ARE YOU OVERSTRESSED?

Sometimes you need help dealing with all the stress in your life! Let’s address your stress, and find ways to increase your energy.

WHY DO I FEEL BOTH TIRED AND WIRED?

Being tired, and yet “wired”, can feel like a never-ending cycle. You need coffee to get going in the morning, yet you can’t relax during the day, and you may have an even harder time winding down in the evening. Sound familiar? Read on!

Your adrenal glands deal with the stressors in your life by producing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. The adrenals can’t differentiate between a real threat or perceived stress. If you react, so will your adrenal glands! Thus it’s easy for them to get out of balance, which can lead to a decline in health and well-being- aka, tired and wired.

WHY CAN’T I FOCUS?

Lack of sleep and excessive stress may occasionally affect cognitive function and ability to focus. When a stressful event or input requires your attention, it is difficult to shift your focus away from that negative cue. If you’re under a lot of stress, you won’t have energy left for what you actually want to concentrate on, and will likely feel distracted.

Adapting to stress with herbal support

If you were to ask a handful of herbalists what their favorite classification of herbs is, I’d venture to guess you’d hear the phrase “adaptogens” come up more than once. The reason this class of herb is a common go-to can be boiled down to one word: stress.

When the body experiences stress (whether physical or mental), it diverts resources to the brain and skeletal muscles so we can flee whatever threat is being perceived. Depending on the severity, our heart-rate may increase, along with our blood pressure, our breathing speeds up, and digestion decreases. These can be life-saving measures in the face of a tiger, but do we really need to call in the cavalry because we missed a deadline at work?

What if instead, you had a resource that, over time, could help your body better adapt to stress, and respond more appropriately? Reserve the cavalry for when the tiger is real, and rely on other responses when that deadline approaches?

Adaptogens

This is where adaptogens come in. The term “adaptogen” defines herbs that help “protect the body against physical, mental, and emotional stress by strengthening the immune system”. Given the prevalence of stress in our modern society, you can see why adaptogenic herbs are so favored.

If the definition of “adaptogen” seemed a little vague to you, there’s a good reason: this term doesn’t describe a single family of plants, but instead a collection of actions a plant may have that results in strengthening of the body, and healthier stress response. Though it’s important to note: adaptogens can work in different ways. So it may be helpful to look at a few adaptogenic herbs to understand the unique attributes of each.

Ashwagandha

To me, ashwagandha is royalty in the world of adaptogens. Ashwagandha is a traditional ayurvedic herb that has been used for thousands of years to help us better adapt to the stressors of life. Ashwagandha is a multi-faceted herb, and rather than stimulating the body, it also has a calming effect, implied by the meaning of its Latin species name, somnifera, which means ‘to induce sleep,’ Ashwagandha is like a big hug when stress hits – strengthening and soothing!

Rhodiola

If Ashwagandha is known for strengthening and soothing, Rhodiola is its daytime counterpart – energizing and enhancing. As an adaptogen, it has been traditionally used to support strength and endurance, and modern herbalists typically suggest Rhodiola to “combat fatigue caused by stress and enhance work performance by increasing attention span and concentration”.

Holy Basil

You may have heard of Holy Basil before, perhaps by the name of Tulsi. Like Ashwagandha, Holy Basil is a traditional ayurvedic herb that has been revered for years for its gentle calming support. While it’s often taken as a tea, you can find it in stress-support formulas as well, that combine the benefits of a number of adaptogenic herbs.

If you’re intrigued by the notion of incorporating adaptogens into your day-to-day but are a tad unsure where to start?

It is no secret that modern-day life is rife with stress. While many of us have become experts at adapting to and performing under stressful conditions, the truth is that chronic stress takes its toll on all aspects of our health: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The Herbal Self-Care for Stress Management Course explores stress and its effects on wellbeing and then delves into the holistic approach to self-care for stress management. You’ll walk away with an understanding of the nutritional choices, lifestyle practices, and herbs that can transform your response to stress and enhance your wellbeing.

Ready to de-stress? Join us!