9 Herbs for Calming Nerves and Easing Anxiety

Consuming passionflower is recommended to relieve neck pain. This herb is also helpful for alleviating headaches and menstrual cramps. Ginseng helps balance the yin and yang within your body.

In this day and age, it’s easy to “lose your mind” with all the problems, obligations, stress, pressure from work, competition, and stimuli every second of the day. While it might sound ideal to escape to the countryside and leave work behind, that’s not possible for most people nowadays. But there are some great herbs for calming your nerves and easing anxiety. Find out which are the best in today’s article!

Plants with soothing properties for nerves and anxiety

People feel anxious or nervous for all kinds of reasons, but they can have terrible effects on the body. Maybe you’ve changed jobs, are about to get married, have an upcoming date with someone you really like, are having a conflict at work, are starting your own business, or have a hard exam coming up.

In all of these cases (and plenty of other ones, too) mother nature can help you. Here are some herbs known for calming nerves and easing anxiety

Passionflower, a great herb for calming nerves and easing anxiety

Passionflower directly targets the central nervous system, while also relaxing the body’s muscles. When you consume passionflower, it helps alleviate nerve-related pain, like back pain caused by poor posture.

This herb is also good for headaches and menstrual cramps. You can buy passionflower extract in health food stores or diet stores, and add a few drops to a glass of water, a cup of tea, or fresh orange juice.

Ginseng

According to traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng can help balance the yin and yang in the body. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t produce nervousness or excitement. It’s actually the opposite: it animates people dealing with depression, sadness, or chronic fatigue.

At the same time, it has a sedative effect on people with a lot of stress or anxiety. It’s best to consume ginseng extract made with alcohol and water: dilute a few drops in a glass of water, juice, or tea.

Verbena

Verbena flower has tons of properties. It relaxes the body and treats problems related to stress, nerves, anxiety, and insomnia. Some people use it for its digestive properties, because it reduces gas and relieves colic (it’s antispasmodic).

You can choose fresh flowers and leaves to add to various dishes, or even as flavoring for various juices and lemonades. Or, if you buy dried leaves, have them as a tea (add a handful of leaves to a cup of boiling water). You can also combine verbena with valerian, chamomile, or mint.

St. John’s wort

This plant provides many nutrients, like flavonoids. The most important of them is hypericin, which inhibits an enzyme known as dopamine. That inhibiting causes you to be in a better mood. It also decreases the body’s production of adrenaline, making it an excellent choice for fighting anxiety, nervousness, and depression.

You can buy St. John’s wort as an essential oil, which you massage into the skin in circular motions. But always remember to mix it with a little almond or olive oil.

You can also get its benefits through aromatherapy. You heat a few drops of essential oil in an appropriate container on your stovetop or burner and inhale the steam. Some people drink hypericin tea, steeping a few leaves of this plant in a cup of water (just don’t go past three cups per day).

Valerian

Valerian is one of the best-known herbs for calming nerves and easing anxiety. The flowers from this plant are good for reducing stress, because they have calming effects. They promote good sleep and a feeling of restfulness. Valerian is also great for reducing menstrual cramps. Prepare a tea using one handful of dried valerian root per liter of boiling water. Drink up to three cups per day.

Basil

Not many people know about the soothing powers of this herb, which is widely used in cooking for its signature aroma and flavor. It also has digestive properties, so drinking basil tea is an excellent way to improve digestion, especially after a large meal at lunch or dinner. Basil relaxes the nervous system and helps you rest better. It’s ideal for relieving the symptoms of what’s known as a “nervous stomach.”

Lemongrass

This is the quintessential grass, recommended for people who deal with anxiety, nervousness, or stress. Lemongrass tea is excellent for helping you sleep well, feeling more relaxed, and avoiding insomnia. If you don’t like the flavor, you can prepare a tea using a tablespoon of dried lemongrass and another tablespoon of one of the following three herbs: chamomile, valerian root, or verbena.

White hawthorn

This flower has numerous properties, but what really makes it stand out is its ability to improve and prevent heart disease. It helps reduce high blood pressure and improve circulation by getting the heart to pump harder. It has sedative effects on the sympathetic nervous system and is given to patients with mild cases of anxiety or nervousness. You can take hawthorn extract in juices, water, or tea.

Lemon balm

It has strong relaxing properties and is used to combat stress, anxiety, and insomnia. It also has antispasmodic effects, so it’s great for people who engage in a lot of sports or physical activities. As if that weren’t enough, lemon balm is also a good way to alleviate stomach cramps.