7 Essential Healing Stones for Depression

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, it affected our entire lives. Specifically, in the United States, the rate of depression in adults tripled. Previously, 8.5% of Americans suffered from depression. In the first few months of 2020, that rate rose to 27.8%. Even worse, a study out of Boston University School of Public Health indicates that the rate has continued to climb. In 2021, 32.8% of Americans suffer from depression—that is 1 in 3 adults.

In addition to therapy, exercise, and medication, healing crystals for depression are used by many Americans in treating their symptoms. Americans incorporate healing stones into their meditation, yoga practices, and everyday life to ward off negative energy and build confidence and strength. 

Do You Need Healing Stones for Depression?

The diagnosis and care for those with depression are important and should not be taken lightly. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is suffering from depression, here are some signs to look out for. Please keep in mind that depression does not look the same for everyone.

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest … it affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. As a result, you may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living." If the last sentence resonates, please know that you are valuable and your life matters; do not hesitate to get in touch with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

7 Signs of Depression

1. Feeling hopeless
2. Loss of interest
3. Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
4. Anxiety
5. Appetite or weight fluctuations
6. Uncontrollable emotions
7. Difficulty concentrating 

7 Healing Stones for Battling Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that can take over your entire thought process. Mastering skills like meditation and learning how to center yourself can significantly benefit those suffering from depression. In addition, incorporating healing crystals into your daily routine can offer benefits for dealing with depression.

• Amethyst
• Aventurine
• Malachite
• Moonstone
• Smoky quartz
• Tourmaline
• Tiger eye

Amethyst:

The amethyst healing crystal is hailed as the ideal healing crystal for depression, anxiety, and grief. Amethyst is associated with the crown chakra and the third eye. The third eye is an esoteric concept that is visualized on the forehead, and it provides perception beyond literal sight.

The benefits of using amethyst healing stones for depression are:

• Improved sleep
• Reduced negative influences
• Balanced emotions
• Calmed mind
• Improved decision making 

Amethyst works to create a calm, balanced, and patient energy while actively releasing anger and fear. The balance this works to create within your body is a major way that amethyst healing stones aid in the treatment of depression.

Aventurine:

A heart chakra healing crystal that fosters the desire to build relationships when you feel isolated. Aventurine is a compassion crystal that can help you not only show empathy and understanding towards others but enables you to focus on giving yourself the empathy and understanding you deserve. Using aventurine can help you become the best version of yourself. 

Aventurine is one of the most affordable healing crystals for depression and anxiety and comes in a variety of colors, with green being the most popular. Aventurine can be used by placing the healing crystals around your body while meditating. However, its powers are strong enough that merely having it in the same room as you is enough. 

Malachite:

The malachite healing crystal is closely aligned with both the heart and throat chakras. This shared chakra situation means this healing stone does not only work to heal your heart but also enables you to communicate better and advocate for yourself, making it an ideal healing stone for depression symptoms.

Malachite is green in color. The color green in healing crystals is associated with hope, balance, and optimism, all especially important characteristics in healing stones for depression. Malachite specifically works to aid you in letting go of past trauma and negative patterns by balancing your body, mind, and soul. 

Malachite is best used during meditation by placing it directly on your heart while focusing on breathing. It can also be worn on a necklace as a pendant to keep your heart chakra open throughout the day. In addition, the malachite crystals associated with the throat chakra enable the user to feel more confident in speaking their truth and setting healthy boundaries. 

Moonstone:

The moonstone healing crystal is associated with the third eye and crown chakra and is most often used in battling anxiety. It brings forth calming emotional energy and new beginnings, making it a game-changer as a healing stone for depression.

A symbol for the moon, wearing a moonstone crystal connects you with the universe to enable you to move and flow with the fast-paced world around you. Life can feel overwhelming at times, and a moonstone will help ground you and help you process and accept the world around you, even when it might feel out of your control. 

3 Best Ways to Utilize a Moonstone Crystal:

• Wearing as jewelry
• Sleeping with it next to you
• Placing it on your third chakra

Smoky Quartz:

The national stone of Scotland comes in a brownish-gray color, giving it its name. Rich, purifying, and cleansing energy opens you up to not only release negative energy but accept positive energy. Smoky quartz healing crystals are associated with the root chakra. The root chakra is at the base of the spine and represents safety and security. Negative energy is warded off when using this root chakra healing stone for depression and anxiety.

Smoky quartz is often compared to taking a deep refreshing breath. It stabilizes and neutralizes negative feelings to bring about a feeling of safety. Don't let the name fool you; the smoky quartz is great for creating clear skies and providing daylight when it feels as if the entire world is weighing you down. The best ways to incorporate smoky quartz crystals into your life are to wear them as jewelry or to put them out on display in your home or office. 

Tourmaline:

Best for warding off negative energy and boosting optimism. Available in a wide array of colors, it is best known in its dark, midnight-black color form. As mentioned with the smoky quartz, the tourmaline healing crystal is also associated with the root chakra.

