You’re frustrated and distracted by your stress and anxiety.
Wouldn’t it be great..
If you didn’t have to worry your anxiety would get worse?
If you didn’t have to worry, that your children would get this?
If you didn’t have anxiety before your period, each and every month?
If you could sleep?
Picture this.
Knowing exactly how to soothe your anxiety so you can manage it every day. So you can sleep better and not worry so much.
Let me show you how I’ve overcome anxiety with holistic practices.
Approximately 6% of pregnant women and 10% of postpartum women develop anxiety. Sometimes they experience anxiety alone, and sometimes they experience it in addition to depression.
And… after a certain time, we no longer call it postpartum. We just say ” you have anxiety”.
Want to get started?
In this post, I’ll share how you can overcome postpartum anxiety with holistic practices; including herbal medicine.
So, what does postpartum anxiety feel like?
Postpartum anxiety feels like a cloud hanging over your head. There are waves of irritation and you may have a panic attack once in a while, due to this anxiety.
More commonly, moms may say they have …
constant worry about their children or others
they need to move or work and keep busy to avoid the anxiety
they may get sick more often
they also have PMS and PMS rage
they’re not mentally there and crave to be more present with their family
Why does postpartum anxiety happen?
Postpartum anxiety attacks
There could be many reasons postpartum anxiety happens. As a women’s herbal educator, I help moms identify why this is happening and how to fix it.
Here are some of the reasons postpartum anxiety happens:
Low vitamins; particularly Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin B12 & DHA
Lack of sleep
Inflammation in your gut; specifically gut dysbiosis ² Gut-brain axis
Your hormones. Are you in peri-menopause or have too much estrogen in your diet?
Your thyroid is off-hypo or hyperthyroid
Your nervous system is overreacting due to stress
Your body is not healed postpartum
Post-traumatic stress; unresolved anger from past events
Postpartum anxiety treatment natural
5 holistic practices to reduce postpartum anxiety
#1 Identify your triggers
When you’re “triggered” you’ll feel an intense overwhelming sensation take over your body.
You may sweat, shake, go numb, cry, or feel like you can’t breathe.
Sometimes you smell, hear, think, or see something that reminds you of a traumatic event – even if you don’t remember that traumatic event!
For example; when I hear ambulance sirens it reminds me of my husband’s death.
Your goal when triggered is to calm your nervous system.
#2 Tapping for anxiety relief
Have you heard of tapping yet?
This is an amazing practice to soothe your anxiety every day.
Have you ever wondered if you have anxiety because you are suppressing something? Something that you want to say something or do?
Do you feel like you’re always worried about the future?
Writing can help you release anxiety and overcome what is bothering you.
👉Action step: Begin writing. Write 100 things that you want right now. Write down 3 places you want to go. Write down what you want to do for work. Then write your perfect day out in complete detail.
It may seem silly, but when these dreams come true… you feel amazed.
Conclusion
Holistic practices can help soothe your nervous system and stop panic attacks. When you begin soothing your nervous system daily, you’ll notice your panic attacks decrease.
What has worked for you? I’d love to know. Comment below.
Everyone experiences anxiety at different points in life—stress, and worry are natural parts of being human.
But, the postpartum time can be really intense, as lack of sleep is typically the norm.
Even though it’s not unusual (anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. today), anxiety as a new mom can be isolating and hard to confront when it gets out of hand.
Raising twins and running a Pilates studio taught me the true meaning of anxiety and burnout when my twins were born. After months of sleep deprivation, I began studying to become a women’s herbal educator with Dr. Aviva Romm – hoping to get to the root of my struggle with anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
I quickly learned that nourishing my body with botanicals—specifically adaptogens and nervines— is key to keeping anxiety and burnout at bay.
Adaptogens are a category of herbs that help us “adapt around stress.” Their anti-fatigue effects make them particularly potent when you’re up against mental exhaustion, frequent illness, or chronic stress. {Read this post for more adaptogens while nursing: https://taragregorio.com/8-must-have-adaptogens-for-breastfeeding-moms/}
If you’re burning the candle at both ends, treating yourself with any of these seven herbs will help you feel relaxed, balanced, and healthy again:
1. Ashwagandha (withania somnifera)
This is the first adaptogen I turned to when I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and it’s still a personal favorite. Ashwagandha is “known to give you the strength and stamina of a stallion”, but still gentle enough for anyone coping with anxiety. When taken regularly, it can ease shot nerves and improve sleep.
