Shorter days and colder weather are just two of the reasons why winter is difficult for a lot of people. Feelings of isolation, loneliness, and exhaustion are all typically worse when bad weather sets in. Studies also reveal that as many as 15% of people experience seasonal affective disorder during the winter months, with symptoms that include a persistent low mood.
It’s no wonder that the coming cold season can feel like a bleak prospect after a happy summer, but many of us have developed coping mechanisms that can make winter a little less daunting. As well as immersing ourselves in the festivities of the colder months, comforting habits like stocking up on blankets can help to keep the cold at bay and provide comfort. Candles are also becoming an increasingly crucial aspect of many people’s winter survival kits thanks, in no small part, to a wide range of scented candles to suit the season.
In this article, we’re going to give you all the tools you need for a comforting fall and winter this year by considering the benefits of the candles that could help you through the coming months.
Fall-Scented Candles: The Right Start to the Season
Our desire for comforting, cozy things tends to start as soon as the leaves turn and the weather gets colder. In fact, the stark temperature contrast between summer and fall means that, for many of us, fall is the best season for comforting additions like candles.
Fall candle jars that are available in a whole range of great scents like apple crisp and bonfire beach have become especially popular in recent years, and allow us to embrace what the season has to offer rather than resisting the change in weather.
But, according to research, the benefits of fall candles have to do with more than just great scents. Instead, it’s believed that fall candles are particularly beneficial because of the emotions and memories they evoke. Scents that help you to focus on meaningful fall memories, which may include loved experiences like baking pies and lighting bonfires, can all help to induce comfort and contentment during a time that might, otherwise, leave you feeling down about the weather.
The Benefits of Candles During the Winter Months
Far from just evoking memories, as it’s now believed that fall candles do, the ongoing use of candles during winter can also bring about a range of notable and sometimes surprising benefits. When those darker evenings and mornings are upon you, the simple act of lighting a candle could see you enjoying plus points that include –
Better Mental Health
As mentioned at the start of this article, winter can be an incredibly challenging time for anyone’s mental health, for reasons that include –
- More time at home
- Increased isolation
- Bad weather
- Lower energy levels
- Etc.
It’s possible to tie most of these issues back to the lack of light inherent in gray winter days and long evenings. Artificial lights are typically a poor imitation, but the natural flicker of a candle flame is a different matter. In fact, the findings of a three-year study into fireside relaxation found that the prompting of primeval instincts around controlled fire can lead to immediate feelings of calm.
Aromatherapy as provided by scented candles is also thought to bring mental health benefits throughout winter. Studies have particularly found that scents like lavender, lemon, and jasmine can relieve depressive symptoms, and keep us feeling uplifted even in the depths of winter.
General Health Benefits
Lethargy and a lack of energy are common throughout winter and can be blamed on both the shorter days, and a lack of time outside. Somewhat surprisingly, though, the regular lighting of candles all winter long can bring many of the health benefits that winter typically lacks.
Again, the power of the bare flame speaks for itself, with the three-year study cited above also revealing that exposure to an open flame can reduce blood pressure. Aromatherapy also plays a part here, when scent molecules cross the blood-brain barrier to interact with the nervous system. As a result of this, aromatherapy is thought to –
- Reduce pain levels
- Energize the body
- Lower heart rate
- Improve cognitive functions like concentration
While further studies are needed to determine the direct link between scent and physicality, lighting a candle this winter could certainly help to keep winter lethargy at bay.
Improved Sleep
For many of the reasons already stated, candles can also help you to fall asleep and stay asleep. This is particularly crucial during the winter months, when the dark and cold mornings make it far harder to get out of bed.
Proper, quality sleep can help to energize you despite bad weather and is possible because of how well candles relax us and also reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Even from a more technical standpoint, replacing harsh artificial lights with the gentle glow of a tealight candle in the evenings can help you to more naturally wind down, and make it far more likely that you’ll fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. 
Much-Needed Comfort
Above all, winter can feel like a comfortless time, especially when we look out of the window to see endless rain, frost, or snow. This lack of comfort can be easily rectified with the use of candles that have traditionally been associated with calming activities including –
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Remembrance
- Etc.
When you light candles at home this winter, you’ll turn your space into a warm, comforting haven despite the severity of the winter months. The relaxation of natural candle flame, as well as the various benefits of choosing the right scents, will then help you to feel more at peace, and happier regardless of bad weather.
Start enjoying these benefits and more this winter by investing in high-quality Rich Hill Candles. We provide a wide range of scents across our Canadian-made candles, Ontario, to ensure that customers from all provinces enjoy a brighter winter this year, and for many years to come.