Self-care: Herbs for Anxiety 🌿

[BryWisteria]

Warm greetings to all!

There is so much going on in the world right now. It is understandable that many of us and our loved ones are experiencing turbulent emotions.

While current situations and events around the world may press down on us and at times seem overwhelming, there are ways within your magickal practice that you can draw on to help find comfort and relief.

For anyone suffering from stress or anxiety, here are some beginner-friendly medicinal herbs to bring some relief and comfort in troubled times.

Medicinal Herbs for Anxiety

Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla, commonly known as chamomile, is a gentle and soothing herb most commonly found dried for use as tea. Chamomile has medicinal properties that help to ease and soothe emotions and assist with relaxation. Chamomile extract is a great addition to ritual baths or skincare products, as it is very gentle and healing on the skin .
Aside from its worldwide popularity as an herbal tea, dried or fresh chamomile flowers can also be added to cooking. The Green Witch on YouTube has a delightful recipe for Magick Chamomile Sweet Rolls that include an Anti-Anxiety spell.

Lavender
Lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia being the most common variety) is one of the most well-known herbs and offers a host of medicinal benefits. It comes in various varieties (think: English Lavender and French Lavender), with certain versions more adapted to cooking and other types more suitable for oil extraction. Lavender has traditionally been used as a calming and serene herb, and is known to improve sleep quality .
Lavender can be taken internally in teas, tinctures, or with flowers added to cakes and sweets. It is very popular as an essential oil, and dried flowers can be gathered into bedside sachets to ease sleep. Lavender extract can be applied to injuries externally to improve healing and reduce scarring. Plentiful Earth has a lovely Tea Spell to ease anxiety that uses the properties of lavender flower buds.

Lemon Balm
Also known as Melissa officinalis, Lemon Balm is a bright green and cheery member of the mint family that can be used to boost levels of happiness. Lemon Balm can combat the Winter Blues and bring uplifted spirits in dark times .
Lemon Balm can be taken as a tea or tincture, and fresh leaves can be added to water, lemonade, or even cocktail drinks. Magickal Ingredients discusses Lemon Balm Magick and suggests uses Lemon Balm in a healing ritual bath.

Chamomile, Lavender, and Lemon Balm have been used in medicinal herbalism for many years- they are usually easy to grow (depending on your location) or to find in stores as plants, dried, or in supplements. As with all medicines, it never hurts to do research and consider checking with your doctor to make sure an herb is the right choice for you and your unique body.

Have you used any of these herbs before?

• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm

Chamomile, Lavender and Lemon Balm are just a few of many herbs that can be used to treat anxiety and stress. Do you have a favorite herb for healing? Perhaps some recipes, blends, or spells that you use these herbs for?

Please feel free to share your herbal experiences and recommendations for easing stress and anxiety here!

May you all be well and healthy, and may your be path be free from strife, stress, and suffering!

[christine4]

Thank you for sharing! Times are certainly turbulent right now, and it’s important to take some time for yourself, be it with a nice tea or a warm bath

@BryWisteria

The Green Witch on YouTube has a delightful recipe for Magick Chamomile Sweet Rolls that include an Anti-Anxiety spell.

That looks delicious, I definitely have to try it! Have you made those sweet rolls before? I love Chamomile tea, but it never occurred to me to use it in baking as well

@BryWisteria

Lemon Balm can combat the Winter Blues and bring uplifted spirits in dark times .

I have some Lemon Balm candles, they have a very soothing and comforting smell! And they’re yellow, so they fit right in during Litha

@BryWisteria

Please feel free to share your herbal experiences and recommendations for easing stress and anxiety here!

Personally, I like to take my Bloodstone with me whenever I feel anxious or stressed about something. I feel like it really grounds me and helps me to trust that I will be fine whatever happens

[BryWisteria]

@christine4

Have you made those sweet rolls before? I love Chamomile tea, but it never occurred to me to use it in baking as well

My current apartment doesn’t have an oven (a tragedy!), so unfortunately all my baked goodies have to come from the bakery for the time being- but I’m hoping my next place will have an oven so I can experiment with more baked herbal goodies! . For now, I have my good old chamomile tea and then I take the leftover herbs to use as a facial cleanser (it works wonders for inflammation and acne on my skin). The flowers are also wonderful in a soothing bath!

@christine4

I have some Lemon Balm candles, they have a very soothing and comforting smell! And they’re yellow, so they fit right in during Litha

Lemon Balm candles!!! Ohh, what a great idea! And yes, they are perfect for Litha! How do they smell? Do they have that wonderful minty goodness?

@christine4

I like to take my Bloodstone with me whenever I feel anxious or stressed about something. I feel like it really grounds me and helps me to trust that I will be fine whatever happens

That’s lovely, @christine4, thank you for sharing! I’ve never worked with a Bloodstone before- I usually turn to Aquamarine or Lepidolite for crystal help with lessening anxiety and stress. Bloodstone sounds very interesting! I’ll have to keep an eye out, and will hopefully add a Bloodstone to my collection

[christine4]

@BryWisteria

I take the leftover herbs to use as a facial cleanser

Oh that’s such a good idea! Do you mix the leftover herbs with anything before applying to your face?

@BryWisteria

How do they smell?

