6 Natural Remedies for Anxiety – Mom Edition

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The google machine told me that more than 30% of adults have some type of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can manifest in different ways for different people. I experience tightness in my chest, shallow breathing, a cold sensation all over my whole body, and irritability. Other people may experience restlessness, headaches, anger, sweating, fatigue, nausea, shaking, or inability to focus. This is a very real, very uncomfortable condition.

Due to the horror movie of real life the past few years, I felt this was something that I would like to have up on my blog… to address that you are not isolated or alone if you experience anxiety. In fact, you are in good company. Women, as reported by this study, experience anxiety twice as high as men do. I accept this, but I challenge it also. We live in a society where men are not allowed to fully express the full range of natural emotional responses to life circumstances, and therefore I think it is highly likely that they underreport their experience of anxiety.

As a parent and woman, I have found it critically important to manage my anxiety as best I can for my own mental health and to maintain a calm and a harmonious atmosphere in my home. I look forward to having more babies in the future, and I can only imagine that will cause greater anxiety juggling multiple kids. I also work outside of the home, just started my own business from within the home, and here I am running a blog as well. It’s likely best for me to get a handle on this now.

Here are 6 natural remedies for anxiety that I personally practice, and that I also recommend for patients and friends.

Eat Better

The practice of nourishing your body with real, whole foods is one of my top natural remedies for anxiety.

The process of shopping for, preparing, and eating healthy and satisfying foods is a radical practice of self-care.

With a fast food joint within rock throwing distance at almost every place in town and the constant saturation of food marketing and advertisements, it takes a strong will to remain committed to eating home-cooked meals. But, let me rephrase this idea for you. Many of us can relate to the smell of mom’s favorite dish baking in the oven of a warm home and a safe place to rest in anticipation of dinner. Maybe you relate better to going to a friend’s house and enjoying dinner with their family or the smell of freshly baked cookies after school.

Our emotional system is very closely tied to our mental health. Part of feeling hungry and malnourished is irritability and abdominal discomfort which may cause anxiety if those are the type of symptoms that manifest for you. This is our body communicating with us that it needs something, and it will continue to prod you to ease the discomfort by having a snack or a meal. Be intentional when you eat, and aim for nutrient-rich foods. Here is a list below to give you an idea about what I mean.

• Eat protein with fat. Like, a fruit smoothie with almond butter and protein powder. Or, baked tofu with veggies and sliced avocado on the side.
• Avoid sugar. Sugar may actually worsen your anxiety symptoms.
• Eat veggies every day. I love to keep a stock of organic, frozen vegetables on hand. They are super simple to toss in the oven and roast or even into the air fryer to crisp them up quickly without frying.
• Eat fruits every day. Eating fruits daily is more important than people realize. FRUIT. IS. GOOD. FOR YOU. Those who eat fruit every day have a longer life expectancy and are actively nourishing their bodies with antioxidant-rich foods that boosts their immunity, energy levels, and other health benefits. Make a fruit smoothie, grab an apple, pack fresh fruit every day in your lunch.
• Carbs are your friend. Carbs give you energy and keep you feeling satisfied as well. You might try eating oatmeal for breakfast or incorporating quinoa or whole-grain brown rice into your dinner. Carbs will help you feel full, and give you the boost you need to improve your mood and manage anxiety.

Try Terpenes

I know, what are terpenes!? Terpenes are the compounds found in plants that give them aromatic qualities. Basically, it’s what makes plant smells good. Just recently, Q Sciences became the first company to isolate and market terpenes as a product which can provide stress relief, features antioxidant properties, and boosts your mood.

Are you a parent? Are you ready to sign up with just that info? Find your chill by trying a dropper of terpenes 1-2 times daily.

Terpenes are known for their prevalence in CBD plants, however Q Sciences has formulated a blend of terpenes that promotes the benefits just described without hemp or CBD. They offer 2 types. One is called CHILL for mood boosting, stress relief, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The other type is called COMFORT for relief of aches and pains, mood boosting, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Shop terpenes with me here and their other health-promoting supplements!

Meditation

It’s not woo-woo voodoo stuff, it’s meditation. Meditation always helps me calm my racing thoughts, clear my head, and calm my body. 5 minutes, that’s all I require of myself and that’s usually where I tell people to start. This is how you do it:

• Find a quiet space for yourself, preferably outside in the grass in direct sunlight. Bare feet.
• Bring your phone, but put it on silent. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
• Sit criss cross applesauce, and either close your eyes or gently rest your eyes on a target in front of you.
• Focus your mind on your breath. Notice the sound of your breath, the rhythm, and the way your body rises and falls with each inhale and exhale.
• When thoughts enter your mind, acknowledge them and then let them go. Your thoughts are like cars passing each other on the highway. Wave hi, and then let them pass you by.
• Continue focusing on your breath until the timer goes off.

