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One way to deal with stress headaches is to add a couple drops of essential oil of lavender or basil to a bath. You can also make a steam bath using the following instructions. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a bowl of hot water. With a large bath towel, make a tent for yourself by covering your head and the bowl with the towel, and breathe in the steam from the bowl. Be careful not to knock over the bowl. Breathe in the steam for about five minutes. You’ll feel instantly relaxed, and your face will look revitalized, too!
Lavender Tea Compress
Lavender can also be made into a compress and applied to the neck or forehead to enhance your relaxation.
Ingredients
1 tsp. lavender flowers
1 cup boiling water
1 hand towel
Instructions
Cover the lavender flowers with the boiling water. Strain the liquid, and soak the hand towel in it. Wring out and apply warm or cool as desired to affected region.
Stress-Less Tea
Ingredients
1 tsp. chamomile flowers
1/2 tsp. lemon basil leaf
1/4 tsp. rose petals
1/8 tsp. orange peel
1 cup boiling water
Instructions
Blend all ingredients together. Cover with boiling water. Cover and let steep 20 minutes. Strain the herbs from the tea, and drink warm or cold. I recommend drinking 3 to 4 cups daily when you’re feeling stressed.
Note: did you notice how this tea uses two nervous-system-boosting herbs—chamomile and
basil—together? You can combine herbs that work on one system of the body to achieve a
greater effect.
The One-Hour Stress Buster
Eleutherococcus senticosus, called “eleuthero” for short, is also known as Siberian ginseng.
Recently, there’s been a resurgence in its use as a stress-buster formula. When you’re under a lot of stress, large amounts of cortisol are produced by your adrenal glands. This is a normal response as your body tries to adapt to stress. However, if the stress continues for hours or days, high levels of cortisol can build up and damage the body. High cortisol is linked to the storage of abdominal fat, and the chemical processes that your body undergoes in the presence of cortisol can make it hard to get rid of this extra roll of fat. Eleuthero is an adaptogen, a type of herb that allows the body to come back to normal functioning. For example, an adaptogen that “reads” high cortisol in the body will help bring the cortisol levels down to normal. And research shows that eleuthero is quite good at this— levels of cortisol drop substantially within an hour.
Ingredients
1 tsp. eleuthero
1 cup boiling water
Instructions
Place the eleuthero in a coffee cup and add boiling water. Cover the cup with a plate and let
steep for 5 minutes. Strain and drink the tea warm. Pay attention to how you feel in an hour—
you might be surprised!
Aromatherapy for Lifting Your Mood
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. chai tea blend
2 qts. water
Instructions
In a large pot, add chai tea to water. Simmer for a few hours. The simmering will release the
volatile oils and fragrances into the air, and you’ll notice a big difference in how you feel
within minutes. You can add additional water to the pot and keep the good feelings flowing all
day long! However, be careful that the water doesn’t all boil off, as the herbs will burn in the
pot.
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