Keep Calm & Drink Tea

We are living in anxious times - politically, socially, environmentally, climactically.  Frightening upsetting things are happing all over the world, and it is getting to people.  The anxiety of our age seeps in, making a person irritable, nervous, and restless.  Difficulty sleeping as also very common. But, there are herbs to help even with our Interesting Times. 

It’s cliche, but nice cup of chamomile tea, make from the actual flowers not a store bought teabag full of dust, can do wonders for a tense mood.  It relaxes and cheers the mind, eases tension in the gut, relaxes the body’s muscles, calms irritability, prepares the mind and body for sleep, and relieves inflammation, which in turn reduces aches and pains related to physical and mental tension.  And it gives the plant equivalent of comforting hugs to upset, overwrought, over tired, sick, and uncomfortable children.  Should the world degenerate into a Mad Max type scenario, Chamomile is one to have with you.  Chamomile can be taken in tea or tincture.

For relaxing tense muscles, calming anxiety, and bringing sleep, Valerian its your friend.  It’s distinctive smell - earthy, fruity, woody, wild - is well known, and somewhat divisive.  I like it; some people don’t.  But, regardless of how you feel about smell, there is not denying the plant’s usefulness for adults and children alike.  And, being an antispasmodic, it is great for anxiety accompanied by a lot of physical tension.  It can be taken in tea, tincture, and even capsules. 

For a restless, fevered mind, Limeflower is a wonderfully soothing, calming, slowing remedy.  It helps also to lower blood pressure and cool indigestion.  Lime trees will soon be flowering, and you can often find them in parks and gardens just by the hum of delighted insects feasting in the flowers.  A nice hot cup of lime flower tea is perfect for helping you sit and look out the window and watch the birds or flowers or sunset, or you need to settle your mind before bed.  Limeflower can be taken in tea or tincture.

One of my favourite herbs for anxiety and worry, especially when there are headaches, is Wood Betony.  It is soothing, and calming, clears the head, and allows reasonable consideration of the situation.  People who are prone to migraines sometimes find that Betony reduces the frequency and or severity of that kind of headache.  Betony brings an easy, focused calm most welcome at the moment.  It can be taken in tea or tincture.

Keep calm, have a cup of tea, and carry on.