Dosing:
Try 1-2 dropperfuls of the tincture inÂĽ cup of water 2-3 times per day, to reduce your stress and aid sleep. If it makes you too tired, consider just taking it at night
Traditionally, Ashwagandha was taken in a powder form with milk to aid in sleep
2. Reishi (ganoderma lucidum)
Do you find yourself getting sick before your period? or just run down altogether? Reishi can help.
One study shows that chronic stress can raise the risk of viral infections, eventually manifesting in full-blown illness. Try reishi if you’re under the weather frequently, or just feel stressed out and run down.
Taken regularly, reishi can reduce the likelihood that your stress will literally make you sick– so you can welcome your monthly period – rather than spending that time out of commission.
Reishi has an earthy taste and is now being added to coffees and teas!
Filled with vitamins and minerals, milky oat tops are a great herbal remedy that nourishes your nervous tissue and promotes relaxation.
Pairing milky oat tops with stinging nettles is a perfect combination to boost your daily energy without spiking stress or anxiety.
Keep in mind; due to cross-contamination, you may want to avoid milky oats if you have celiac disease.
👉My favorite way to enjoy milky oats is in a long decoction; like 8 hours long!
Combine equal parts of dried milky oat tops and stinging nettles.
Add 1 tablespoon of the blended herbs to 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and steep the herbs for 20 minutes to 8 hours for a medicinal infusion, then strain and add a little raw honey if desired.
Just one cup per day of this well-loved tea can reduce menstrual cramps, shift your mood, and ease digestion. Safe for children, our family enjoys a cup of chamomile tea most nights to reduce our collective stress.
Dosing:
Try this herbal tea blend
Blend dried chamomile, lemon balm, and milky oat tops together.
Then add 1 tablespoon of the mixed dried herbs to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Add honey for flavor and double-check the tea has cooled before serving to children.
You can also enjoy Chamomile as a tincture
5. Lemon Balm (melissa officinalis)
If you need a boost in your mood, skip chamomile and enjoy a cup of lemon balm tea. This delightful citrus-flavored tea is known as the “gladdening herb”.
As a nervine and mild anti-depressant, lemon balm promotes relaxation, and reduces nervous energy as well as colds, flu, and even the Epstein barre and the herpes virus breakouts!
Dosing:
To enjoy: Add 1 tablespoon of the dried herb to 1 cup of boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes. Add milk and honey for flavor.
Tincture: 20-30 drops, 2-3x day
6. Motherwort (leonurus cardiaca)
From motherhood to menopause, Motherwort is a true gift for women. It shouldn’t be used during pregnancy but should be your first go-to-herb after birth.
Motherwort’s calming qualities can help with everything from heart palpitations to extreme anxiety. Taking motherwort throughout the day can release tension and reduce panic attacks, and it’s a great solution for falling back to sleep if you wake up frequently during the night.
Motherwort has a bitter taste, so I find it’s best taken as a tincture. Follow the directions on the label for your dosing.
Dosing:
Motherwort tincture 20-30 drops, 2-3x day
7. Lavender (lavandula officinalis)
My favorite way to use lavender is as an essential oil.
Tap diluted lavender essential oil on your wrists or spray it in the air to soothe stress immediately. Lavender is known to help induce sleep, which makes it a perfect remedy for unwinding before bed.
Caution: Wipe off any essential oil before breastfeeding infants, so they don’t inhale the strong oil and never put in a diffuser with children under three months
Dosing:
Essential oil. To enjoy: Dilute the lavender essential oil with water and add to your body products, spray on your pillow, or tap on your wrists as an organic, soothing perfume.
Tincture: 5-10 drops in a blended formula as it’s a very strong tincture
Tea: Purchase a tea blend with a small amount of lavender in it
Conclusion
Adaptogens and nervines together can help soothe the daily stressors of motherhood and reduce anxiety and panic attacks when taken regularly. All of these remedies are safe while breastfeeding.
xo~ Tara
P.S. Worried about using herbs while breastfeeding?
Obsessed with natural remedies, Tara Gregorio is a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator located in Cold Spring, NY. She loves helping women reduce their medications with botanicals. Her favorite herbal recipes can be found on Pinterest and Instagram.
-Hales; Medications and Mother’s Milk: https://amzn.to/35XZFq5 -American Herbal Products Associations; Botanical safety handbook -Bone & Mills: Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy -Aviva Romm: Botanical Medicine of Women’s Health Brinker, Francis: Herbal Contraindications and drug interactions
This was the first shift I ever experienced. This meditation is included in her online membership or you can pay $4 for this transformation. Practice it daily when you want to complete a ‘necessary ending’, something that is not serving you.
#2 Manifesting Meditation
#3 Mary Kate is my go-to girl for removing any money blocks! We all have them. Clear your thoughts about money and step into the Present Momma you crave to be.
