Depression is a debilitating mood disorder that affects millions of us worldwide. It can be a serious condition that has numerous outward symptoms. But you don’t have to manage this empty-handed. The best essential oils for depression are those that help reduce its symptoms.
What is Depression?
Depression sometimes just lasts a day or so but it can stay last much longer and be more than feeling “down” or “blue.” Depression causes a person to have feelings of deep sadness and hopelessness which affects how a person acts, behaves, and feels.
Depression can have adverse effects on a person’s health and well-being. They may feel a lack of motivation to do even their basic daily routines.The worst part about depression is that it is sometimes misunderstood. It not always a state of mind that will pass quickly. As a result, many people go undiagnosed. These kinds of people do not receive the treatment they need.
Other times people think it is a just reaction to some outside event. These people also think that the person suffering it just has to “get over it” or “move on.”
Using the Best Essential Oils for Depression
Depression isn’t just something a person can “move on” from or “get over.” Depression can sometime require serious, long-term treatment. The patient must still deal with the symptoms of depression throughout the treatment period. Essential oils can help here.
Essential oils may not cure depression outright but they can calm, soothe and lift a persons spirits. They can help to motivate and encourage, uplift and empower and instill a sense of positivity and optimism. Essential oils can ease tiredness, irritability, anxiety, and mental fatigue. Easing the day-to-day symptoms of depression can assist in the treatment.
Choosing the Right Essential Oils For Your Symptoms
People with depression often feel tired, despondent and lacking energy and enthusiasm. They are also often unmotivated to do even day-to-day tasks.
Using the best essential oils for depression symptoms can help get sufferers back on track. Here are a selection that have helped lift my spirits when I have felt miserable, down and unmotivated:
The Best Essential Oils for Depression: The Citrus Family
The citrus family of oils ease a wide range of depressions, anxieties and stress. Citrus oils are a ‘must have’ selection of oils for people who often feel negative and unmotivated.
- Orange Essential Oil: Orange oil is cheerful and warming. It promotes adaptability, happiness and optimism.
- Lemon Essential Oil: Lemon oil disperses worries and instills a sense of vitality, positivity and happiness.
- Petitgrain Essential Oil: Alleviates loss of hope and insecurity, and also promotes self-assurance.
- Grapefruit Essential Oil: Uplifting and empowering, grapefruit instills us with positive energy, courage, confidence and joy
- Bergamot Essential Oil: Uplifting bergamot oil eases anxiety by warming the heart and by promoting feelings of confidence and optimism.
People who feel depressed often lack feelings of positivity, optimism and motivation. The following oils are particularly helpful in this instance:
- Ginger Essential Oil: Promotes a warming sense of well-being. Ginger instills confidence, courage and strength.
- Geranium Essential Oil: Geranium lifts the spirits, enhances personal drive and encourages enjoyment and pleasure.
- Jasmine Essential Oil: Jasmine oil calms the nerves, releases tensions and enhances joy and optimism.
- Lemongrass Essential Oil: Invigorating and rejuvenating, lemongrass oil relieves fatigue and mental exhaustion
- Juniper Essential Oil: Juniper oil strengthens the nervous system and encourages positivity and self-confidence.
- Lavender Essential Oil: Relaxes the nervous system and alleviates stress. Lavender promotes a calm, soothing and relaxed composure.
The Best Essential Oils for Depression: Avoiding Anxiety
Anxiety is another symptom of depression. Depressed people can feel restless and despondent. Sometimes depressed people feel agitated over minor details due to anxiety.
To help unwind the troubled mind, you can use some of the best essential oils for depression symptoms.
- Sandalwood Essential Oil: Calming and harmonizing sandalwood oil helps re-establish an acceptance of reality as it is
- Cedarwood Essential Oil: Cedar oil is warming and calming and dispels anxiety by promoting confidence and self-empowerment.
- Lime Essential Oil: Refreshing and uplifting lime oil encourages vitality, fun, laughter and an appetite for life
- Mandarin Essential Oil: Uplifting and refreshing, mandarin oil eliminates anxiety, promotes motivation, inspiration and happiness.
- Neroli Essential Oil: Soothing neroili oil relaxes the nerves, uplifts the spirits, and instills feelings of comfort and strength.
- Clary Sage Essential Oil: Inspirational clary promotes feelings of well-being that banish fear, anxiety, depression and stress
- Ylang ylang Essential Oil: Soothes and entices, eases restlessness and agitation. Ylang Ylang relaxes, uplifts and promotes confidence
People suffering from depression may also experience mental fatigue. It can be difficult for them to concentrate and focus. As a result, their decision-making ability is impaired. They may also have trouble remembering things.
The Best Essential Oils for Depression: Mental Fatigue
- Basil Essential Oil: Basil oil fights nervous tension and exhaustion. It gives the mind strength and clarity and promotes assertiveness and purpose.
- Black Pepper Essential Oil: Comforting black pepper oil stimulates clarity of thought and mental faculties and aids decision making.
- Pine Essential Oil: Energizing pine oil dispels mental and physical fatigue, instilling inspiration, positive energy and self confidence
- Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil: Warm, spicy cinnamon oil eases fatigue to allow concentration, stability and healing.
- Clove Essential Oil: Calming clove oil positively stimulates the mind, enhances mental alertness and decision-making capabilities
Help In Nature
Depression can be a short or long-term ailment and affects millions worldwide every day. Some people may naturally feel better after a day or a few days, cures for others might take longer and be more complex.
Whatever the situation, as usual, nature is here for us and provides some essential oils for depression that can ease the symptoms and help us recover our optimism and joy for life.
