Many of us find January a really difficult month. We have lost the knack of “wintering”. We yearn for the long sunny days of summer and don’t see the joy in cozying on down and looking after ourselves. Mother Nature needs all the seasons and so do we. So let’s embrace it, wrap up warm in our winter woollies, find our inner hygge/coorie and make the most of this quieter winter time.
One of the reasons why we struggle is because I don't think we are particularly good at treating themselves. We seem to always need an excuse; that we're doing it not for ourselves but for another person. But you can’t look after others nearly as well if you don’t look after yourself and that’s why I am going to be posting all this month on the little ways in which we can be kind to ourselves.
We should all make time in 2024 to treat ourselves. It doesn't have to be a trip of a lifetime. It could just be taking the time to read, lighting that special candle you got for Christmas, doing some crafting or wrapping up and going for a winters walk somewhere different to your normal haunts. (I’m planning on visiting Anglesey Abbey)! I’ve started stitching a tapestry cushion as a change from my normal knitting and I can’t tell you the joy I am getting from spending a few minutes every day doing it.
One of my favourite things to do is to buy myself a pot of spring bulbs to remind me that after this needed time of rest and nourishment will give me the energy to enjoy lighter greener days ahead as the seasonal clock moves on.
But as you read this I expect you are wondering whether aromatherapy can help with the "winter blues". So I thought I'd answer a couple of questions I've been asked this week in the hope that my replies help you?
Q: I struggle to stay positive at this time of year. Can Aromatherapy help?
A: Scientists tell us that around 75% of our daily emotions are affected by the scents around us. That’s because our sense of smell links directly to the part of our brain that deals with our emotions, memory, stress and hormone levels. So smell is in fact the most naturally powerful way to make us feel good.
Taking this one step further, Aromatherapy uses essential oils and their therapeutic benefits of to send specific signals to our brain. Different essential oils have different properties.
Q: What essential oils would you recommend to help me lift my mood and feel more motivated?
I find I need all the extra help I can get at this time of year both to lift my spirits and to help me to feel positive. I’ve been using a blend of essential oils in my diffuser to do this. I’m finding a 3:2:1 blend of ylang ylang to lift my spirits, mixed with the refreshing properties of grapefruit and the “get up and go” of black pepper is making a big difference. Not only does it help me to feel motivated but it makes me happy and even optimistic.
So my advice to you is not to wait for the warmer sunnier days to live your life. Embrace what winter can give you now and take some time to nourish your soul.
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