herbs for doomspiralling/anxiety.

as someone who lives close to the land and is an empathetic being, lately i have found myself doom spiralling about the state of the world. ..

maybe you're with me. ..

or maybe you don't know what that word means?

either way, i can frame it in a different light by saying this will be about herbs for anxiety, supporting the body & nervous system through times of stress, and helping ground yourself IN your body.

id like to focus firstly on plants that can be helpful in acute situations of distress. while there are many plants used in many places, i will be sharing with you some of my favorites, those that work well for me and others i know. that being said, as everyone has a different constitution and underlying imbalances, definitely don't be discouraged if you try something and it doesn't have the effect you are looking for.  when you are working with plants, you are essentially building a relationship, same as you would with an animal or person, and there are nuances and compatibility to keep in mind! sometimes it's nice to spend time with the plants themselves before working with their medicine. .. you may find yourself drawn to certain plants, and that can be worth exploring. ..

back to doom spiraling. .. my personal definition of this would be.. . a mental state in which a person (or multiple people) begin by acknowledging different issues that are currently in a state of disregulation, ie: ecocide, climate collapse, genocide, systemic collapse/corruption, capitalism, the patriarchy, etcetcetc (there is no shortage). there are physical sensations that would accompany these thoughts/discussion (wether it's internal/external dialogue), but mainly the thoughts keep coming and intensifying, a spiral of literal doom is continuing and encroaching and often the feelings of hope, joy or solutions feel inaccessible.

something i want to express is that while doom spiralling can be unhealthy and disregulating for the nervous system----i personally believe that it is very important to ACKNOWLEDGE what is happening here on planet earth at this particular time.

i don't think that doom spiralling is healthy. but NOR do i believe that we can love & light our way out of this.

so, to be clear.. . doom spiralling can be an excess of acknowledgement of all of the things that feel like they are happening out of our control with great detriment to humanity (especially minority groups and BIPOC folks), the waters and land of planet earth, and also the great unknown in which we currently find our species living through (which yes, has always existed but currently the undertone feels significantly more perilous).

this is a subject i could go on and on about but for the purpose of this article i really do want to focus on the plants. ..

anxiety is something that can greatly influence our physical body as well. . . causing tension, tightness, inflammation, pain, headaches and many other manifestations. especially when it lingers in our body, living with stress constantly definitely effects our earthly vessel, and can actually re-program our brain. . .

herbal medicines works fantastically combined with other practices such as stretching, meditation, regular exercise, massage therapy, acupuncture, eating lots of fresh in season vegetables, fruits & whole foods, spending time in nature, with community etc.

okay here we go. ..

lemonbalm (melissa officinalis) - an easy to grow perennial in the mint family, lemonbalm is a strong but gentle medicine. said to lift the spirit and calm the nervous system, making it an ally for both anxiety & depression. it is also helpful for digestion (which can also be affected by anxiety) and nervous tension in the body. lemonbalm can also be helpful for insomnia (which can indeed be caused by doom spiralling). lemonbalm is gentle enough to be used by children (they tend to love it). i like to use it fresh or dried in tea, and it is one of the ingredients in our joy tonic.

wild rose (rosa rugosa) - the softness of the rose and the strength of the thorn, the rose has many lessons for us in maintaining tenderness and boundaries simultaneously, something i believe we need to embody moving forward. a strong heart medicine, rose is here to support us through times of collective grief & heartbreak, while still managing to uplift and uphold a great sense of beauty and strength.  i like to use rose in teas, infused honeys, vinegars as well as tinctures (like our heart elixir).

motherwort (leonurus cadiaca) - this tenacious plant boasts a spiky character and willingness to survive, but also is said to bring the calmness & soothing nature of the mother (whether it be your true mum or perhaps the one you never had). used traditionally for various nervous afflictions (including panic attacks), spasms, high blood pressure, and treating conditions of the emotional & physical heart. motherwort's also called "lion-hearted", referring to its ability to bring courage and tenacity. she's bitter to boot, good for digestion and also creating a parasympathetic reaction by the bitter receptors on the tongue & vagus nerve.

blue vervain (verbena hastata) - used in folk medicine as a nerve tonic or relaxant, it can be a powerful support to help relax both muscular & psychological tension. a plant for “tight-necked, over-achieving, list-makers, who can't ask for help.” it can be taken in acute situations or as a tonic for longer term nervous system support.

i tend to focus on plants that can grow here, as i think that our body can also become attuned to whats around us, the water and food and plants ... but also because i dont want to be reliant on remedies that could later be impossible to receive due to supply chain issues, accessibility. ..but that's not to say there are not a lot of other intriguing and very wise and useful plants out there.

herbs are not a one way magic bullet recipe. i think that as a society we tend to look for healing, advice, even saving from outside of ourselves. . . if you are able to access your intuition, there is a wealth of ancestral and deep intrinsic knowledge within you. .. especially when it comes to working with the plants! your ancestors may have worked with specific plants, based on availability or bioregion. .. so it makes sense to work with plants that your body may remember .. . so do experiment and play around with different herbs and combinations.