How to Manage Your Stress with Herbs & Crystals
In our modern culture, many of us experience a great deal of stress in our day-to-day lives. This includes everything from big events like moving or changing jobs to running late, meeting deadlines, sitting in traffic, etc. When our body registers stress of any kind whether it be a near-miss car accident or worry over finances, it reacts in exactly the same way. Essentially, stress hormones are released and our body focuses all of its energy on survival. Our heart beats faster, our breathing speeds up and all of our strength gets focused on our extremities. This is great if we need to run away from something dangerous or fight our way out of a survival situation, but it is meant to be a temporary situation. Our bodies are not designed to be under constant stress and high levels of these stress hormones over a prolonged period of time can have very detrimental effects on our body. Just to name a few, it can lower our brain function, cause digestive issues, increase our risk of heart attack/stroke, etc. This is why it's so important to make sure we are supporting our nervous system and managing our stress.
Herbal Support
A great way to support our nervous system is to drink nourishing tea throughout the day. It is easy and convenient - you can make a gallon or more at a time and fill up your bottle as you head out the door. Your brewed tea will stay good in the refrigerator for about a week. As an added bonus, every time you take a sip, you are reminding yourself to relax, slow down and stay in the present moment.
You can purchase a pre-made blend from a local herbalist (I have several to choose from if you are interested!) or you can even make your own! I don't recommend getting your tea from the grocery store as the teas you will find there have generally been stored in a warehouse and contain a lot or all powdered herbs. You usually get very low efficacy with those. Click here to explore our teas.
If you'd like to make your own, here is a super simple and easy recipe you can try. Just because it's simple and easy, don't be fooled! It's very nourishing to the nervous system and your body will thank you.
Chamomile & Lemon Balm Tea
1 tsp chamomile flower
1 tsp lemon balm
Boil 2 cups of water and remove from heat. Add herbs and steep 20+ minutes. Strain, add honey if desired, and enjoy!
Some other great herbs for nourishing your nervous system include lavender, oatstraw, and linden flower. These are just a few of them, but there are many, many more to choose from!
Crystal Support
Crystals are such a wonderful way to manage our energy and our stress. Some of my all-time favorites for keeping me feeling super Zen include Amazonite, Amethyst and Lepidolite. You can carry them in your pocket or bra or you can keep them around you wherever you spend the most time. I find it highly effective to wear them in jewelry as well. The more often you have them with you, the better. Here are some more details about the energy of each of these crystals:
Amazonite - Stone of truth, harmony, and a magnifier of intentions. It assists us in communicating our true feelings without over-emotionalism leading to inner and outer peace. Amazonite works through the throat chakra, so holding or wearing an amazonite while speaking your intentions out loud is very powerful. It assists us in identifying changes we can make to our communication/vocabulary to create a higher, more aligned reality.
Amethyst - Stone of spiritual protection and purification, aids in curbing overindulgence and overcoming addiction. Amethyst stimulates the third eye and crown chakras aiding in meditation and moving into states of higher consciousness. Clears one’s energy field of negative influences, promotes balance and overall well-being, and helps balance emotions.
Lepidolite - Extremely calming and soothing. Balances our emotions, calms the mind, aids in restful sleep, and helps us overcome stress, worry, fear, etc. Helps us overcome emotional and energetic traumas, and promotes a zen-like quality of consciousness where we can truly be present and appreciate our existence. Helps us perceive and release past emotional trauma we may not even be aware we are holding onto. Helps us overcome feelings of depression and brings balance to the physical body as well.
Other Things You Can Do
Meditation is highly beneficial to the nervous system. Even just 5 - 10 minutes each day will have a beneficial impact on your stress levels.
Grounding/Earthing - spend time outside with your bare feet on the ground as often as possible, preferably daily. If you can't walk or sit barefoot, put your hands on the bare ground, a tree or a plant. Skin contact with Mother Earth is highly beneficial to us and helps us come back into balance. Give it a try!
Mindfulness and Breath - when you feel yourself start to feel stressed out, take a moment and breathe. Just 30 seconds will work wonders! Remind yourself that all is well and come back to your center. Your body will thank you!