You see, meditation is a practice of focus. Meditation trains your brain to focus on one thing at a time with whole-body awareness.

A convenient result of this practice is often relaxation, calm, mental clarity, and focus that resonates through the remainder of your day. This is one of my favorite ways to acknowledge and then release my own anxiety.

Exercise

This is not a fitness page, and I am not the most ripped person you’ve ever seen. However, I am a very active person. I enjoy spending time exercising in a variety of practices, not just going to the gym 5 days/week. Exercise offers a release of endorphins that can help calm your anxiety and promote a happier mood. You have probably experienced this for yourself. Most people will regret skipping that class or exercise opportunity but few people actually regret attending when they can muster the gusto to drag themselves there. We feel more energized, happier, and calmer after a good session of exercise. Getting outside for a hike, spending time in nature, and feeling sun on your face just might be exactly what you need to help manage your anxious symptoms.

Sometimes, in the evenings after Theo has gone to bed, I find myself craving a run. I’m not a runner, I can barely make it down my street without pausing and gasping for air. But sometimes I need that release of moving my body, feeling a lung burn, getting my heart rate up, and feeling that I’m alive. That I’m a person with the ability to run, jump, dance, and play on a whim. That is a gift, and one that none of us should forget about soon. Exercising, even for a few minutes every day, is listed here as one of the natural remedies for anxiety, because it just may help you better manage your anxious symptoms.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, exercise improves focus and attention, energy levels, cognition, and generally reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Take a Nap or Go to Bed Early

Sleep is critical for most of us to function optimally. Restful sleep impacts all of our bodily systems, and their abilities to work for us to process and support our daily lives. Eventually, as a parent, it comes down to prioritizing what is most important. While it may seem that running the vacuum during naptime may help calm your anxiety, you will likely feel just as tired afterwards.

Sometimes it’s okay to defer chores in favor of taking an afternoon nap with the kiddo or going to sleep early with a basket of laundry waiting to be folded. I’ve learned to let go of self-placed expectations of a perfectly clean house in favor of my own mental health. Afternoon naps, for me, are life-giving on days where I’m particularly tired. I have more energy to finish out the day, and I am not so bum tired in the evenings.

When I feel more rested, I feel less anxious.

It is very common for people who have anxiety to also have difficulty sleeping. Insomnia, racing thoughts, nightmares, and frequent night wakings came up regularly on my search to learn more about how sleep impacts anxiety. This article from Harvard Health offers ‘Tips for beating anxiety to get a better nights sleep.’

Research shows that more deep (restful) sleep that people achieve is associated with less anxious symptoms the following day. This is a tip that is powerful, because we all have control over when we go to bed at the very least. Unless you have kids. Then all bets are off. Nonetheless, sleeping more is listed as one of my natural remedies for anxiety because of the many health benefits you may experience with minimal side effects.

Diffuse Essential Oils

Aromatherapy has long been touted for its health benefits, and the body of research is growing to support aromatherapy as one of many natural remedies for anxiety. The business of essential oils has experienced a boom over the last 10 years, and you can now find essential oils on grocery shelves at most supermarkets. I would encourage you to purchase quality essential oils and warn you away from the knock-offs found at the grocery stores.

According to Healthline, there are many reasons why aromatherapy may work for anxiety. Perhaps the smell of diffused essential oils triggers a chemical response in the brain that changes your energy. Perhaps the smell receptors in your nose act on your nervous system. The research is still growing on this hot topic, but you can likely find many people in your circle who attest to feeling calmer and happier when using their essential oils.

A simple google search will produce many articles with various recommended oils to diffuse or apply topically to help with anxious symptoms. Based on personal preference to smell, I would encourage you to try some of the different options and see which you like best and which works best for you as well. Lavender is certainly one of our favorites in my household, for sleep and anxiety, but there may be others that you prefer more!

Summary

That’s all for today! I hope these 6 natural remedies for anxiety give you some ideas for how to manage your anxious symptoms as they affect you daily. Even if you don’t have anxiety often, these are healthy wellness routines with which to incorporate into your daily life to optimize your quality of life and find greater peace, focus, and calm.

Finally, check out my other post, Autumn Wellness Tips, for my top 10 tips for staying healthy and organized with the season change!