They smell like a mixture of Lemon, Mint, and Cream

[roxanne]

The one not listed that I like best is fresh mint…

[BryWisteria]

@christine4

Oh that’s such a good idea! Do you mix the leftover herbs with anything before applying to your face?

I tend to be very lazy when I do this- once my cup is empty, I take out the tea bag and dab it around my face. I don’t even get up from the couch! I’ve tried taking out the leaves and applying them like a mask, but it’s terribly messy and then there are chamomile bits all over everything . Keeping them in the bag certainly isn’t as luxorious, but it gets the same effect and can be done quickly!

@christine4

They smell like a mixture of Lemon, Mint, and Cream

Ohhhhh what an amazing smell! I feel like these three ingredients could be combined to make an absolutely delicious (and herbally beneficial!) cookie or cake too

@roxanne

The one not listed that I like best is fresh mint…

Ahhh yes, fresh mint! Also a wonderful and extremely versatile medicinal herb. I know it’s delicious in tea and drinks like water and lemonade- how do you usually use your mint, @roxanne?

[christine4]

@BryWisteria

I tend to be very lazy when I do this- once my cup is empty, I take out the tea bag and dab it around my face.

That’s amazing I have to try that! It certainly makes the clean up much easier than if you had the loose tea on your face

[Janae_Rochele]

I am currently (for the first time ever) growing my own herbs and Lavender is one of them! I never knew it was helpful for anxiety though. That is definitely a bonus factor in my new gardening experience!!! I have severe anxiety, I didn’t always have it either. Life happened, things happened, stress happens. Ultimately, finding this website has helped me overcome a little bit of my anxiety. Finding forum posts like this, helps me even more just by finding something else that will help with my anxiety! I love it!!!

I’ll come back at another time and update on my lavender growth and experience with anxiety!!!

[BryWisteria]

Congrats on your new lavender, @Janae_Rochele! Lavender is an absolute gift when it comes to helping to relax and destress. We actually just got a bundle of lavender buds in a pouch from a French store we came across the other day- the little sachet smells so good! I keep it next to my pillow and it helps me go quickly to sleep

Yes, absolutely- please feel free to share updates as it grows. I hope it becomes a very soothing companion for you!

[Janae_Rochele]

@BryWisteria Thank you! I am really hoping this goes as planned!! Oh I bet that’s nice coming from a French store. I’m so jealous. I do not have much around where I live (at least what I know of LOL). But I will for sure update everyone eventually on how these herbs grow for me. I really enjoy the connection I’m having with them! Thanks again!

[Kasandra]

Chamomile is one of my favorite herbs. Didn’t know that lemon balm is great for anxiety too.

[BryWisteria]

@Janae_Rochele You’re very welcome and hooray! Looking forward to hearing your garden updates- enjoy your herbs!

@Kasandra If you’re a fan of chamomile, I think you’ll enjoy lemon balm too! While they have different tastes, some of the properties align well. On particularly tough days I start with a cup of chamomile and then follow it with a chaser cup of melissa Chamomile heals the body and melissa soothes the mind- they’ve really both worked wonders for me!

[Cynnie_GC]

Where do you obtain your herbs? Grocery store? Amazon? I wish I can grow my own but weather is too harsh where I live and I don’t have the time to care for them.

[Nhaama]

I like to buy mine at Walmart, at the local farmer’s market, or online at Etsy

[Mystique]

I order most of mine off Amazon. I do find some at the grocery store.

[BryWisteria]

@Cynnie_GC

Where do you obtain your herbs?

It’s summer now, so most the herbs/plants I’m using are from the garden. I’m trying to be better about drying and storing them for winter use. For plants I wanted but didn’t have, I’ve bought some at local nurseries or ordered seeds online (my last batch came from Seed Geeks on Etsy - they were great!).

In terms of dried herbs/plants, I would first check with a local apothecary or herbalist - they have lots of connections and can get you herbs in small amounts or bulk quantities.

I’d also check your local supermarket - the baking aisle and spice racks are a witch’s wonderland! Lots of great herbs and spices there ready to be used

Nhaama and Mystique have great suggestions too, and I remember there were a few additional suggestions and links here in this thread: Herbs and where to buy

I hope you’re able to find some suppliers for the herbs you’re looking for, @Cynnie_GC!

[Cynnie_GC]

Thank you for all the information! I just ordered from Esty since there are a lot of small businesses and self made items there and I enjoy supporting those kind of shops. I’ll have to do some searching! 🜄🜃

[Artemisia]

You’ve already received great answers but I’m throwing in my $.02 as well.

I get a lot of my herbs from the local Asian/ethnic food markets as they are often cheaper than the grocery. I always look at the discounted herbs when I see them at the grocery tho! I order most of my harder-to-find herbs online from a company in NC to support a local business.

[Mattie_Nox]

I tend to have some pretty bad anxiety problems and have used all three of these to relax but lavender is my absolute favorite and probably the herb that I have the most of stocked in my own home. While on vacation in Cape Cod we went to a lavender farm and I purchased several products with lavender in it including a good sized bag of some.

Also if you haven’t had lavender in your food you are missing out.

[mary25]

I have had good results with Tulsi (holy basil) tea and also sandalwood incense and candles. I use a lavender oil roller called “chill pill” from Aura Cacia and apply it to my wrists. I also use the lavender spray if I have to handle something stressful at my desk. I’m going to try Lemon Balm and see if that helps.