not recommended for pregnant women, those who are breastfeeding, or children under 8 years old. Be careful, this essential oil can potentially be allergenic.
Sweet orange essential oil (citrus sinensis):
Properties: Antidepressant, calming and sedative, orange essential oil is calming for the mind and helps relieve stress. It is commonly used for the treatment of anxiety. The smell of citrus lifts your spirits and puts you in a good mood in the morning. When diffused, it is also used to purify the air and disinfect premises.
Uses: can be used as a diffusion in a bedroom to promote sleep and sleep. Five drops in a diffuser or in bath water (previously mixed with a dispersant) to soothe the mind before going to sleep.
Warning: Do not use in pregnant or breastfeeding women or in children under 8 years old. Risk of allergic reactions. Sweet orange essential oil is photo-sensitizing, do not expose yourself to the sun for 6 hours following a massage or another type of skin application.
St. John's wort (St. John's wort):
This plant has a mechanism of action similar to many marketed antidepressants. In fact, it increases the available quantity of the neurotransmitter of good mood: serotonin. St. John's wort thus offers a powerful antidepressant and anti-stress effect, and improves mood and sleep. It can be useful for all types of depression, seasonal, monthly, due to menopause and stress. It is so powerful that it is in some cases registered as a real medicine! Don't worry, it is nonetheless a 100% natural product (with formidable effectiveness).
Be careful though: it can interact with other medications. It is therefore important that taking St. John's Wort is supervised by a doctor if you are taking other medications at the same time. If you are not taking any medication, you can take St. John's Wort without fear, but be aware that its effectiveness is not immediate. Its effect will be maximum after 3 weeks to a month of use. Be patient and don't despair right away, its effectiveness takes time but is definitely worth it.
Safran (Crocus sativa):
This plant, also called crocus, has an effectiveness comparable to St. John's wort and fluoxetine (one of the most famous antidepressants on the market). It also contains many antioxidants and vitamins. Unlike St. John's Wort, it does not interact with other medications, which makes it a great ally against depression for people who take medication at the same time. In addition, its effectiveness takes less time than that of St. John's Wort: only ten days are necessary to see a positive effect. It can also be used to soothe menstrual pain and teething pain in babies (in the form of a syrup).
Royal jelly :
Royal jelly is a must for any period of convalescence or sluggishness. During the winter, we are tired and sometimes have difficulty getting back on our feet after a cold, flu or winter virus. Royal jelly restores strength and tone in the event of convalescence and is a perfect ally for winter fatigue. It is a perfect stimulant and fortifier. Without an antidepressant effect, it nevertheless increases resistance to fatigue, restores vitality and stimulates natural defenses. It exists in several forms: honeys for hot toddies, tablets, syrups... It is important not to confuse royal jelly and honey: pure royal jelly may look like honey but absolutely does not taste like it! Suitable for the whole family: special dosages exist for little ones.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is certainly not an antidepressant, but its deficiency causes fatigue and loss of energy or even motivation. It is mainly synthesized by our skin under the effect of UV rays from the sun. In France, where the sunshine is quite weak (even sometimes in summer), but also and especially in the Nordic countries, many people are deficient in vitamin D. A vitamin D supplement during the winter then makes it possible to fight against fatigue. You can also take a blood test to find out if you are really deficient even if a one-off supplement never does any harm (vitamin D overdoses are very rare).
What is temporary seasonal blues (depression)? The main cause!
THE MAIN CAUSE: Seasonal depression is linked to variations and especially to the drop in light intensity with the arrival of autumn and winter. Natural light is decreasing and we are living more indoors.
THE CONSEQUENCES: This lack of sunshine causes a reduction in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which promotes our good mood and keeps us alert. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles, is then also produced to a greater extent (this hormone is mainly produced at night and promotes sleep). Lack of light and short days increase its diurnal (daytime) production, which has the effect of increasing our fatigue. It has been shown that the production of this hormone is disrupted in people suffering from seasonal depression: its quantity is too high during the day.
