38 Herbs to Help With Stress and Anxiety This Holiday Season

“If you think you are enlightened, go and spend a week with your family.” 

Oh, Ram Dass, those are the truest words you’ve ever spoken. 

Chances are you know what he means. As the holiday season approaches, we’re faced with the reality of spending time with family members and old friends. No matter how positive your relationship might be with your family, this can still be triggering. 

With one wrong word, we can instantly drop into old patterns that we’ve worked months or years to reverse. That’s SO frustrating. And I don’t know about you, but the mere idea of getting triggered totally gives me anxiety. 

I know. Worrying about what hasn’t happened yet means that you’re stressed about it twice. It’s a damn fool’s errand. Nevertheless, it is my truth. 

Beyond normal ol’ family stuff, this time of year can be a lot. We’re stressed in every which way: 

• Work deadlines and end-of-year measurements can bear down on us, which mean longer work hours and less restful sleep 

• Holiday season parties and outings throw off our usual sleep routines, dietary regimens, and self-care time, crowding out the pillars in our schedule that keep us healthy mentally and physically 

• Eating and drinking foods you might normally avoid can mess with your digestion and leave you feeling unlike yourself (or even inflamed and sick, depending on your constitution) 

• Spending money on travel, gifts, and more can be challenging for anyone with a complex relationship to money 

• Travel taxes our immune systems and our mental patience 

There’s a lot you can do to combat stress. Meditate. Self-care. Exercise. See a therapist. Pull some tarot cards. Journal. 

And, of course, there are herbal allies who can help us stay on our A-game during any stressful season of life. 

Before You Start an Herbal Regimen… 

Lauren Haynes at Wooden Spoon Herbs is such a boss. In her workshop with Holisticism, “Herbal Allies for Stress and Anxiety,” she started with the basics: Herbs are powerful medicine. 

If you’re going to be choosing your own herbs instead of working with an herbalist, make sure you don’t have any contraindications or interactions to be aware of. Pre-existing medical conditions or current prescriptions can interact with certain herbs, so check out a reference guide like Stockley’s Herbal Medicine Interactions before you try anything out. For example, some with autoimmune diseases may have negative interactions with immune-boosting herbs. 

And remember, herbs are potent. They’re the original medicine, and what many modern pharmaceuticals are derived from! All plants should be respected for what they can do for us. 

Dial-In Your Health

Before you start mixing ashwagandha into every beverage you can get your hands on, take a look at your current nutrition. It’s important to establish a healthy baseline before you start throwing stuff on top of it. 

Lauren recommends taking a multivitamin, a fish oil, and a probiotic every day in order to get the most out of any herbal regimen. 

“There are tons of gaps in our micronutrient intake even when we eat a balanced diet that can be supported by taking a multivitamin regularly,” she taught us. 

Healthy fats are necessary for supporting brain health, and especially important for those dealing with anxiety or stress. Make sure the fish oil you take is from a brand that tests the mercury levels in every fish. (We like Nordic Naturals!) 

Your body will respond better to stress naturally if it’s at its peak. That means you’re giving yourself optimal nutrition and enough rest. No adaptogen or herb can undo a sleep deficit! 

Decide What You Need

Once you’ve got your nutrition on point *adds vitamins to cart* it’s time to decide what you’ll need. Basically, what flavor of existential dread are you ordering for dessert? 

Nervines

Do you feel overwhelmed and like your anxiety is all up in your head? Maybe you need a nervine to help support your nervous system and calm you down.

• Chamomile

• Motherwort

• Skullcap

• Lavender

• Milky Oats

• Oatstraw

• Lemon Balm

• Linden

• Catnip

• Hops

• Valerian

• Passionflower

• Hawthorn

• Mimosa

• St. John's Wort

• Blue Vervain

• Ginseng

Adaptogens 

Perhaps you feel like you’re all over the place, and want energy to get done whatever it is you need to do. In that case, an adaptogen might be more up your alley. Adaptogens are non-toxic, non-specific, and have a balancing effect, irrespective of the way that changes physiology.

• Ashwagandha

• Reishi

• Cordyceps

• Rhodiola

• American ginseng

• Asian ginseng

• Amla

• Dan Shen

• Eleuthero

• Guduchi

• He shou wu

• Holy Basil

• Jiaogulan

• Licorice

• Goji

• Prince Seng

• Rhaponticum

• Schisandra

• Shatavari

• Shilajit

• Codonopsis

Nootropics 

Or, maybe you realize that you just need a little extra mental boost in order to get through the holiday season. A nootropic might help you feel mentally clear and ready to do the work. 

• Brahmi

• Gotu kola

• Rosemary 

• Peppermint

• Lavender

Conclusion 

Herbs can be a godsend for your well-being — and adding them into your wellness routine can be enlightening and helpful. But starting with a clear baseline of healthy sleep and proper nutrition is paramount. So, before you go throwing supplements and loose leaf teas at the problem, make sure you’ve got the basics covered. Then, start experimenting with herbal allies that could work well for you.