This article was published in the November 2019 edition of the Better Bristol magazine.
As I write this article, it is “mental health day”, which reminds us of the importance of taking care of our stresses and anxieties. With our increasingly demanding lifestyles, levels of stress have increased dramatically. Feeling stressed or anxious is something that all of us experience, with varying degrees of intensity. Thankfully there are steps we can take towards improving our wellbeing.
In this article, I will give some general tips to help manage stress and anxiety and I will discuss some homeopathic remedies that can help either acutely or constitutionally. Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine based on the principle of “like cures like” and is used by millions of people worldwide. I have benefited from this medicine for many years now and it has greatly helped me manage and recover from periods of extreme stress.
Self-care tips
- Stay hydrated. Water is important to help our cells function; it also helps our concentration levels and so it helps keeping focus whist at work. Try and drink water regularly throughout the day. If you tend to forget, keep a bottle of water by your side and set reminders in your phone.
- Take regular breaks, do not eat in front of your screen and go for walk at lunch time. This will help your concentration levels as well as your emotional wellbeing.
- Breathe, be mindful and meditate. Breathing exercises include taking long deep breath, hold, expire and hold. Do this several times in a row, several times a day. It really helps managing negative emotions.
Homeopathic remedies
Homeopathic remedies can help manage our stress and anxiety levels. There are many remedies which may be self-prescribed in acute circumstances. If stress and anxiety is something you suffer on a regular basis, then you would benefit from consulting a homeopath for a constitutional treatment.
Self-help remedies include
- Aconitum: this remedy is well indicated for symptoms that arise suddenly. It may be a panic attack or symptoms arising from anxiety before an upcoming engagement. The usual symptoms when this remedy is helpful are: palpitations, breathlessness, anxiety felt in the region of the heart and may be accompanied by fear.
- Argentum Nitricum: this remedy is another remedy useful for panic attacks. It is indicated for ailments from anticipation, stage fright, anxiety about the future. If you suffer from nervous anxiety and are compelled to do something or feel hurried, the anxiety is felt in the stomach and you may have diarrhoea from anxiety, then Argentum Nitricum may well be the remedy you need.
- Nux Vomica: this is the main remedy for workaholics, ambitious and competitive people. There is anxiety about the business and ailments from being overworked. The symptoms include a great sensitivity to noise, odours, light or being disturbed whilst working; irritability when over-stressed and there may be nausea.
- Lycopodium: this remedy is great for people who suffer from anxiety ahead of speaking in public and have a fear of failure. The person needing this remedy may lack self-confidence or have poor self-esteem. If you have to deliver a speech or go to a job interview and have the above symptoms, then take a dose of Lycopodium ahead of the event.
- Gelsemium: as well as being a great remedy for flu, Gelsemium can also help in cases of performance anxiety (stage fright, exam anxiety, anxiety before an interview). The main symptoms are the mind going blank, muscles becoming weak and maybe even paralysed with the anxiety and possibly the desire to hide away.
Constitutional remedies
There are many constitutional remedies available to help manage stress and anxiety. Here are two major ones:
- Carcinosin: a remedy for many anxieties: anticipation, worry about business, anxiety about diseases, anxiety about the future. People needing this remedy usually lack of self-confidence. It is good for people who have lived under severe fear for long periods of time and also good for people who cannot say no, who have no boundaries. There are often ailments from anxiety, which include sleeplessness.
- Calcarea Carbonica: this remedy is for people who are generally apprehensive and worry about their responsibilities and duties. They are likely to have ailments from being overworked. The pathology comes on under the demands of stress and a prolonged effort to overcome it.
For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.
With best wishes for a stress-reduced life,
Priscille Francetti LCCH
Homeopath
