Let’s face it, we ALL get stressed out from time to time.
With today’s always on the go fast pace and our 24-hour news cycle it’s no wonder we feel frazzled every once in a while.
And it’s natural to slip into a state of mild shock when you get blindsided by some bad news.
We all react to stress a bit differently. Maybe you get sweaty palms. Or perhaps you suffer from panic attacks.
But if you’re prone to anxiety don’t fall into the trap of thinking prescription drugs are you’re only option. There are some effective natural approaches you can try before you decide to take a drug.
Millions of prescriptions are written every year for anxiolytic drugs including…
- alprazolam (Xanax),
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- and lorazepam (Ativan).
These drugs are all in the category of benzodiazepines, and they have severe withdrawal symptoms and some troubling potential side effects.
Calm down with these 5 natural stress relievers
If you’re dealing with anxiety you need relief NOW. Here are five drug-free tricks to help you calm down quickly:
1. Breathe:
You might think this is silly to list, but breathing is number one on my list for a good reason.
When you’re anxious, your breathing becomes shallow even if you don’t realize it. But consciously changing your breathing can help relieve anxiety fast.
When you’re feeling stressed, or experiencing anxiety, focus on your breathing. You should inhale longer than you exhale during times of stress.
Think about each breath, inhaling through your nose and holding it for a second or two, then exhaling slowly through your mouth.
Do it five times, preferably with your eyes closed since that instantly puts you into an alpha brain wave state.
2. Lavender:
They make pure lavender roll-ons, and if you can’t find that just keep a tiny bottle of the essential oil nearby, or in your purse.
Take a whiff and put some on your wrists and temples for immediate action.
You can use lavender to help you sleep too. And you can find commercial preparations of lavender tea as well.
3. Rescue Remedy:
Rescue Remedy is a combination of 5 flower extracts including Star of Bethlehem, which is known to help with trauma and shock.
You can carry the tiny bottle in your purse and put drops in your mouth (or in your water bottle) all day long if you want to relieve anxiety fast.
4. California Poppy Extract:
California Poppy Extract is a great herbal anxiolytic. It is also sometimes used to help kids with Attention Deficit, or bedwetting problems.
You’ll find California Poppy Extract, in dropper form at any health food store and online. One of the active compounds in the extract, Eschscholzia californica, has been shown to promote higher catecholamines in the brain, leading to a happier mood over time. Some versions can make you sleepy.
5. Magnesium:
Magnesium is a natural mineral that’s abundant in leafy greens and edible seaweeds. Numerous studies show a link between low magnesium and depression or anxiety.
Magnesium works pretty quickly, especially the magnesium “threonate” form which has been clinically shown to penetrate brain tissue quickly. A double-blind placebo-controlled study tested women with PMS-induced anxiety, mood swings and nervous tension.
The researchers combined 200 mg of magnesium with 50mg vitamin B6 and gave it to the women for one month. It helped some of the women, but not all.
Please make sure your physician approves of any supplements you want to try.
In addition to writing a syndicated column on health which reaches 20 million people each week, Suzy is the author of a number of books on natural health.
You may have seen Suzy on The Dr. OZ Show (6 different appearances), The View, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health and hundreds of morning shows. Quotes from Suzy, as well as her articles, have also appeared in major publications including Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, OK Magazine!, First for Women, Fitness, Natural Health and Better Homes & Garden and dozens more.
Read more from Suzy at suzyCohen.com
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What type of poppy is typically found the store?
For example, I thought all poppy seeds, like the one from Bob’s Red Mill, came from Afghan or Spain?
Hi Ben,
Thanks for your comment. The kind of poppy that Suzy is recommending here is specifically the North American California variety.
You will find extracts of this poppy online and in stores marked “California Poppy Extract.” You can try using Google to search the phrase to see some of your options.
— The Healthier Talk Team