How To Deal With Anxiety And Relieve Stress With Alternative Medicine, Home Remedies & Herbs
For those who are looking for natural remedies.
by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash Anxiety and depression can take over your life without you knowing it.
And while some people work well with taking antidepressants, there are some who don't feel comfortable or know how to deal with their anxiety, and as a result, their mental health suffers.
If you're stressed out, exhausted and anxious, and need to figure out how to relieve stress without pills, there are non-medicated ways to help yourself stay healthy, like herbs, alternative medicine, and even home remedies.
So where can you start?
To maintain balance and realize when there might be a problem, it is important to stay in touch with your inner self or inner critic.
It has become very common for people to experience fear, anxiety, stress, and yes, depression. For decades, they've been given a medication that has only served to mask the symptoms but never to eliminate the problem.
Think about how many people you may know that are on anti-depressants and still depressed. It has become an epidemic and it doesn’t have to be.
If you have severe anxiety or nausea, make sure to see a health care professional. Nevertheless, there are natural ways to reduce depression by yourself for everyday stress and anxiety.
Here are 10 natural herbs, home remedies, and alternative medicine techniques to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression without medication or antidepressants:
1. Passionflower.
Passionflower is a common herb known to help lower anxiety.
Passionflower is as beneficial for many as some prescription medicines. As anxiety and insomnia often go hand in hand, it also assists with insomnia.
2. Self-hypnosis.
Hypnosis can be a great way to relax and get in touch with your subconscious. Self-hypnosis enables you to perform techniques on yourself instead of requiring someone else's assistance.
There are many strategies of self-talk and self-hypnosis including and limited to affirmations, mantras, meditations, and breathing exercises.
3. Proper nutrition.
It's easy to forget about the intense connection between how you feel and what you put into your body. If you ever saw a child after they were given a sugary snack it is a good reminder that food affects your emotions and behavior.
Remember to take care of yourself by eating a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water. It can help you reduce anxiety.
If eating right is difficult for you, be sure to take a natural supplement in the form of a multivitamin and avoid chemicals, sugar, processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine when possible.
4. Control your time.
Running around frantically can cause anxiety. Perhaps you need to look at what’s important that you must do and what you must not. Then what to eliminate or delegate to someone else.
When you manage your time you can schedule what you also need to help refill your own tank so you are ready for what’s next. This will help you stop reacting and start responding. Remember to schedule time for fun and relaxation, too.
5. St. John's Wort.
St. John's Wort is a natural supplement that has been used for centuries that helps with both depression and anxiety. It's best used for mild to moderate cases.
6. Acupuncture.
Acupuncture is an ancient art that can reduce your anxiety by enabling you to feel calm and relaxed. It can be an effective low-risk treatment option for anxiety and involves the use of thin needles to relax your muscles.
7. Set a time to "worry."
If you find yourself worrying all the time, it would be a good idea to limit it by creating a specific time. Decide on the amount of time you desire and what time of day would work best for you. Maybe 7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. becomes the time where you allow yourself to worry as much as you want.
Worrying is simply no longer tolerated during the rest of the day.
Any time you feel worries arise during other times of the day, tell yourself that they have to wait for your "worry time." You'll soon find that you won't really worry all that much during your worry time!
8. Exercise.
Studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce anxiety and depression. Exercise produces serotonin (the "feel-good" hormone), relieves stress, increases oxygen levels throughout the body, and relaxes your muscles.
Create a schedule that works for you perhaps three times a week for one hour at a time.
9. Meditation.
Select a time that you can meditate each day. It doesn’t have to be for long periods of time you can start out slow and build your way up. For some people, ten minutes is a long time for others it’s an hour. Find what works best for you.
Find a quiet, relaxing place and focus on your breathing while you relax. If you would like to use an app on your phone or even find a guided meditation on YouTube.
Next, immerse yourself in visualizing that you are living the life you desire. Allow yourself to let go of what no longer serves you and step into what you truly desire. Let it help you relax, inspire, and motivate you.
10. Valerian root.
This is a great alternative if you are having challenges sleeping. This is another natural anxiety herb as well. Valerian root can be taken as a tea or a capsule and should be taken approximately two hours before you go to bed.
Whether you choose a natural herb, activity, or life change to reduce your anxiety, you're making a good decision when you opt to go with a natural solution to your problem.
Remember that you get to control your emotions and choose whether or not to let them take you over. If you want to eliminate anxiety and depression start small and find a few of the recommendations that you want to implement and make them part of your daily routines.
Start small and build your way up until you feel you have been able to reduce or eliminate the stress of anxiety and depression altogether.
Lisa Lieberman-Wang is a licensed neuro-linguistic practitioner and creator of Neuro Associative Programming (NAP). Find more helpful tips to loving yourself and improving your life on her website, FineToFab.