Ten Natural Ways To Reduce Anxiety

Ten Natural Ways to Relieve Anxiety

Chamomile and Stress

Chamomile Tea has been used for hundreds of thousands of years to induce relaxation and relieve anxiety. Unlike many other forms of tea, Chamomile is naturally non-caffeinated. In addition, Chamomile has chemical properties similar to a mild muscle relaxant.

Stress is both a physical and a psychological phenomenon, and easing pressure on the muscles also improves the psychological perception of stress. Chamomile can also help alleviate skin inflammation associated with anxiety.

Other Benefits of Chamomile

Chamomile also provides other benefits and can reduce skin inflammation, regulate the severity of a fever, and act as a cough suppressant.

In one scientific study, participants drank chamomile tea daily for fourteen days. By the end of the study, they were discovered to have higher levels of a compound known as Hippurate, which is associated with a more robust immune system.

Green Tea (or L-Theanine) and Stress

Green tea does contain mild amounts of caffeine, but not nearly as much as other forms of tea. It is also possible to find decaffeinated Green Tea. Like Chamomile, Green Tea also provides anti-anxiety benefits when consumed.

This is primarily because of an amino acid known as L-Theanine, which appears in high quantities in Green Tea. Medical studies have shown that L-Theanine positively impacts the cardiovascular system by balancing blood pressure and controlling heart rate.

A few small studies have shown that participants with high anxiety did experience statistically significant calming benefits when taking 200 mg of L-Theanine, which is the amount of L-Theanine you would intake with five strong cups of Green Tea per day.

If five or more cups of Green Tea sounds like too much for you, you could opt for a supplement instead.

Other Benefits of Green Tea

Even if you need to supplement your green tea drinking with L-Theanine to experience optimal anti-anxiety effects, there are numerous other reasons why green tea is good for you.

The best thing about green tea is that it has more antioxidants than any other type of tea. The antioxidant compounds in green tea are known as polyphenols, and these compounds have been scientifically proven to provide anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Again, any product which provides Anti-Inflammatory benefits will likely have at least a small impact on anxiety levels.

Hops for Anxiety Relief

You may be surprised, but the hops used as an ingredient in beer have some anti-anxiety benefits. Don't head to the bar to turn up a beer yet, though, because, unfortunately, the Anti-Anxiety benefits of hops do not survive the brewing process. The part of the hops that has the ability to relieve stress is the essential oil of the hops.

Hops can actually be used as a sedative, and some companies sell pillows filled with hops.

Some specialty teas contain hops, but because of their intensely bitter flavor, it is usually brewed with mint, chamomile, or other flavors that are effective at covering up the bitterness.

Other Benefits of Hops

The sedative benefits of hops and its relative, Valerian, are effective in treating insomnia if taken regularly for over a month. Hops are also suitable for digestion because they stimulate the release of digestive juices. If you experience digestive troubles due to stress, Hops seems to provide adequate relief.

There is even evidence that Hops have the ability to help evacuate toxins from the body. For women, high doses of regular hops supplements can be an effective treatment for mild to moderate symptoms associated with menopause because hops produce plant Estrogens. Finally, some studies show that Hops provide neurological benefits.

Because of these plant Estrogens, Hops supplements may be better for women than men because long-term use may suppress natural Testosterone Production.

Valerian for Anxiety

Drinks like Green Tea provide sedative effects without impacting energy levels or encouraging sleepiness. Other herbal anxiety supplements are better to take at night because they alleviate anxiety and encourage restful sleep.

Valerian is a member of this class of Anti-Anxiety supplements. Valerian, like hops, has shown benefits for the treatment of insomnia, and some nations, including Germany, even approve Valerian as a means to treat sleeping issues such as insomnia and jet lag.

Other Benefits of Valerian

Valerian is another Anti-Anxiety treatment that also acts as a muscle relaxer. Valerian appears to have more substantial muscle-relaxing effects and is effective at alleviating issues related to muscle spasms, including muscle tension, muscle pain, and cramping.

The good thing about Valerian as a sleep aid is that, unlike other treatments such as Melatonin, Valerian does not produce a groggy and hung-over feeling in the morning for most users.

Finally, Valerian is even recommended for high blood pressure exacerbated by stress because it both reduces stress and relaxes the veins and arteries, reducing blood pressure.

Lemon Balm for Stress

The name may lead you to believe such, but Lemon Balm is not related to lemons, although Lemon Balm produces a distinct citrus scent. Lemon Balm has been used in the West for several centuries, since the Middle Ages at the latest, to alleviate anxiety and stress.

It can also help you sleep by proxy. Lemon Balm is a mild sedative, but it also has the ability to enhance attention.

One particular study showed that participants who took 600 mg lemon balm extracts were more alert and less anxious than if they were provided a placebo. It's important to slowly increase the dose over time because taking too much at once can produce anxiety.

Other Benefits of Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm has antioxidant solid benefits, and in one study, radiology staff were provided lemon balm supplements and were found to experience less damage as a result of X-Ray exposure, which increases the level of free radical activity in the human body. Lemon Balm also appears to produce psychological benefits in the areas of cognition and mood.

There have even been studies in Alzheimer's patients that have shown that Lemon Balm supplementation can improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's in patients suffering from the moderate and mild forms of the disease. The reason for these benefits is that it inhibits the activity of both butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholine in the brain.

Exercise and Stress

Not every treatment for anxiety comes in the form of a pill, capsule, or consumable. Exercise is a fantastic way to modulate and alleviate stress. Exercise stimulates the metabolism and encourages the brain to produce endorphins that can counteract stress and anxiety.

