Anxiety 2020 Style

Anxiety and 2020

I had a little cry this morning after an hour of feeling crazy. If you know me, you know this is not how I usually roll. But between being in a Covid-19 bubble with two cats and a robot vacuum without touching another person for months and the most important election of my lifetime X 1000 next week, I am kind of a mess. I wish I could even say a hot mess, but I am just not feeling it.

Lemon balm has been my go-to since lockdown. Peter Cairns, the world’s best yoga coach for the hypermobile, had given me a lemon balm tincture he made just before Covid hit. As soon as spring warmed, I planted several patches of lemon balm and made a tincture with brandy, which I am using now. And drinking the tea every single night so I can sleep.

I was also thrilled when October came and Minnesota went cloudy so I could start to take St. John’s Wort again, as it makes me really sensitive to the sun and so I don’t take it in the summer. My personal experience is that it takes a while to kick in but always lifts my mood and increases my capacity to cope.

This morning I had to turn off the news, turn on the music and drink some kava kava tea. I had to take a long walk outside – twice. I had to go to my video dance lesson even though I didn’t feel like it. I ate some dark chocolate and a had a glass of red wine with dinner. Just as it is tough in the outer world now, it is tough on our inner worlds too.

This is an unusual and difficult time. We need all the support we can get. Buy some chamomile and or lavender tea and drink it daily with honey, as it can help calm you down. Buy some lemon balm tea or a tincture and take it. If you are really stressed, try some Kava tea. Of course I want you to shop local, but all are available on Amazon too. Herbs don’t work like drugs. You will not feel like you are taking Xanax. You may need to try a few different ones to find what works. Plant healing is individual, gentle and supportive.

If you want to talk about plants that may help you, contact me.

This information is not intended to take the place of personalized medical counseling, diagnosis and/or treatment by a trained physician. Herbs and other botanicals are presently classified by the Food and Drug Administration as foods, not as medicines.