The most common characteristics of tourmaline are:

• Happiness
• Objectivity
• Compassion
• Serenity
• Balance
• Positivity
• Healing
• Strength
• Tolerance

Black tourmaline is often referred to as schorl and is enriched with iron and manganese. Tourmaline is a protective healing crystal intended to absolve the wearer of negative feelings and anxiety to make way for positivity. It is highly recommended to wear this healing stone if you are battling depression. Tourmaline works to keep you tethered to the ground, enabling you to accept the love and compassion that others want to give to you. 

Tiger Eye:

The tiger eye healing crystal is linked to the three lower chakras: root chakra, sacral chakra, and solar plexus chakra. These three chakras are connected to your mind and body and therefore work to help you become grounded and connected to the world around you.

The tiger eye crystals are mined in wilderness-rich areas like South Africa, Western Australia, and India, where adventure is endless. The name tiger eye was purposefully bestowed on this healing crystal. In the jungle, the tiger is strong, courageous, and ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Roman soldiers wore tiger eye crystals on their breastplates when going into war.

This healing stone for depression and anxiety is a fierce crystal intended to give you the heart of a tiger in the face of adversity. Tiger eye promotes strength in the wearer, and in a more specific sense, it helps when you are procrastinating or feel an overall lack of motivation. This healing crystal opens your mind and spirit up to take on a more active approach to your life. The most popular ways to incorporate this healing stone into your life is by wearing it as jewelry or putting it out on display in your home or office space. 

Clear Chakras, Clean Healing Stones, Can’t Lose

Just like we as humans require basic hygiene activities to keep ourselves clean, so do our healing stones for dealing with depression and anxiety. While there may be many days when it is hard to get out of bed, let alone take a shower, hold tight to the memory of how refreshed and accomplished you feel when you begin to check things off your to-do list. And you have full permission to add things to your to-do list that you have already accomplished so that you can check them off. No shame, we all do it.

Cleaning our healing crystals is essential for their energy to be at their highest operating level; however, it can also be therapeutic. Routines and a sense of purpose are important in setting ourselves up for success, even if we don't feel like we have the energy or desire. Fortunately, cleaning healing stones for depression is a fairly simple process, and many consider it meditative in its own right.

5 Methods for Cleaning Healing Stones for Depression

Each type of healing stone has a recommended method for cleaning and restoring its healing powers. However, these five methods work on any healing stones, including those for depression, and you can pick the best one for your frame of mind and schedule.

• Brown rice
• Sage
• Sound
• Larger stone
• Visualization 

Brown rice: 

This one is pretty simple to do; it only takes a few moments. Fill a bowl with brown rice, and then bury your healing crystal in the middle of the rice. Let it sit for 24 hours, remove the stone and then dispose of the rice since it has absorbed all the negative energy. 

Sage:

Burning sage is an integral part of many Native American cultures. Smudging is used to cleanse a person or place of negative energy. Remember that smudging should be done outdoors for safety purposes and to allow the negative energy to dissipate into the air effectively. You'll need a few supplies to smudge your healing stones for depression safely, or you can buy premade sage kits online or in your local store. 

How to Smudge Your Healing Crystals With Sage

Supplies:

• Fire-safe bowl
• Matches or lighter
• Loose or bundled sage

Directions:

Using the matches, light the tip of the sage. Switch hands if you need to, and grab your healing crystal in your other hand. Move the healing crystal through the smoke so it is fully engulfed for 30 to 60 seconds per stone. 

Sound:

Sound cleansing is perfect for anyone. It is especially great for those with a large collection of healing crystals who desire to cleanse all of their healing crystals at once. In addition, sound cleansing is great for cleaning healing stones for depression since it only takes 5-10 minutes, and research shows that music can reduce stress and improve moods.

This cleansing is accomplished by chanting, using a tuning fork or a bell. The tone and pitch do not matter, as long as the sound is loud enough for the vibrations to affect the healing stones for depression.

Larger stone:

Larger healing stones for depression and anxiety or those aimed at any chakra can aid in riding smaller stones of their negative energy. The two stones do not need to be the same type of healing stone for depression. Place the smaller stone on top of the larger stone and leave for 24 hours.

Visualization:

This method of cleansing healing crystals can feel intimidating, but we know you have the strength and ability to do this. Hold the healing stone for depression in your hand and close your eyes. Begin to envision yourself calm and centered, then visualize a bright white light radiating from the healing crystal. Begin to see the impurities of the healing stone for helping you battle depression diminish and focus on its beauty.

While you visualize the brightness of your healing stone and focus on all of its positive aspects, be sure to turn those feelings inward. Visualize a bright white light radiating from within you. Focus on all the positive qualities that you might ignore on a daily basis. Remind yourself that you are worthy, you are loved.

Healing Stones and Healing Hearts

Life can be hard, and sometimes we might feel like giving up; however, you are a bright light in this world, and you deserve to shine. So, if you are suffering from depression, absolutely pick up some healing stones to aid in your fight against depression and reach out to those you love and ask for help. You are brave and resilient, and just by reading this article, you are taking the first step towards a better tomorrow.