The fast-paced lifestyle that so many lead today has resulted in a generation of individuals with high anxiety. Whether you suffer from occasional panic attacks or spend most of your day worrying, anxiety doesn’t have to be a part of your life. Skip the potentially addictive anti-anxiety medications and give these natural methods a try. With tips ranging from reducing stress to aromatherapy to changes in nutrition, you will find plenty of great natural ideas to try to reduce your anxiety.

Stress Reduction

A major source of anxiety is the stress that creeps up through daily living. Take these suggestions to reduce stress and help eliminate anxiety.

1. Let go of control. Learn to accept that some things are beyond your ability to control. Once this expectation is gone, you will likely discover a reduction of your stress.
2. Do one thing at a time. Slow down and stop multitasking. Doing one thing at a time will reduce stress and allow you to perform each task more efficiently.
3. Learn to say "no". Turning away what you don’t have time to do will free you from obligations that will end up hanging over your head.
4. Emotions. Keep in touch with your emotions. Pretending you don’t have feelings of anger, sadness, or loneliness will just push these feeling down until they come back out in negative ways.
5. Let go of anger. Don’t hold on to anger or grudges. Instead, learn how to let go so you can focus on more positive things.
6. Identify stressors. Realize what makes you feel stressed and do something to change them. If watching the news makes you stressed, turn it off. If driving in traffic raises your blood pressure, then find ways to change or delay driving so you aren’t in traffic.
7. Learn time management techniques. Organizing your time and energy will help you complete tasks more efficiently and clear the way for less stress in your life.
8. Make time for yourself. Making sure you carve out some time for yourself every day will not only give you time to do something you enjoy, but will help you relax as well.
9. Journal. Identify stressors or just get out those negative feelings you may not want to tell other people with a private journal.
10. Find your sense of humor. Learning to laugh at life and finding the joy every day will go a long way to reducing stress.

Herbs

Herbal medicine has been around for centuries. Take the advice of generations past and try these natural cures for your anxiety.

11. Passionflower. Passionflower has been used for hundreds of years as a natural anxiety reliever and for insomnia. In 2001 a study showed that it was as effective as a popular anti-anxiety medication.
12. Valerian root. Used for centuries as both a sleeping aid and as an aid for anxiety, many people rely on valerian root for relief.
13. Chamomile. A popular tea, drinking chamomile will help reduce anxiety.
14. Kava Kava. This plant from the South Pacific is frequently used to treat anxiety. However, those with liver problems should avoid using this herb.
15. St. John’s Wort. Used for centuries, this herb helps combat anxiety and depression, as well as relieve muscle aches and reduce inflammation.
16. Verbena. Also known as wild hyssop or vervain, this herb is often used to help those suffering from anxiety and depression.
17. Skullcap. Help your nervous tension subside by trying skullcap as a tea or in one of its many other forms.
18. Cowslip. Anxiety is just one of the many disorders this herb helps to heal.
19. Lemon balm. Lemon balm helps reduce anxiety, especially when used with other calming herbs such as chamomile.
20. Hops. Used to help cure anxiety and restlessness, hops is generally combined with passionflower, chamomile, or valerian root.

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

You have to be really careful when recommending herbal supplements to anyone. People should check with their doctor or pharmacist about any drug interactions, and be very cautious because herbs are not regulated and there is little guarantee as to what you are actually getting when you buy such a supplement.

That's helpful. Next time I'm feeling anxious I'll go and chew the cowslips growing in the field where the four mares are.That will make the mares anxious but it should do me wonders

Good advice, 'Lex. Comfrey grows on my property, and I cut it back leaving only a border. It's very beautiful, large fuzzy leaves, lovely blue flowers. I used to use it as a substitute for spinach, the tender young leaves are delicious. Then I found that if used too freely it can cause liver damage. Now I only use it as a spring tonic.

There are many things that can change the way average medications work.

For example, many people take coumadin for irregular heart rate (A-Fib) or recent major bone surgery (such as a Hip Fracture repair). Many people also like cranberry juice (especially if they know that they get Urinary Tract Infections and drink it to help prevent them).

Cranberry makes people who take Coumadin have increased bleeding times. So serious bleeding is a risk if injuries happen.

Therefore, never take ANY supplements without first consulting a doctor/pharmacist.

The very best way to overcome stress, depression and anxiety is exercise!

...along with a healthy diet and regular sleep.

quote:

Originally posted by babthrower:
The very best way to overcome stress, depression and anxiety is exercise!

But, but, but... Exercise and a healthy diet MAKE me depressed!

Also, grapefruit can affect the way many medications work, including birth control and heart meds.

Then prepare to meet thy doom!

Mind you, by exercise I don't mean using a stairmaster, but climbing actual stairs! Not walking along boring city streets, but finding good nature trails. Also there are lots of sissy-pushups and things like that, that you can do throughout the day .

My fave is to brace my arms on the edge of the kitchen counter with my feet as far away as possible, then lower myself slowly until my body touches the counter top, then hold for a slow count of six, then slowly push myself back to starting position. This really works to build upper body strength -- something we women are not great at, usually. After doing this for a few months, I tried a real push-up -- and it worked! Not bad for 73.

And yoga-like exercises make your body more flexible -- even safer! Some injuries are caused by shortened, inflexible tendons and ligaments. And they take forever to recover!

And dancing. This helps your balance and is lots of fun. I have some good cd's.

But, but, but... I'm lazy!!

Lex doesn't give up easily. 'But, but, but... I'm lazy!!'

That's fun, too. But boring. Peel me a grape.

Bab, you said you are 73, well, I gotta tell you, I will be 43 in March and you have more energy than I likely ever WILL have!!

Exercise is so not what I am into!

The most exercise I get is chasing Jaden around and picking up drinks and eating utensils.

Sher, when I had three rug rats running around, I didn't have much to spare either! And later, when I was a single mom, the kids were responsible for their own maintenance: bathing, cleaning their rooms, taking a 'cook night' and a 'clean up night', etc. But still I felt washed out at the end of the day.

As Andrea del Sarto said,

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be.

The neat thing about retirement is, if you don't have the energy right now, take a rest; later you'll it'll bounce back.

But when you have many cares and responsibilities, you can't always take a rest when you're tired.

p.s. Here's the weird thing. Exercise gies you more energy!

I discovered that years ago, when my best friend and I decided to climb up to a beautiful glacial lake. It was tough. I was out of shape. But we took our time, made the campground, raised our tent and walked to the lake. The water was icy, icy cold on July 31st. Then we made a campfire, cooked, slept like logs, and in the morning walked down again. That waws harder on my legs than walking up! On a steep trail, you're using muscles you don't often use!

It didn't really hit me till two days later. Suddenly I had much more physical energy. And since then I have tried to keep reasonably active.

And she did too. She fairly recently recovered from colon cancer, and her various care-givers told her they were sure that her level of fitness played a big part!

quote:

Originally posted by babthrower: Peel me a grape.

If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by. I'll peel you two.

Hey, you have put good points about stress reduction. Thanks for the post. Its helpful!