Using Essential Oils to Relieve Sadness

How to relieve sadness with essential oils

Whereas grief is usually an acute condition with a specific cause, sadness and melancholy are often all-pervasive and chronic feelings, sometimes with no readily discernible cause. Of course you can feel sad at hearing some bad news or misfortune, but if this is not so severe as to cause grief, then such sadness is usually short-lived and not really a problem.

People can feel sad sometimes and yet not know why; they simply feel low, dark, heavy and dispirited. When this mood occurs, the joy and light in life seem to disappear and it is difficult to shake off this melancholic, despondent feeling. We can recognize that some people do have a melancholic disposition, a tendency to feel unhappy and dejected for no obvious reason, but almost everyone can feel sad for no reason from time to time.

Useful remedies to relieve sadness with essential oils

• If you feel sad, diffusing uplifting essential oils is one of the best remedies. The nebulous nature of the feelings is counteracted by creating a general atmosphere of uplifting fragrance. The clarifying, uplifting effect of basil helps dispel mental fatigue and melancholy. Bergamot brings light and inspires good cheer, while patchouli comforts sadness on a deep level, and jasmine lifts the spirits.
• Another useful technique to combat sadness is to wear an uplifting mood perfume, reapplied several times during the day and before going to bed at night. Surrounding yourself with an uplifting fragrance over a period of time will gently and naturally shift the melancholic mood. Choose mood perfumes that include neroli, rose absolute, lavender, geranium or ylang ylang; these lovely floral essential oils have a subtle uplifting effect over time.
• Sometimes a sharp, fresh, clearing aroma can help shift sadness, and if the more subtle approaches outlined above are not working, then it's worth trying something a little different. Peppermint and thyme are invigorating and refreshing nerve tonics, and are very stimulating. They can lift your sadness by clearing the mind and emotions.