#4 Morning Meditation: Practice this daily for miracles
#5 Have you tried hypnosis? The Mindful movement meditations are amazing. These are my favorites.
#6 If you’re sleep-deprived and feeling tired and wired.. .try yoga Nidra before bed or if you get woken up and cannot fall asleep.
#7 My favorite affirmations, I repeat daily
Give yourself 30 days to try these meditations. Then take time to journal afterward.
What if you could break through your intrusive thoughts with writing?
When we write down our thoughts… we release our greatest hopes and dreams to the universe.
Think about this for a moment…
Are you wanting to say or do something that you are not currently doing?
Are you craving more support, more time, and more nourishment?
Do you feel like you’re being held back from your dreams?
The transition into motherhood is not easy. This is just one step that can help you move into motherhood with grace.
I know it will take more than writing to overcome postpartum depression and intrusive thoughts, but when I couldn’t afford a therapist and was afraid of what they would say. I wrote.
And wrote until I found the answers I was seeking.
So I hope these questions reveal something new to you.
Light a candle, grab a cup of tea, take out a notebook, and write down the answers to these questions.
Here are 13 writing prompts I’ve used over the years to overcome depression and anxiety.
#1 Write your birth story
Write it in complete detail. All that you loved, all that you hated, and all that you are thankful for.
👉Action step: Share your story online. Other momma’s need to hear what you’ve been through.
#2 Start with the end in mind
What is it that you want to do with this one and only life you have?
Are you doing it? What is holding you back?
Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a circle. Write where you want to be when you are 80 years old. Then write down the steps to get there.
👉Action step: Take one step today to fulfill your life dream. Even if it’s small. Begin today.
#3 What’s important to you?
Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle.
List 10 things that make you happy on the left side of the paper. Then list 10 things you’ll say a “no thank you” to on the right side of the paper.
#4 How can you fill your cup up?
You cannot take care of everyone else if you are depleted. How can you fill your cup up today? It doesn’t have to cost money or take a lot of time. Here are some things I do.
10-minute Youtube meditations
Baths with magnesium salt and essential oils
Write a gratitude list – who are you thankful for?
Get my nails done
Go for a hike
Exercise
Make a cup of stinging nettle tea 🍵
Fear is love waiting to exhale…
#5 What are you afraid of doing?
One of my biggest fears was closing my Pilates studio. What would people think? Where would they go? I was more worried about my clients than I was about my own mental health.
A book that helped me the most was called “Necessary Endings.”
“Where do you want to be a year from now? Will an ending be necessary to bring that about?”
If what you’re doing has no hope of getting you what you want, why are doing it?
👉Action step: So, I ask you.. what are you afraid of doing? Write it down.
#6 Complete these sentences…
My favorite place to sit as a child…
If I wasn’t this old I would…
If I had more time I would…
If I wasn’t afraid I would..
My favorite childhood game was…
If I didn’t sound crazy, I would..
#7 When were you happy?
Write about a time when you were very happy. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing?
#8 What was the most traumatic event in your life?
Write about any trauma in your life.
Then.. write it again as though it was a good thing. As though, you learned something from it or it made you the person you are today.
When you laugh, the world laughs with you, but when you cry, you cry alone. – A happy pocketful of money
Decide right now to face everything anew. Your thoughts, become your words and they become your actions.
What negative thoughts are you saying to yourself? Write them down. Gently, gradually release them.
👉 Action step: Turn those thoughts into a positive word.
What comes out of your mouth, comes into your life. – You are a badass at making money.
#10 What do you really want?
If money wasn’t an issue. If your life was different. What would you really want? What are you craving? Write these down…
The perfect partner
The perfect health
Your goals in life
Your education
How much money do you want to make
What kind of relationships do you want
#11 What are you grateful for?
Have you ever noticed how much love you have around you? How blessed you are?
👉Action step: Write down 5 things you are grateful for today.
#12 How do you play?
Have you noticed as we get older, we stop playing? We start “adulting”? What can you do today to be more playful? To have more fun?
#13 Fall in love with yourself…
What are you holding against yourself? What do you say about your body every day?
👉Action step: Write down 20 things you love about yourself. Don’t hold back. List them. Love them. Repeat them often. đź’•
I’d love to know what you uncovered.
Leave a note below and share it with us.
Tara
Obsessed with natural remedies, Tara Gregorio is a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator located in Cold Spring, NY. She loves helping women reduce their medications with botanicals. Her favorite herbal recipes can be found on Pinterest and Instagram. https://taragregorio.com/