OUR ADVICE: Very common in Scandinavian countries, light therapy is an effective way to re-regulate our production of serotonin and melatonin and therefore to fight against depression/winter blues. This practice is less accessible in France, so you should not hesitate to go outside more to enjoy the slightest ray of sunshine (even if a few clouds persist)!
Women are more affected by seasonal depression!
The statistics and figures are clear: this type of depression is more common in women than in men (3 times less common in men than in women).
- Women of childbearing age are most affected.
- Children and the elderly are rarely subject to this type of depression.
- People who are prone to real depression are also more likely to develop seasonal affective disorder.
The geographic area also plays a very important role. This disorder is much more common in northern countries where the days in winter are very short and not very bright. It also seems that people who have left a sunny area or country to go further north are more likely to develop this type of depression.
Tips for fighting seasonal depression on a daily basis
- Light therapy or natural light therapy is very useful in winter. Your eyes are exposed to light with an intensity and light spectrum close to that of sunlight. This daily exposure at specific times helps reduce the production of melatonin during the day (the hormone that regulates sleep cycles) and therefore reduces daytime fatigue. The biological clock is then better regulated, which leads to more vitality and alertness.
- Get some fresh air for at least an hour a day. This allows natural light (very different from indoor light) to be absorbed and the brain to be oxygenated.
- Eat vitamins and avoid focusing on sugar. Chocolate, certainly an anti-depression food, increases weight gain and will only worsen your feeling of blues in the long term.
- Take moments to yourself. During a stressful day, at least 20 minutes should be freed up to do an activity that relaxes you and relaxes you: reading, drinking tea or coffee, sleeping for a quarter of an hour, etc. You should spend these 20 minutes alone. preferably to free your mind and only think about yourself. You will only be more productive and motivated afterwards.
- Practice a sport (whatever your pace or physical condition, there is something for everyone: yoga, fitness, jogging, swimming, etc.). Regular exercise improves physical and mental condition, clears the mind and releases endorphins. The feeling of well-being that follows is very beneficial in cases of depression, depression or the blues.
- Meditate with essential oils or at least relax by diffusing a relaxing synergy. This requires time and calm but allows you to take stock and refocus on what is really important.
- Do not hesitate to practice a manual activity: it changes your mind and is beneficial for morale.
Bibliography for seasonal depression
- www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice / translations / french / troubleaffectifsaisonnier.aspx
- Porter RS, Kaplan JL The Merck Manual of Diagnostics and Therapeutics. 5th French edition, 19th edition of the Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. Medicine editions 2014. P959-960.
- Pierre M, Gayet C My bible of herbalist secrets. Ed. Leduc. S 2016
- Pierre M The bible of healing plants. Ed. Du Chêne 2017
- Baudoux D Practical aromatherapy notebooks according to the French school Vol. 1 Pediatrics, Vol. 2 dermatology and Vol. 5 pregnancy. Collection: Aromatherapy professionally. Ed. 2011 professionally. 2011 edition
- Baudoux D and Breda ML Chemotyped essential oils. Scientific aromatherapy. Ed. JOM 2015
- Baudoux D Practical guide to family and scientific aromatherapy. My 12 favorite essential oils in 100 very effective formulas for 300 diseases. Ed JOM 2014 Festy D My illustrated primer on essential oils. Ed. Leduc.s 2015
- Faucon M. Treatise on scientific and medical aromatherapy: essential oils. Foundations and help with prescribing. Ed. Blood of the Earth 2017
- Lefief A The complete guide to essential oils: treating yourself with aromatherapy. Ed. ESI 2017
NOTE: This article was written by a pharmacist. The data summarized there come from the scientific literature and the references cited above. For medical advice, in the event of specific or prolonged symptoms, please consult your doctor. Only he will be able to make a precise diagnosis and, if necessary, provide you with the most appropriate treatment.
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