Winter Blues.....

Happy new year to you all! I hope you very much enjoyed the festive period and we can now look forward to the coming year with renewed enthusiasm and positivity. However, we need to get through the dark winter months of January and February first. Some people love the comfort and cosiness of these months as it brings visions of early nights, wood burning fires and cosy nights in with loved ones. However, many people struggle with these months and this is generally called the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder. The key symptoms of this are:

· Depression

· Sleep issues

· Lethargy

· Overeating

· Irritability

· Feeling down/unsociable

So, if you experience any of these symptoms then you may well be part of the 2 million people in the UK that winter does affect in a negative way. Age doesn’t matter and it can affect adults and children.

So, what can you do about it? There are many recommendations on the NHS website such as exercising regularly and exposing yourself to as much natural sunlight as possible. You can even buy a special lamp which is used to simulate exposure to sunlight. As a sufferer of the winter blues myself, I would also add aromatherapy into managing my symptoms.

Many essential oils can help as part of any treatment plan, such as Basil, Black Pepper, Rosemary but some of the most effective oils are from the citrus family because of their overall sunny nature. A few of my particular favourites is Grapefruit, Bergamot, Mandarin and Orange and of course the beautiful but expensive Neroli. Grapefruit will help mentally stimulate the brain, Bergamot, Mandarin & Orange bring memories of summer and are well known for their uplifting and anti-depressant properties. These can be blended with other oils such as Basil or Cedarwood for mental clarity, Rosemary for its stimulant effect on the nervous system, Jasmine as an anti-depressant and Black Pepper for lethargy.

Here at Scents of Spirit, we have already developed candles and scents to help with the winter blues. Our favourite products for this time of year are;

Cedarwood & Bergamot soy wax candle

Grapefruit soy wax candle

Frankincense, Mandarin & Cedarwood soy wax candle

All of these candles are blended to maximise their uplifting and mentally stimulating properties to help you get through to the spring. They are all made with clinical grade pure essential oils, we never use synthetic fragrances.

We also have a cleansing candle in Peppermint, Pine & Eucalyptus to make your home feel fresh and clean. We also have several pure essential oil blends that can be added to a diffuser or oil burner to fill your home with beautiful aromas that not only smell great but will make you feel better.

For a limited time, we are going to offer 10% off some of our favourite winter blues products so you can enjoy them and let us know what you think. We also offer free postage if you spend over £10!!

I hope you found this blog useful and any feedback or questions, please message me through the website, Facebook page or our email address is hello@scentsofspirit.co.uk. Please click onto 'Shop our products' for details and prices.

Take good care

Amanda x