7 Medicinal Herbs That Will Calm Your Anxiety ...

Most people associate hops with beer; however, hops are just one of several medicinal herbs to calm your anxiety. Hops are pale green, cone-like fruits that have a very strong sedating effect. If anxiety is keeping you up at night, drinking tea made with hops can really help your insomnia. All you have to do is steep 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of water for 5 to 7 minutes. Drink it half an hour before you go to bed for a restful night’s sleep.

Kava is a bitter herb that grows in Pacific islands, where it was traditionally used to relieve nervous tension. Now, herbalists use kava as an alternative to anti anxiety medications because clinical trials have shown it to be as powerful as some prescriptions. To use kava to calm your anxiety, you need to simmer 1 teaspoon of the herb in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes. Because kava is so powerful, you only need to drink one cup a day.

Lemon balm is one of the most fragrant medicinal herbs that calm anxiety. It has a minty, lemon scent, and it is an effective treatment. In fact, European authorities have approved lemon balm to be used for anxiety and poor sleep. To make lemon balm tea for your anxiety, steep 1 teaspoon of dried leaves in 1 cup of boiling water.

Passion flower was used in the mid-1800s by doctors in North America to treat insomnia and anxiety, and it is still used today. If you would like to try using passion flower, you need to steep 1 teaspoon of passion flower in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Be aware, passion flower can cause drowsiness and dizziness, and it is not recommended for pregnant women.

Skullcap is another herb used for anxiety. It is a member of the mint family, and it has been used to ease anxiety as a folk medicine in North America for many years. It is a mild relaxant that also eases muscle tension and promotes sleep. To make skullcap tea, steep 1 tablespoon in 1 cup of hot water.

St. John’s Wort is a popular herbal remedy for depression, but it is also effective for nervous anxiety. Interestingly, one study that used St. John’s Wort demonstrated a 50 percent reduction in anxiety related to PMS. To use St. John’s Wort, steep 1 teaspoon of the herb in 1 cup of water for 5 to 10 minutes.

Valerian is a widely used sedative in Europe. It decreases anxiety and helps promote sleep. It is particularly useful for lulling an anxious person to sleep. Because valerian does have strong sedative properties it is best to take it before you go to bed. Steep 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of boiling water for a nice relaxing tea.

Anxiety is something almost everyone experiences at some point. When you do get anxious, it can be quite miserable. However, you are not stuck being anxious, you just need to use one of these herbal remedies. Which herbal remedy do you think you will use?

Johnson, Rebecca L., Steven Foster, Tieraona Low Dog, and David Kiefer. National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2012. Print.