Reducing Anxiety with Natural Remedies 

In observance of Mental Health Month, Naturna wants to address the one mental health condition that affects us all. Anxiety. 

Anxiety can be triggered by everyday life events, from our careers to home life. But quite often, especially for women, hormones shifts are the underlying issue of our anxiety troubles.  

At Naturna, we treat many conditions that result from anxiety. And in this post, we want to empower you to become more aware of what causes your anxiety and how to nip it in the bud before it flares up and results in worse—panic attacks, depression, increased blood pressure, gut issues, insomnia, and anxiety disorders.  

How Hormones Affect Your Anxiety

Because hormonal shifts spur our anxiety, the best way to reduce hormonal anxiety is to understand our menstrual cycle—namely, the follicular phase and luteal phase before and after our periods which cause PMS symptoms. 

For example, in the follicular phase, when you have low estrogen levels, most women experience PMS (irritability and fatigue). And for most women, the same is true during the luteal phase, when women experience high progesterone. 

However, beyond the normal anxiety levels of PMS, during the late luteal phase, some women may even experience PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), which causes more severe symptoms that can mimic mental illness. 

So being aware of your cycle can help you predict times you will feel anxious or  

Natural Remedies for Anxiety

To reduce your anxiety levels, we always recommend natural remedies. But if you are experiencing more severe symptoms, it’s a good idea to discuss it with your doctor. 

Get Outside

Vitamin D is essential for our health in many ways. And vitamin D is especially crucial for pregnant women. Whether it’s because you’ve just been working too hard and stuck in an office most the day or because of your diet, your Vitamin D could be quite low. And low levels of Vitamin D is known for inhibiting estrogen and is also linked to anxiety and even Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression.  

Eat Nutritious Foods

Brain health is important to combat anxiety, and certain nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids (salmon), Vitamin E (dark leafy greens), and magnesium (avocados and almonds) are ideal for improving brain function. 

Also replace refined sugars with treats like blueberries, an excellent source of Vitamin C and antioxidants! And avoid alcohol, as it depletes your B6 vitamins and nutrients.

Take Up Yoga and Meditation

Yoga can calm the nerves and allow one to feel centered without doing strenuous exercise or over-exercising, which impacts your cortisol and progesterone levels, adding to the hormonal imbalance. 

Numerous studies, like that in the Jama Internal Medicine, also show that meditation can improve anxiety and depression levels. It can wash away daily troubles and quiet the mind of our ever-growing To-Do lists.

Schedule Acupuncture

Reducing anxiety is just one of the many benefits of acupuncture! By moderating the release of neurotransmitters and the stress hormone Cortisol, acupuncture can truly ease our anxiety levels. And because insomnia can cause anxiety, acupuncture is here to help our sleep patterns as well. 

Additionally, if you are on antidepressants like an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) for something like PMDD, studies show that acupuncture may help some reduce their dosage.

Naturna can help reduce your anxiety in many ways, from directing you toward the right lifestyle choices to providing tinctures and supplements to get your body’s nutrient back on track. 

Schedule an appointment with one of our physicians today!    

References:

Studd, J. (2012). Severe premenstrual syndrome and bipolar disorder: a tragic confusion. Menopause International, 18(2), 82–86. https://doi.org/10.1258/mi.2012.012018

Özdemir, A., Ercan Gündemir, Y., Küçük, M., Yıldıran Sarıcı, D., Elgörmüş, Y., Çağ, Y., & Bilek, G. (2018). Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Women and Their Infants. Journal Of Clinical Research In Pediatric Endocrinology, 10(1), 44-50. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.4706

Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018