Herbs and Their Medicinal Uses to Remedy Winter Blues

Understand more about the blues, depression, factors that affect them, and how to find herbal remedies to help you feel better.

By Marlene Adelmann
Updated on December 27, 2023
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by istock/Fotomem
Herbs can be a gentle yet steady approach to increased wellness.

What’s winter blues meaning, and how does that compare with depression? However you’re feeling this winter and beyond, learn about herbs and their medicinal uses to support your mental health.

Feeling sad at times is a natural part of the human condition. I’m sure everyone reading this article has experienced sadness or perhaps even some form of depression. When darker days of winter draw up around us, we may spend more time indoors and isolated, which can lead to darker moods and winter blues.

Not all episodes of sadness and loss of energy can be categorized as depression, though. The difference between “the blues” and depression lies in the duration of the episode, the severity, and the contributing factors. What’s winter blues meaning? Unlike depression, the blues come and go — but the emphasis is on “go.” Bad moods can be triggered by fatigue, hunger, dehydration, overwork, poor diet, poor sleep, lack of sunlight, and other physical and emotional stresses, and these moods are generally short-lived, whereas depression can linger on for weeks to years without appropriate care.

A Chemical Imbalance?

Initial hypotheses on the biology of depression centered on the monoamine neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) that act to transmit nerve or neuron signals to a cell. These brain chemicals are widely touted as gatekeepers to better mental health and happiness. They’re important because they help regulate appetite, sleep, energy, and pleasure, all of which, of course, are relevant concerns when considering the debilitating effects of many mood disorders, including depression.

However, brain chemicals aren’t the whole story. In 1977, George L. Engel presented a more holistic, biopsychosocial model of disease, which argued for considering diseases’ biological, psychological, and social components in real-world treatment. Health practitioners widely recognize that depression is multifaceted and that balancing brain chemicals is only a part of the equation.

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