Another good thing is that although some anti-anxiety treatments and supplements take days or weeks to work, exercise provides some benefits immediately, and continued exercise provides enhanced benefits!

In addition to the physiological benefits of exercise, it also produces benefits because it contributes to a fitter and healthier you, which has the ability to relieve anxiety associated with health and self-perception.

Other Health Benefits of Exercise

As you likely already know, exercise significantly benefits nearly every aspect of health. Exercise stimulates your cardiovascular system, which strengthens the heart and helps to control blood pressure.

Also, exercise increases your metabolism, which causes you to burn fat more quickly and gives you more energy and vitality to attack the realities of your everyday life.

Exercise also provides other psychological benefits in addition to simply relieving stress. Exercise has been proven to reduce the impact of depression, making it easier to stay happy.

Substantial evidence is that physical activity improves cognitive and mental health, stimulating memory and improving attention span.

The Twenty-One Minute Cure for Anxiety

This is an extension of the previous suggestion, which relates to the immediate benefits of exercise and physical activity in general. If you are experiencing feelings of stress, one of the best things you can do is turn to exercise. When you feel stressed, take twenty to thirty minutes to exercise, in whatever way you would most prefer.

You can run, swim, lift weights, or anything that will get your heart rate up.

Stimulating your heart rate and getting your body moving will have a direct effect on both your anxiety and stress levels.

Twenty-one minutes is the average length of time that it takes to stimulate the neurological benefits of exercise, and as soon as you are done, you should feel a greater level of psychological balance return to your mind. Anxiety and stress are both psychological and physical responses. Physical activity is a powerful outlet for that stress, alleviating the psychological effects.

Passionflower for Anxiety

The name of this flower is somewhat misleading regarding the effect that it can have on the body and mind. Although the flower was named for its vibrant and colorful appearance, its effect on the body is actually sedative.

Like Valerian, Passionflower is another supplement that has been approved as a medical treatment by Germany, which has approved the use of Passionflower as a treatment for restless anxiety.

There is even scientific evidence that Passionflower is so potent that it can provide the equivalent benefits of prescription medications. Because of its anti-anxiety sedative qualities, it is beneficial as an insomnia treatment.

Like other sedative supplements, it should not be taken alongside prescription sleep aids and other sedatives. Also, because of its potency, it is recommended not to utilize Passionflower for longer than thirty days without discussing it with a doctor.

Other Benefits of Passionflower

When combined with St. John's Wort, there is evidence that Passionflower has the ability to modulate depression and help patients experience an improved outlook on life.

Passionflower can also be helpful for women suffering from issues related to Menopause, including headaches, insomnia, and anger. Passionflower can even be an effective treatment for women that are not interested in Hormone Replacement Therapy or not eligible.

Like many other anti-anxiety treatments, Passionflower also appears to have cardiovascular benefits. There is evidence that Passionflower supplementation has the ability to reduce blood pressure significantly.

It appears to primarily impact systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure within the arteries when the heart is pumping. Finally, Passionflower accumulates damaged cardiovascular fats known as oxidized lipids.

Lavender for Stress

It's no surprise that many flowers have anti-anxiety effects, and perhaps these effects have even affected our perception of them, indelibly connecting flowers with happiness and relaxation.

Lavender is considered to be an emotional anti-inflammatory, and just the scent has the ability to relieve stress, with some studies to back it up. In one study, students inhaled lavender oil deeply before taking an exam.

This reduced the level of anxiety in the participants, but some students experienced a bit of mental fuzziness due to the inhaled concentration. In Germany, Lavender has even been studied as an anti-anxiety drug and tested as a treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

They found that these specific lavender pills were as effective as Ativan at alleviating this form of anxiety.

Other Benefits of Lavender

Lavender is widely used in aromatherapy for many different purposes. There is evidence that Lavender has the ability to treat fatigue, nervous disorders, and headaches. Lavender oil is an herbal remedy for several skin conditions, including acne, eczema, wounds, and fungal infections.

However, the benefits resulting from eczema may be the result of massaging with oil rather than the type of oil itself.

There is also scientific evidence that Lavender Oil has the ability to reduce pain, and in one study, patients that inhaled a mixture of oxygen and lavender had an increased pain tolerance as opposed to those that inhaled oxygen alone.

Controlled Breathing for Stress Reduction

Controlled breathing is another effective means to regulate anxiety. One technique that has been shown to be highly effective is known as the 4-7-8 Breath, a breathing strategy related to yoga.

First, breathe out entirely through your mouth to perform this breathing technique. Immediately after breathing out, inhale through your nose for four seconds. After inhaling, hold your breath for the following seven seconds. Finally, exhale through your nose slowly over the course of seven more seconds.

Regular controlled breathing can enhance the benefits you experience through a single session and even optimize your function at the genetic level.

There have been multiple studies that have shown that performing breathing exercises regularly actually has the ability to alter the way that your genes express themselves in ways that actually re-tune your stress response.

Other Benefits of Controlled Breathing

Controlled breathing not only helps control anxiety, but it helps control heart rate and blood pressure as well. If you practice controlled breathing techniques like the one described above, the result will be a boon to your cardiovascular system. There is evidence that breathing exercises also reduce the risk of a brain aneurysm and stroke.

Controlled breathing and meditation also have the ability to improve connections in the brain, and it has been shown that regular meditation and focused breathing can improve sensory processing and attention.

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