There are many other bloggers involved in this project, and each one of them is offering posts with information about SAD, ideas to combat it, including ideas involving Natural Fragrances. I encourage you to read as many of these blogs as you can, and enter the draws for their wonderful products. The links to their blogs are below.
Find Joy in the little things!
It's funny that today, a warm, rainy day here in Southern Ontario (which for me is the least Joyful type of weather in winter time) is the day I am starting this post series. I am one of the lucky ones I suppose for I am a winter lover -as long as there is sun reflecting off the snow then I will take as much time as I can to be outside enjoying it. I don't care how cold it is. The grey, wet days we have had much of this winter so far here are horrific to me, I can tell by how sugar I am craving that it is affecting me in a bad way.
Although I don't generally suffer from depression at any time, or SAD there was one winter I spent in grey, rainy Vancouver that made me question whether I could be affected very seriously by SAD. I left Vancouver to work in Whistler for an overnight waitressing job at a fancy hotel. After the job was over I had an amazing nights sleep in high thread count sheets, with a fluffy down duvet and then padded down to the hotel breakfast room to a buffet laden with, fresh baked goods, tropical fruits (did you know eating tropical fruits can positively affect serotonin levels?) & fruity compotes and jams. The scent in the room was comforting and uplifting all at once. Sitting down to breakfast with fresh coffee and that gorgeous breakfast I saw the ski hills of Whistler through the window by the table. It was an overcast day, yet the daylight reflecting off the the snow felt like the brightest day I had seen in months.
I think I knew that day that I needed to live somewhere where sun and snow met..... and so I do.
My wish for the SAD sufferers reading this post can experience some of the joy I did on that morning watching the light come through the window while eating that breakfast in that room full of bright and comforting scents. In the draw for this post I have chosen to create a gift focusing on Natural Fragrances made from the oils of the uplifting citrus family.
If you are chosen the winner of this prize you will receive an ellenoire gift package including handmade bath and body care products scented with natural essential oils: A skin pampering bath bomb in Cafe Clementine, a Neroli water facial mist & a Glycerine soap made with Pink Grapefruit.
Comment on this post to be entered in the draw for this prize.
Prizes for my draw will be mailed to winners in the USA, Canada and the EU only. You will find bloggers in Australia, Canada, South Africa and Vietnam, so please check their mailing policies.
1. You, the poster can post as anonymous, but that will make you ineligible for the drawing.
2. I'd love it if you sign up for my newsletter, or "like" my page on Facebook, but that isn't a requirement of this blog. Please just leave a comment that shares your difficulty with SAD. We need to get the word out there so others reading this may recognize the disorder has aromatherapy and natural perfumery as an alternative healing modality.
3 I do want you to leave your first name or a nickname, ISP (eg., gmail) and location. That way, when I announce the win, and you reply, I'll be sure I have the right person.
*SAD is a recognized disorder characterized by depression, among other symptoms.* Light therapy is the most common treatment, and the Guild feels the need to share the knowledge that fragrance can also be uplifting and pull people out of depression. The NPG wants to include fragrance therapy and our members will host a three-day blog event to reach out to those who suffer from SAD. Please visit the blogs listed below of the other Guild members, add your comments to enter the draws for their prizes. be sure to check that they are ok to ship to your country. Winners of the three-days of drawings will be announced here on Thursday, the 19th.
Ambrosia Jones http://perfumebynature.blogspot.com
Charna Ethier http://www.providenceperfume.com/blogs/news
Christi Meshell http://www.matriarch.biz/blog.html
Clemence Barbier http://www.dameclemence.blogspot.com
Elise Pearlstine http://bellyflowers.blogspot.com
Emily Pienaar http://www.roseenbos.com/category/blog
JoAnne Bassett http://www.joannebassett.com/natural_perfumes
Joyce Noerr http://sororiaorganics.blogspot.com/
Karen Williams http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/blog/
Liz Cook http://oneseedperfumes.wordpress.com
Noelle Smith http://ellenoire.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Vinson http://www.stephanieknaturals.com/blog/
Susan Stype http://www.aromatherapycontessa.com
Thank you so much for participating in the Joy in January project and sharing your experience with the rough Vancouver winter and your uplifting experience that brightened it! Your gift package sounds like a great remedy for the winter blues. SAD can be very disheartening, but the generous display by yourself and the other participants is really uplifting.
ReplyDeleteWith much appreciation,
Michael S
I actually like winter too - fewer allergies - but I'm not sure how I'd like it if I lived in Greenland or some such (with such long nights). I am loving the idea to use fragrances to help combat depression; sometimes stronger things are needed (like medication) but even with that, every little bit helps!
ReplyDeletewow. That picture you drew is so vivd, sounds SOOOO yummy.
ReplyDeletewhere I live it doesn't snow every winter, and when it does, it's usually only for one day.
but everyone gets so excited about it that all the kids are let out of school if it does snow, and everyone stays home (or outside near the home) and has fun.
it's great.
I've suffered from depression all my life and the winter is especially difficult. Even with medication and extra vitamin D the winter weather leaves me sad, tired and wishing for warmer weather.
ReplyDeleteI've decided to beat SAD this year. I plan to spend more time outside every day and eat very healthy. I have two young boys and I need to beat this for them.
Liz (emain@cogeco.ca)
I don't know if I suffer from SAD, but I sure do miss sunlight and feel "down" on grey days.Enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDeleteRuth
I feel like I shouldn't be entering your contest but I AM all about Aromatherapy and I know you have the good stuff!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I get SAD but I do love lavender to relax and citrus when I'm not feeling well!
Tracey
Noelle -
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your JOY with us. It's nice meeting everyone involved in this project. As a Florida girl anything with Neroli and Pink Grapefruit makes me smile.
The thought of enjoying a nice warm bath/spa day for myself during these cold winter days of the Northeast U.S, makes me smile:) Thank you for taking part in this. The early sun did not come out this morning to greet me at my kitchen window as I make tea:(
ReplyDeleteVicki D., Upstate New York
Noelle, thanks for a great contribution to our Joy in January project. You might want to send out an email to your newsletter readers so they can get in on it.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Anya
Thank you so much for the article, and the generous draw. I enjoyed reading about you finding your joy "where sun and snow met." I could almost feel like I was there! I haven't seen much snow yet this season here in sourthern NJ, but it's not over yet, so there's still a chance!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your story about waking up in a hotel room with high thread-count sheets and other small luxuries that helped to give you a better night's sleep. I have to agree - sometimes, just the smallest things you do can really help alleviate the stresses of SAD. I find that making the bed and bedroom as cozy as possible really contributes to good sleep, which in turn makes for much better mental health in January. Included in that is scattering around some nicely scented lemon-flower water that I had a Turkish friend bring back for me after he'd visited home. It's one of those scents that's pretty much equal between lemons and orange-flowers... having the smell arise from good sheets is an invitation for a great night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteI am also a winter lover, and can do well as long as there is sun reflecting off the snow. I love hiking or snowshoeing rather than skiing, but it's being outside in the winter sun that is so wonderful. My worst winters are in wet rainy grey times.
ReplyDeleteAmy H. in Philadelphia
Thank you for participating in this wonderful event!
ReplyDeleteYour breakfast in Vancouver sounds utterly delicious! There is always something really magical about watching the sunrise... when one has a chance to relax and enjoy it and not be at an early meeting that is :P
I think all this grey weather has been affecting more - or its the face that everyone I know is heading south this month and I am not. Really interesting post - thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteThe winner for this post is hula-la! I'll be in touch!
ReplyDelete