As you learned in my last post, chronic stress affects every system in the body, leading to both short-term discomfort and long-term health risks. In fact, research has shown that stress plays a crucial part in up to 75% to 90% of diseases in humans! It’s nearly impossible to avoid stress…but you don’t need to be a helpless victim of your stress either. There are numerous stress reduction techniques and natural ‘stress busting’ supplements that you can use to fight back and to maintain your health and sanity.
The Top 10 Natural Supplements for Stress
🌿 1. Ashwagandha
• How it works: Adaptogen; lowers cortisol and enhances stress resilience.
• Benefits: Reduces anxiety, improves sleep, boosts energy.
• Dose: 300–600 mg/day of standardized extract (withanolides 5%+).
• Best For: Chronic stress, fatigue, mood swings.
🌱 2. Rhodiola Rosea
• How it works: Adaptogen that regulates the HPA axis and enhances mood.
• Benefits: Reduces mental fatigue, enhances focus, may help mild depression.
• Dose: 200–400 mg/day (3% rosavins, 1% salidroside).
• Best For: Mental burnout, performance stress.
🍵 3. L-Theanine
• How it works: Boosts calming alpha brain waves without sedation.
• Benefits: Improves focus and calm, reduces anxiety, pairs well with caffeine.
• Dose: 100–400 mg/day.
• Best For: Social anxiety, racing thoughts, daytime tension.
🔹 4. Magnesium
• How it works: Regulates the nervous system, supports GABA, and reduces excitatory neurotransmitters.
• Benefits: Improves sleep, reduces irritability, lowers cortisol.
• Dose: 200–400 mg/day (preferably glycinate or threonate).
• Best For: PMS, insomnia, muscle tension, mood imbalance.
🌼 5. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
• How it works: Mild sedative and anxiolytic; supports GABA activity.
• Benefits: Relieves mild anxiety, tension, and insomnia.
• Dose: 300–600 mg up to 3x/day or herbal tea.
• Best For: Restlessness, nervous stomach, light sleep.
🍃 6. Passionflower
• How it works: Enhances GABA; mild calming effect.
• Benefits: Improves sleep, reduces anxious thoughts.
• Dose: 250–500 mg or 1–2 mL tincture.
• Best For: Bedtime anxiety, racing mind.
🌱 7. Holy Basil (Tulsi)
• How it works: Adaptogen that modulates stress hormones.
• Benefits: Supports mood, reduces inflammation, and blood sugar spikes.
• Dose: 300–500 mg/day or tea form.
• Best For: Chronic stress, mood support, immune resilience.
💛 8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA)
• How it works: Reduces inflammation, supports brain function and mood.
• Benefits: May help with anxiety and depression.
• Dose: 1,000–2,000 mg EPA+DHA per day.
• Best For: Emotional stress, mood swings, brain fog.
🧠 9. GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)
• How it works: Inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system.
• Benefits: Fast-acting calming effect (varies per person).
• Dose: 100–500 mg as needed.
• Best For: Acute anxiety, panic, nervous tension.
🌿 10. Panax Ginseng
• How It Works: Helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, improving your body’s ability to cope with both physical and psychological stress.
Supports brain function and may enhance dopamine and serotonin levels, which are involved in mood regulation. Reduces excessive cortisol levels during chronic stress, helping to rebalance the stress response. Improves energy levels, especially in people experiencing burnout or fatigue from stress.
• Benefits: Reduces fatigue and improves stamina, enhances mental clarity and resilience, reduces symptoms of anxiety and low mood, helps support immune function (which stress can weaken).
• Dose: 200–400 mg/day of standardized Panax ginseng extract (with 4–7% ginsenosides); Take in the morning or early afternoon (can be stimulating).
Important tips for Choosing ‘Stress Busting’ Supplements
1. It’s easier (and cheaper) to find a nutritional supplement that contains multiple adaptogenic herbs rather than to take them individually.
2. Stick to only pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements to ensure what you take is effective, safe, and free of contaminants. If you’re having trouble finding them, you can find some HERE.
3. If you have an underlying autoimmune condition, avoid using any stress supplement that contains animal organs (the label will say ‘bovine’ from cow or ‘porcine’ from pig).
4. Avoid taking stimulating stress supplements, such as panax ginseng, in the late afternoon or evening as they can interfere with your sleep.
5. Even though natural supplements are generally safe, some may interact with certain prescription medications. Talk with your doctor to make sure whichever stress supplement you choose is safe to take with any prescription medications you currently take.
Stress Reduction Techniques
Natural ‘stress busting’ supplements are a great way to do damage control to your cortisol ravaged body. But, you should also add one or more stress reduction techniques not only to add another layer of protection but also to make your stress supplements work even better.
Here are the top five science-backed stress reduction techniques that are easy to incorporate and highly effective for both short-term relief and long-term resilience:
- 🙏 Deep Breathing / Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Why it works: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest mode), lowering heart rate and cortisol.
• How to do it:
o Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
o Hold for 4 seconds
o Exhale slowly through the mouth for 6–8 seconds
o Repeat for 3–5 minutes
✅ Best for: Immediate relief from anxiety, tension, or overwhelm.
2.🧠 Mindfulness Meditation
• Why it works: Trains the brain to stay in the present moment, reducing rumination and emotional reactivity.
• How to start:
o Sit quietly for 5–10 minutes
o Focus on your breath or body sensations
o Gently bring your focus back when your mind wanders
✅ Best for: Long-term stress management, emotional balance, focus.
3. 🚶🏻Exercise
• Why it works: Releases endorphins (natural mood elevators) and reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
• Types:
o Walking (especially in nature)
o Yoga or stretching
o Strength training or cardio
✅ Best for: Mental clarity, mood elevation, reducing stress buildup.
4. 📝 Journaling (Especially Gratitude Journaling)
• Why it works: Helps process emotions, reduce mental clutter, and reframe negative thoughts.
• How to do it:
o Write down 3 things you’re grateful for each day
o Or brain-dump your worries onto paper to externalize them
✅ Best for: Managing emotional stress, self-awareness, and better sleep.
5. 👬Social Connection
• Why it works: Meaningful interactions boost oxytocin, which counters cortisol and promotes calm.
• Ideas:
o Talk to a friend or loved one
o Join a support group or club
o Engage in a hobby with others
✅ Best for: Emotional support, reducing isolation, boosting mood.
Need help finding pharmaceutical grade stress supplements? No problem, we’ve got you covered! You can find a great selection HERE.