It’s that time of year again — as we get closer to the end of the year, it seems like tasks pile higher and higher while the time that you have in a day to complete those tasks gets shorter and shorter. When your day to day life starts to feel hectic, staying as stress-free as possible is of the utmost importance.
Not only does minimizing stress mean that you’ll have more clarity and focus, which will help you knock things off your to-do list quickly and effectively, but it also means that you’re protecting both your mind and your body from the negative effects that being stressed on a regular basis can have.
Stress isn’t only hard on the mind, it’s also hard on the body. From a combination of the flood of cortisol in your system, lack of sleep, and nervous energy, it’s no wonder that consistent stress can have the body feeling like ‘enough is enough!’
Reducing stress doesn’t necessarily require a complete life overhaul. Instead of adding more activities to your already busy day, utilize the stress-relieving powers of the adaptogen herbs on this list to help manage your stress.
Read on for a list of our favorites!
Amazing Adaptogen Herbs #1: Ginseng
Are you familiar with what adaptogen herbs are? Adaptogen herbs are first and foremost different herbs that help your body adapt to its environment. Ginseng is one of the better known adaptogens for helping the human body adapt to stressful circumstances.
In addition to its natural stress-reducing properties, ginseng is also a booster of the immune system, which means it’ll help you calm down and it’ll help keep your body in tip top shape. What’s not to love about that?!
Ginseng is also a wonder herb because regular consumption can help reduce fatigue. Can you imagine what it would feel like to wake up in the morning and not require a cup of coffee to get out of bed? To be a little bit closer to that reality, incorporate ginseng into your daily wellness regimen!
There are tons of ways to take ginseng, but the most common (and most low-maintenance) way to get your daily dose of this amazing herb is to take a capsule once a day. If you’ve been feeling tired, stressed, and like you could use a little help being the best version of yourself, add ginseng to your wellness routine!
Amazing Adaptogen Herbs #2: Maca Root
Maca root is another well-known adaptogen herb that boasts a number of adaptogenic properties. Native to Peru, this funky herb is available most commonly in the form of a supplement or a powder, so you have the option of taking it in capsule-form or adding the powder to your daily protein smoothie if you’d rather go that route.
But first, why should you be interested in maca root at all? Maca root has exploded on the nutrition scene in the past few years, and for good reason. Like ginseng, maca root is a multitasking herb — not only will it help tackle your stress, it’ll also help your body feel its best. Maca contains a number of vitamins and minerals that you need on a daily basis including vitamin C, copper, and iron, so this herb will protect your mind at the same time it’s making sure you have the vitamins that you need to function through your day.
Maca root is different from the other herbs on this list in that one of its claims to fame is that it helps increase libido in both men and women, and there are some studies that may suggest it increases fertility in men (the verdict is still out on that point, but the research looks promising).
If you’ve noticed a decrease in your libido recently and you’re on the market for a natural way to increase your sex drive without jumping to pharmaceuticals, consider looking into maca root!
Amazing Adaptogen Herbs #3: Rhodiola Rosea
Do you ever have days when you feel like you’re so overwhelmed with different thoughts and stressors that you’re not able to think as quickly as you’d like to? Fear not! We have a solution for you.
Rhodiola rosea is an herb that has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. Not only is it great at helping reduce the proteins that your body creates when its in stressful environments, it can also help reduce general fatigue as well as improve cognition.
Stress goes hand in hand with reduced sleep and cognitive impairment, so incorporating an herb that addresses all three of those concerns into your diet is a great way to make sure you’re addressing all aspects of the different kinds of havoc that stress can wreak on your life!
Rhodiola rosea is an herb that shows stronger effects when you take it consistently over a period of time, so try not to use it as a quick fix if you’d like to experience all that it can do for you. If you’re looking for an herb to commit to in exchange for amazing improvements to your day to day well being, you should consider committing to rhodiola rosea — you won’t be disappointed!
Amazing Adaptogen Herbs #4: Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha (yes, it’s a little bit of a mouthful!) is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine as a ‘cure all’ for a bunch of different maladies that commonly affect the human body and mind. The most common condition that ashwagandha is used for is general stress management, but it does a couple of different things to treat stress that make it a very interesting herb that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Ashwagandha confronts stress on several levels — consistently taking this herb not only decreases experienced stress and anxiety, but also decreases the cortisol content in your blood as well as the proteins that your body creates an abundance of when you’re in stressful situations. That means that taking this herb will not only help you feel better, but it also attacks stress at the source which helps with long-term healing.
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A Final Word From Energetic Lifestyle
If you have a lot going on (and really, who doesn’t?) and you feel like you could use a hand in helping yourself relax at the end of a crazy day, add ashwagandha to your health regimen your healing at the source. You’ll be glad that you did!
What one of these adaptogen herbs is your favorite? Do you have an adaptogen herb that we didn’t include on this list? Please let us know in the comments below!
