Natural Remedies to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can be very harmful to our mental and physical health and in today’s hectic life, thankfully there are natural remedies that can help with stress and anxiety. Sometimes it can sneak up on us when we least expect it. But stress will get to you and when it does your mind and body will let you know when you need a break. Don't ignore the signs of stress and anxiety.

Stress can be caused by many factors. In ancient times, when people were under stress it was either fight or flight. Our bodies are made up to change physically and mentally when under stress that causes us to think of fight or flight.

Except in today’s world, we usually cannot fight or flight, so we sit still while under stress which causes even more stress to build up. If anxiety and stress continue for too long without resolve, you can actually have a nervous breakdown.

Stress can actually cause us to gain weight. It is now known that stress causes belly fat to accumulate. Stress causes our blood pressure to rise; neither of these health conditions is good for our health. 

It is important we find ways other than fight or flight to relieve stress, here are some natural remedies to relieve stress.

Exercise as a Natural Remedy to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress, as long as exercise is okay with your doctor.

• Going for a fast 30-minute walk can really relieve tension, anxiety, and stress.
• Riding an exercise bike for 10 minutes or longer is great.
• Join an aerobics class and work up a sweat
• Yoga is great to relieve stress
• Tai chi, an ancient exercise is slow and very calming, it has been called moving meditation and can be done by anyone of any age.
• Get a punching bag, a great natural remedy to relieve stress and anxiety.

Limit Caffeine

Too much caffeine like coffee, pop, energy drinks, and some teas can increase your stress level. It is odd, but many people actually drink more coffee when under pressure or stress which of course leads to more anxiety and stress. While some teas can cause anxiety, other teas can promote a relaxing calmness.

If you were to eliminate caffeine from your daily diet, you would be surprised at how calm you will feel during the day, all day, even during stressful times. Many think they just cannot do without that morning, afternoon and evening cup of coffee.

Start by limiting yourself to a couple of cups in the morning only and no more for the rest of the day. And then try to quit drinking coffee and all other drinks that have caffeine in them.

Lemon Balm for Anxiety

Lemon balm has been prescribed since the ancient Greeks as a remedy for anxiety, soothe agitation, and promote sleep. Since that team there are reliable studies that show lemon balm does indeed work to relieve stress and anxiety.

Not only can lemon balm relieve stress and anxiety, it can also help with insomnia and enhance attention and cognition. In fact, studies found that while patients were under laboratory induced stress, they were able to do math problems without any reduction in accuracy.

While helping with insomnia and promoting sleep, those in the studies say that there was no drowsiness or other side effects with lemon balm. The usual dose that was used during the studies was between 300 and 600 mg.

Lavender for Stress and Anxiety Relief

The essential oil of lavender has been used for centuries for healing purposes. One of these health reasons is for its calming effects during times of stress and anxiety.

You can take a hot bath with the lavender oil added to the water, you can put a few drops of the lavender oil on your pillow which will help you sleep, have a lavender potpourri in your home and you can get a massage with it.

When you buy lavender oil, make sure you look for Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandula. There many lavender oils being sold today that are not pure lavender oil.

An essential oil diffuser can really help. Just put some of your favorite healing oil, like lavender, in the diffuser and relax.

Bach Rescue Remedy

As with all natural remedies, they can work wonders for some people and not work at all for others. Rescue Remedy made by Bach Flower Remedies is one I have tried myself during times of anxiety and high stress and it actually did have a calming effect on me.

I tried the spray version and you just spray twice on your tongue and it could relieve your stress and calm you. You can find this natural remedy in your health food stores.

L-Theanine

 

L-theanine is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid that is primarily found in green tea. It produces a relaxed or calm energy while clearing the mind without causing a sedative feeling. The relaxed and mental alert feelings L-theanine produces has been compared to how a person feels when they meditate.

L-theanine works in the brain by calming the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate, and boosting the calming neurotransmitters, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine

Eat a Lighter Diet

A natural remedy is to change your diet. Eating meals that are high in fat, fried foods, and overly processed foods can cause blood pressure to rise and increase stress during stressful times. 

 

Eating a lighter diet like a plant-based diet will help your digestion, keep your blood pressure from rising and possibly help you feel less stress.

A lighter diet would include more vegetables, potatoes, beans, whole grains, and fruit in place of a large serving of meat or fried foods. There are plenty of nutrientsin plant foods that can help reduce stress and anxiety. 

 

These stress-busting nutrients include B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and potassium, which are plentiful in a plant-based diet.

Limit Alcohol 

 

Most people view alcohol as a way to relieve stress and anxiety, but it can cause anxiety to become worse. Alcohol is a depressant, and too much alcohol can cause depression, stress, and anxiety. Alcohol can really increase anxiety and panic attacks the next day, during a hangover.

Meditation and Breathing

Learn to meditate. It is not hard to learn and with practice, meditation is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Learning deep breathing techniques can also relieve stress. Sometimes, just taking three deep breaths can alleviate a stressful feeling. 

 

The easiest breathing technique is belly breathing, and you can do it anytime and anywhere for stress relief. These belly breathing steps from the University of Michigan will help you relax:

• Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
• Put one hand on your belly, just below your ribs and your other hand on your chest.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
• Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
• Do this breathing technique 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
• Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise.

 

For more breathing techniques, you can visit the University of Michigan website.

Vitamin B Complex Relieves Stress

A good multivitamin that has plenty of the B vitamins or just a B complex vitamin every day is very good for the nerves and can relieve stress and anxiety. If your diet is lacking in some or all of the B vitamins, that could be one reason you have so much anxiety or stress.

Talk Therapy

Talk therapy can really help reduce negative thinking which turns into worrisome thoughts which almost always causes undue stress. 

 

There are three types of talk therapy; cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal. To relieve stress, cognitive therapy should be the best. Talking with a trained professional can show you how to stop the negative thoughts and relive the stress. 

 

You can talk more freely with a talk therapist than you might with a friend or relative and it is much better than talking to yourself.

Valerian as a Natural Remedy to Relieve Stress

Valerian has been used for centuries to help with insomnia and relieve stress and anxiety. Germany’s E Commission has approved valerian as an effective sedative. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has categorized valerian as GRAS (generally regarded as safe).

Valerian is a plant and the root of this plant is what is used for the natural remedy. You can buy valerian in the form of a tincture, as a tea or in a powdered form in capsules. 

You can make your own tea by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried valerian root and let that steep for 5 – 10 minutes. You can also buy commercially prepared valerian root tea bags at your local health food store.

In some people valerian actually has the opposite effect, causing more anxiety and restless, so be aware of this. Something else to be aware of, valerian does not smell very good, it doesn’t taste bad though.

There are numerous possible drug interactions with valerian and you should not take valerian if you take antidepressants, alcohol, valium, insomnia medication, statins and others [WebMD]. To be safe, you should ask your doctor about taking valerian if you are on any medications.

Conclusion

Stress and anxiety are becoming so common today that some might take it as a normal way to live, but you don’t have to. There are numerous natural remedies to relieve stress and anxiety and these remedies should be tried before turning to medications.

About the Author

Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Copyright © 2010-2019 Sam Montana