You’re home alone, folding laundry, and out of nowhere, anxiety strikes. Your heart is pounding, and your ears are ringing, as beads of sweat pearl on your forehead. Random negative thoughts race through your mind, and you’re doing everything you can to stop shaking, and just keep it together and avoid a full-blown panic attack.
As you try to catch your breath, you try to figure out what set you off. For so many of us, it may be impossible to know what triggers our anxiety, and that unpredictability alone may only make our symptoms worse.
We live in a high-octane, stressful world with unprecedented pressure to “be on” at all times, sometimes leaving few moments for balance or rest.
Anxiety can disrupt our lives and mental wellbeing, but adopting a wellness regimen, including a healthy diet, optimal hydration, rest, exercise or meditation, and natural nootropics like Saffron can nourish our bodies.
Anxiety and wellness
What is anxiety?
Most if not all human beings experience worry for short periods of time.
However, when that worry occurs for longer periods, accompanied by other psychological and physical symptoms, then it may be due to anxiety or a similar issue.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK defines anxiety as “a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.” Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Exhaustion
- Sweating (regardless of the weather)
- Trembling or shaking
- Rapid heart rate
- Excessive worrying or obsessive, recurring thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Gastrointestinal issues such as upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea
- Chest pain
- Ringing in the ears
- Feelings of panic, dread, or doom
What is causing my anxiety?
Any number of known or unknown events or causes can trigger anxiety. Whilst we can sometimes put our finger on what has caused our anxiety, sometimes there may not be any rational or logical reason for it (e.g., phobias such as the fear of flying, heights, etc.).
Here are some of the primary causes:
Situational/Environmental
Life can be messy—one minute we may feel at ease before out of nowhere, we lose our job, break up with our significant other, or face another stressful situation. Some of the most anxiety-inducing circumstances can include financial problems, death/bereavement, trauma, social anxiety/interacting with others, and issues in a familial or personal relationship.
Genetics
Our genetics and family history can have a major impact on our physical and mental wellness. If anxiety runs in your family, you may also develop it.
An underlying medical condition
Sometimes anxiety is actually a symptom of a different medical condition. For instance, if you have an overactive thyroid gland, it can make you feel jittery and sweat excessively.
Similarly, a hormonal imbalance or Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) can have a similar effect in addition to causing mood swings, etc. It’s important to trust your body and consult your doctor if you feel another condition is causing your anxiety.
Saffron for anxiety
What is saffron?
There are numerous natural supplements and nootropics on the market that can help alleviate mild-to-severe symptoms of anxiety. One of the most effective is saffron (Crocus Sativus).
You may have already tried saffron in any number of fine-dining establishments. Its flavour is complex, akin to a sweet earthiness, making it ideal for paella, roast chicken, or risotto. Its autumnal red, thread-like consistency comes from the stigmas of the plant, which is a laborious process and accounts for its price tag in grocery and specialty food shops.
Can it alleviate my anxiety?
Sometimes called the “sunshine spice,” saffron can help balance your mood and take away symptoms of anxiety. Since it may increase our levels of dopamine, saffron can be effective in balancing our mood.
One study claims that saffron has anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties similar to current antidepressants on the market, only with fewer side effects.
Daily activities to relieve anxiety
Take a self-inventory to determine what your stressors/triggers are. If certain people or situations make you anxious, try to avoid them.Any type of physical or sexual activity that will raise your heart rate and level of endorphins may help you to relax. Consider scoping out a new walking trail or working out with a group of friends to make it enjoyable.
Avoid overextending or overworking yourself, if possible. Establish clear boundaries at work and home.
Our bodies consist mostly of water. Hydration is essential for normal physical and mental functioning, so aim to drink at least two litres of water daily.
Try breathing exercises. Sometimes focusing on our breathing will slow our heart rate and help alleviate anxiousness or feelings of panic.
Consider seeing a therapist or counselor to discuss ways to make your anxiety more manageable.
Top supplements for anxiety
Affron Saffron
Unlike ordinary saffron supplements on the market, Affron Saffron is a premium, high-quality saffron extract backed by peer-reviewed clinical evidence for its positive effects on sleep quality, mood, cognition, and overall well-being.
How can it help me?
Saffron has been used for centuries in ancient Ayurvedic medicine as a sedative, stress-relieving adaptogen, and anti-inflammatory.
Because Affron Saffron contains Lepticrosalides, a bioactive compound responsible for its most beneficial properties for your health—leveling out your mood and helping you achieve quality sleep.
How much should I take?
Because of its purity, Affron Saffron boasts the lowest daily dose at 28 mg daily. In general, Saffron may be safe when taken orally for up to 26 weeks.
Ashwagandha
Used in ancient and modern Ayurvedic medicine as a relaxing agent, Ashwagandha (aka, winter cherry, poison gooseberry, and Indian Ginseng) is an adaptogenic nootropic that comes from the roots and leaves of the Withania somnifera plant that grows in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
How can it help me?
Its adaptogenic properties mean it can lower our cortisol levels—the stress hormone that floods our bodies, causing us to feel stress and anxiety.
As a result, Ashwagandha, especially a pure form cultivated from the roots of the plant such as KSM-66 Ashwagandha can help us feel calmer and ultimately balance our mood.
How much should I take?
In addition to taking a capsule, you can also buy Ashwagandha as a powder. If you do this, you can add it to almost any cuisine without affecting the taste of your dish. Many people will add a tablespoon into a pre or post-workout smoothie, a stew, or soup.
There is no official recommended dosage of Ashwagandha, however, it may fall anywhere from 500 mg to 600 mg daily.
Rhodiola Rosea
Otherwise called “rose root,” “golden root,” or “king's crown,” Rhodiola Rosea is a flowering plant that grows in the cold regions of North America, Asia, and Europe.
How can it help me?
Like Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea is also an adaptogen and can help protect our bodies against physical, emotional, and oxidative stress.
Because of this, it can induce a full-body calming effect, providing relief against anxiety. It may also help fight symptoms of depression, fatigue, and improve overall cognitive functioning.
How much should I take?
You can take Rhodiola Rosea as a capsule, tablet, tincture, liquid extract, and tea.
A typical daily dose ranges from 100 mg to 600 mg daily. When taken orally, Rhodiola Rosea may be safe when taken for 6-12 weeks.
Need help choosing a calming supplement?
Sometimes, there is nothing worse than being told to simply “calm down.”
Whilst alleviating anxiety is never that easy, there are research-backed supplements that can ease our symptoms.
Earths Secret’s Ultimate Complex is a comprehensive wellness regimen that features three complexes: Calm, Sleep, and Thrive.
Each complex consists of five, all-natural, vegan-friendly natural nootropics and stress-relieving, Ayurvedic herbs—Affron Saffron, KSM-66 Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, L-Theanine, and more—that can alleviate your anxiety by making you feel more relaxed.
It can be difficult enough to know what’s causing your anxiety. Choosing the ultimate calming supplement doesn’t have to be.
