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There are many natural remedies for depression that can help you feel happier and healthier. Today I’m going to share my favorite natural remedies to help you reduce the symptoms of depression. Between the use of herbs, healthy diet, exercise, essential oils and spending time outdoors you’ll soon find that you’re feeling happier than ever.

I know that I feel more unmotivated & sad during the colder winter months and that it’s normal to have sadness creep in once in a while. Having depression is hard for everyone. I like to adjust my expectations of myself during this season and rest more because I have learned through my Traditional Medicine training that the winter season is yin in nature. This means that we naturally slow down, tune inward, reflect, and rest more.

One example of how I’ve adjusted my exercise routine is to go for daily walks in the morning and weight train instead of doing my interval training.

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Symptoms of Depression

You’ll find that each of us experiences various symptoms of depression. Sometimes symptoms can be mind or go unnoticed. Often times they creep into our lives slowly. The most common symptoms of depression include fatigue, irritability, hopelessness, the disinterest of hobbies, and aches and pains.

If you think you’re suffering from depression be sure to discuss the symptoms with your doctor. Once you’ve been given the okay to go ahead with some natural remedies for depression, try some of the ideas I shared below to help boost you out of this funk.

Looking beyond SAD, if you experience bouts of depression on a regular basis, it may be time to dive deeper and discover the root causes in your personal case, which can be related to:

• Poor digestion & infections (ex. H.Pylori, SIBO, Candida, gut permeability, low hydrochloric acid, dysbiosis, etc)
• Nutrient deficiencies – even a single nutrient deficiency can lead to changes in mood
• Hormone imbalances – our mood is related to many hormones, including thyroid, progesterone, cortisol, etc
• Toxins & sluggish liver function – many toxins interfere with normal neurotransmitter functions
• Chronic inflammation – neuro-inflammation can cause problems with memory & mood
• Chronic stress & trauma

If you’re having a hard time figuring out the WHY behind your low moods, make sure to reach out to a practitioner to help guide you in the right direction. To see if our services are a great fit for you, get in contact here.

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5 Natural Remedies For Depression

Herbs

There are many herbs that you can benefit from while suffering from depression. St. John’s Wort has been known to help increase serotonin, the happy hormone. You can try some adaptogen herbs such as Rhodiola or ashwagandha which each offer relief from some of your depression symptoms.

Rhodiola can improve mood and increase the sensitivities of serotonin and dopamine. Ashwagandha works to combat the depression symptoms that may have arrived due to stress by calming anxiety and stress with its hormone-balancing properties.

Medicinal mushrooms, such as Lion’s Mane, have nootropic properties to support our memory and mood, antioxidant support to reduce neuro-inflammation, and stress modulating properties like adaptogenic herbs.

There are many ways to consume these herbs. Personally, I like to include medicinal mushrooms in my daily routine {check out this post for inspiration & brand I recommend for purity and potency}.
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Healthy Diet

There’s a common phrase that says, “You are what you eat”. This phrase is absolutely true and is one of the biggest reasons I recommend a healthy diet when you suffer from depression. Eating foods rich in Vitamin C can help improve your mood. Citrus fruits have been shown to improve your mood simply by the aroma that they release into the air.

Opt to adjust your eating habits so that you’re reaching for healthier snacks and meals whenever you start to notice depression sneaking in. Eat foods rich in protein, vitamins, and other nutrients your body needs to ensure you’re able to start feeling happier.

To learn about specific foods I include in my diet to optimize mood, check out this post.

Exercise

Find a good daily exercise routine that you’ll stick to. Exercise helps increase your dopamine & endorphins so that you can get a natural boost of happiness. This natural remedy for depression doesn’t have to be a high-impact exercise routine. A simple walk every day for twenty minutes can be enough exercise to help boost your happy hormones and start feeling better.

If you don’t have much time to fit in a daily exercise routine, I recommend sprinkling in movement throughout your day by:

• Parking your car further away from your entrance
• Taking the stairs
• Setting a timer to do 10 squats at your desk every hour
• Setting up walking meetings rather than sitting down in a coffee shop
• Playing with your kids – we love tag around here:)

Essential Oils

The natural properties found in essential oils produce a soothing, uplifting effect on the mind and emotions which allow for natural stress and depression relief. I highly suggest you look into diffusing roman chamomile essential oil in your home to calm nerves and improve relaxation. Lavender essential oil is another calming option to help reduce some of your depression symptoms naturally. You can purchase an essential oil diffuser or use a shower diffuser to give yourself some essential oil therapy to boost your mood.

(Caution – Some essential oils may be contraindicated for pregnant and nursing women)

Here are some uplifting and stress relieving options:

Neroli: sedative and overall tonic to the nervous system. Especially helpful to relieve stress, anxiety & depression.

Bergamot: subtle and uplifting. A neuro-tonic and a powerful helper against depression caused by fatigue or unreleased tensions & frustrations.

Chamomile: highly sought after for its calming effects. It can effectively minimize irritability and nervousness.

Ylang Ylang: emotionally uplifting and relaxing. The calming effect of this oil may lessen tension and anxiety.

I would recommend a higher quality oil company, like Doterra {click here to explore more and save 25%}

Time in Nature

Getting outside can help ease the symptoms of depression almost instantly, just 15 minutes daily has been shown to decrease cortisol and increase serotonin levels. Feeling the fresh air flow through your air and touch your skin will help encourage a maximum happiness boost. Whether you opt to sit on the front porch or take a walk out in nature, you’ll find that the natural beauty of the great outdoors will soothe your soul.

If you have access to a forest nearby, studies show that walking among trees has even more benefit than walking in urban areas and had results related to stress relief, reduced anxiety, better mood, and even improved cardiovascular function. In particular, the Volatile Organic Compounds, such as pinene found in conifer trees, promote brain functions by decreasing mental fatigue, inducing relaxation, and improving cognitive performance and mood. (source)

While these natural remedies for depression might not cure clinical depression, they will help give you a little mood boost whenever you’re feeling down. Use my top five natural remedies for depression to give yourself a little happy boost today!

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