In today’s world, we are faced with stresses from every angle, whether it’s health, financial, social drama, or your overall happiness level.
An estimated 35% of American adults suffer from some form of anxiety, not to mention the increasing amount of children and teens being affected. This fact is showing itself through the growing numbers of drug abuse in teens and adults. Tibetan doctors claim that we all suffer from anxiety at points in our life, and that it is only imperative that we understand our anxieties.
Treating anxiety with synthetic medicine usually makes problems worse when you’re off medication. Since the problem of anxiety is born within a hectic, stress-filled life, it only makes sense to treat it holistically. You can do this with the help of herbs and meditation. Here are some herbs you can take to ease your anxieties.
1. Chamomile
Chamomile is a very mild sedative and is a safe herb to take regularly. It has many benefits for the body but is mostly known for its relaxing properties. It greatly reduces anxiety and nervousness but does not sedate the central nervous system. It helps with restlessness, stress, and insomnia. It’s also a common ingredient in remedies for Parkinson’s disease.
2. Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba has always been known as a popular brain herb. Its effects on the brain and body are numerous. Not only does it help one with memory and concentration, but also anxiety and depression. It has a very uplifting effect and has been shown make one feel more social. Doctors attribute this effect to the improved nerve transmission from taking ginkgo. This herb helps people feel more alert and can, in turn, lift one’s mood and ease worry.
3. Passion Flower
Passion flower is an anti-spasmodic herb. It’s great for anxiety and nervousness because it’s relaxing, but not sedative. It’s good for calming someone who is babbling, emoting, has an obsessive mind, or reprocesses things over and over in their head. It’s great for hyperactivity and nervous exhaustion in children and adults. Passion flower even treats neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, shingles, and neuralgia. It also treats hypertension, lung spasms, and heart palpitations.
4. St. Johnswort
St. John’s Wort has been used for a long time to treat anxiety. This herb relieves tension and is also used as a pain reducing sedative. It raises serotonin levels and is sometimes used for acute depression. It’s anti-inflammatory internally and externally as an oil. It also eases menstrual pains and helps nervous system control the bladder for bed wetting or related disorders.
5. California Poppy
This herb is a mild sedative to the nervous system. It helps to balance and treat anxiety as well as insomnia. California Poppy is anti-spasmodic and eases nervous tension.
6. Panax Ginseng
Ginseng has been known since ancient times and has been used for almost everything. Ginseng mainly acts on the adrenals and balances the body in all ways. It’s a powerful adaptogen, which means it corrects what’s out of balance and leaves alone what is. This can herb is capable of treating anxiety because the root cause of anxiety is an imbalance in the body’s energy. Ginseng is a great way to treat anxiety in the daytime without using and herb that will possibly make you tired.
7. Ashwagandha
This is another great daytime herb that helps treat anxiety without making you tired. It’s actually uplifting and energy boosting. It works best with stress-related anxieties. Generally, this herb is known to help with sleep at night when taken in the day. It treats nerve pain and is an antidepressant. Ashwagandha is a very balancing herb.
8. Lavender
Lavender is an all-around herb of ease. It relieves headaches and tension in the upper extremities. It helps with anxiety and balances the spirit. It’s a nervine and is calming and soothing but also uplifting. Many use this herb for depression and related disorders as well. It’s a great herb for insomnia as well as dizziness or to wake a person up from shock or fainting. It is a very aromatic herb and is also used externally as an oil to relax the muscles and for aromatherapy to induce relaxation from anxieties through the scent. Lavender is a great addition to any relaxing formula.
Anxiety is really just a chronic worry, whatever that worry may be. So the most important thing when treating anxiety is calming your mind and relaxing first from the spirit. Herbs can help you find this balance of relaxation, but only you in your being can maintain that change by changing your outlook on life. Live free, because that’s what you are.