12 Natural Remedies for Anxiety and Stress

Whether you are upset over money, health, work, family, love or whatever, feelings of anxiety and stress are not just unpleasant their are a detriment to your mental, emotional and physical health as well as your spiritual development and a blockage to a higher state of consciousness. 

There are many safe non drug remedies, from mind-body techniques to supplements to calming teas.  Some start working right away, while others may help lessen anxiety and stress over time.

• Chamomile:  If you have a jittery moment, a cup of chamomile tea might help calm you down.  You can also take it as a supplement.  In medical studies, patients with generalized anxiety disorder who took chamomile supplements for eight weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients taking a placebo.
• L-theanine (or green tea): L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea which helps curb a rising heart rate and blood pressure.
• Hops: Yes, it's in beer, but you won't get the tranquilizing benefits of the bitter herb hops (Humulus lupulus) from a brew. The sedative compound in hops is a volatile oil, so you get it in extracts and tinctures—and as aromatherapy in hops pillows.
• Valerian: Some herbal supplements reduce anxiety without making you sleepy (such as L-theanine), while others are sedatives. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is squarely in the second category. It is a sleep aid, for insomnia. It contains sedative compounds; the German government has approved it as a treatment for sleep problems. Valerian smells kind of nasty, so most people take it as a capsule or tincture, rather than a tea. If you want to try it, take it in the evening—not before you go to work! Valerian is often combined with other sedative herbs such as hops, chamomile, and lemon balm. 
• Lemon Balm: Lemon balm has been used at least since the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety as well as help with sleep.  While it is generally safe, be aware that some studies have found that taking too much can actually make you more anxious.  So follow the directions and start with the smallest dose.  Lemon balm is sold as a tea, capsule, and tincture.  It's often combined with other calming herbs such as hops, chamomile, and valerian.
• Exercise: Exercise is safe, good for the brain, and a powerful antidote to depression and anxiety, both immediately and in the long term.  If you exercise on a regular basis, you'll have more self-esteem and feel healthier.
• Passionflower: In spite of the name, this herb won't help you in love.  It's a sedative and some studies find that it can reduce symptoms of anxiety.  It is not recommended to take for longer than one month at a time.
• Lavender: The intoxicating (but safe) aroma of lavender may be an emotional anti-inflammatory.  In on study, Greek dental patients were less anxious if the waiting room was scented with lavender oil.  In a Florida study, students who inhaled lavender oil scent before an exam had less anxiety.
• Breathe!: Did you know that you can't breathe deeply and be anxious at the same time?  There are many different breathing exercises and meditations but here is a simple one that I use.  Breathe in through your nose for a count of 8...hold your breath for a count of 4...now exhale for a count of 8 and hold again for a count of 4...Repeat.
• Get Hot: Ever wonder why you feel so relaxed after a spell in the sauna or a steam room?  Heating up your body reduces muscle tension and anxiety.  Sensations of warmth may alter neural circuits that control mood, including those that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Warming up may be one of the ways that exercise, not to mention curling up by a fire with a cozy sup of tea, boosts mood. Feeling stressed, try soaking in a hot bath.
• Get Out in Nature: The Japanese call it Shinrin-yoku, which means "forest bath".  You and I know it as a walk in the woods.  Japanese researchers measured body changes in people who walked for about 20 minutes in a beautiful forest, with the woodsy smells and the sounds of a running stream.  The forest bathers had lower stress hormone levels after their walk than they did after a comparable walk in an urban area.
• Meditation: Anxiety and stress are both caused by thinking about either he past or the future.  So stop thinking and focus on the present moment.  If you are new to meditation here are Two Simple Meditation Techniques That Anyone Can Do.

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