Calming Your Mind Naturally: 5 Best Herbal Medicines For Anxiety

Have you seen the meme about our brains being internet browsers with too many tabs open?
This is a very good metaphor for what most of us experience daily. This hustle and bustle that have us bogged down with continual sensory overload puts a lot of stress on our brains and this, in turn, affects our minds, typically resorting to stress and anxiety.

Because many of us live with this every day, we have begun looking for non-intrusive ways to help reduce this stress. Holistic practices like herbology have seen a reawakening. We have reached back into the past to look for ancient knowledge and applied it to our everyday routines to handle our anxiety.

For those just beginning their journey to using herbal remedies to help with these mental health issues, it may be quite daunting to figure out how to use them and which ones are the best herbal medicines for anxiety.

So we want to make sure you start off with a good foundation when it comes to this, and that’s why we pulled together a good list of the best herbal medicines for anxiety and the best ways to use them.

Herbal Remedies: Why You Should Use Them and Ways to Use Herbs

There are many ways to look at using herbs for any malady, including anxiety. No matter which avenues (whether you choose a mystical mindset or a scientific one), the fact that these plants have the power to reduce anxiety is very evident.

Mystically, the plants hold energies from the earth, which for those that live by these spiritual practices feel are naturally healing. By imbuing your body with these energies and your intent to heal, you can reconnect with your center, and this naturally balances your body, thereby alleviating your anxiety.

On a scientific platform, the compounds within these plants interact just like prescription drugs with the neurotransmitter GABA.
This neurotransmitter is responsible for calming your body's fear response, which is what creates that anxiety.

In the end, whatever ideology you prescribe to, the use of non-chemical-based remedies for your anxiety is gentler on your system. They also produce less dependency than the man-made prescription drugs that are often prescribed to treat anxiety.

(Note: Before using these herbals for anxiety, you should talk with your physician to make sure they don’t have interactions with any prescription medication.)

So how should you use these herbs?

There are a few different ways these herbal medicines for anxiety can be used. Each of them has its place, and they can be used in conjunction to produce a stronger impact on that anxiety.

Here are some of the best ways to use your herbs for anxiety:
Teas – You can find any premade teas that are crafted utilizing these herbs or blends at many stores today. But even better than that would be if you have an herbal store or your own garden that you could utilize for fresh herbs to create teas. This may well be the best way to use your herbs for anxiety.
Supplements – Just like with the teas, there are supplement areas in almost every supermarket across the globe. Within the shelves of these stores, you can find these herbs for anxiety ground up and put in a pill form. These can be taken daily to reap the benefits of these herbs.
Oils, Tinctures, & Extracts – You may also be able to find any of these in those stores as well, or you can make your own. These can be used in your baths, mixed into your lotions, or in a diffuser to create a calming atmosphere which will, in turn, reduce your anxiety.

Herbs That Are Good For Anxiety

Now that you know why and how to use some of the best herbal medicines for anxiety, let's look at some of the best herbs out there to use in your daily life to help fight that anxiety.

Ashwagandha

This herb is one that has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries. But over the last few years, it has seen a resurgence in the Western world. This herb is an apoptogenic herb that interacts with your body's cortisol and adrenaline levels.

It decreases these hormones in your body, which means that your body begins to come down out of your body's trauma response mode, and this reduces your anxiety.
When it comes to the best way to use this herb, you should either choose a supplement or a tea.

Kava

This herb is highly potent and should only be taken as needed. The plant itself comes from the South Pacific, and all that is used to treat anxiety is the root itself. This herb for anxiety actually does its job by relaxing the muscles of your body and has no interaction at all with your mind. But tense muscles can agitate anxiety that is already present, making it worse.

The good thing about the fact it doesn’t have any interaction with your mind is that you will feel the release of tension and yet still have all the focus you need to go on with your day.
This should be used as a tincture and mixed with water.

Chamomile

Maybe one of the most familiar herbs that people think about when it comes to relaxation and the reduction of anxiety is chamomile. This flower is riddled with apigenin. This is a flavonoid that is one of the most potent calming compounds around.

This herb can be used for mild anxiety and is often found in tea form, though you can also find essential oils as well as supplements. It is always a great herb to add to a nighttime tea mixture to help you get to sleep fast and have a good night’s sleep.

Passionflower

Sleep is important to be able to get through your day with less anxiety and stress. So it makes sense that an herb that can help you get good sleep is one that should be on a list of the best herbal medicines for anxiety.

Passionflower is chock full of flavonoids and alkaloids that tackle GABA and help reduce your body’s alarm systems reactions to the day.
This herb is best used as either a tincture mixed with water or as part of a tea mixture, and should be used before bed.

Lavender

From culinary to being one of the best herbal medicines for anxiety, Lavender has a plethora of uses. The flower has been shown to affect the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is directly responsible for systems that are naturally tied to anxiety; this includes heart rate and hormone secretion.

Because of its effect on these systems, the herb can be used to reduce your anxiety by telling these systems that they need to calm down. Most often you will find lavender in either essential oil form or tea.

Final Thoughts

Every one of us has to deal with anxiety and stress, but there are things that we can do that are simple and not harsh on our delicate systems. The truth is, many traditional physicians are also suggesting these remedies as alternatives to the standard prescribed medication used to combat anxiety.

We hope this look at the best herbal medicines for anxiety has answered some of your questions and has given you a good start to your use of herbs for anxiety. These are just a few herbs that can be used to help with your anxiety, but they may well be the best options.