After over two years of a global pandemic and all signs indicating that the number of cases and deaths are on the decline, we are now faced with worries about Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.

In many states, the cost of fuel is rising more than 50 cents overnight at the pumps, and recent weather events have demolished roads and entire neighborhoods.

Just when you thought you could see the sun through the clouds of pain and despair, it all starts up once again.

The stress we are subjected to, day after day, hour after hour, is anything but healthy.

Perhaps it’s time to let Mother Nature ‘fix’ some of the damage those storms, natural and manmade, have caused.

Let’s look at natural ways to counteract stress before it reaps a toll on our already fragile bodies.

Botanicals from Mother Earth

For thousands of years, people have been taking advantage of herbs, roots, and botanicals of all kinds to naturally heal or counteract a great number of ills.

One of these remedies lost in the shuffle of modern medicine is the use of botanicals to counteract stress before it reaches a point of doing any real damage to our physical health and mental wellbeing.

This is a class of botanicals known to be high in adaptogens proven to stop the three-stage GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome) midstream before it gets to that critical last stage.

The first stage of GAS is alarm, followed by resistance and finally exhaustion. If you let GAS continue until your body reaches a point of exhaustion, the damage is done.

The most common types of adaptogens work their magic at the point where your body or mind goes into overdrive at the resistance stage, never allowing exhaustion to take hold.

A Closer Look at Common Types of Adaptogens

What actually happens when you supplement with adaptogens, the body is held longer in resistance which impedes exhaustion. They give your body or mind time to adapt so that it can naturally ward off fatigue.

Thus, they are called adaptogens. They generate adaptation. Some of the most common types of adaptogens in use for centuries, and still in use today are:

• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Holy basil
• Turmeric
• Reishi

Of these, reishi may be one botanical you are unfamiliar with. These are often called the “Queen of Mushrooms” and although not a root, herb, or flower, they are botanical in that they occur naturally in nature. They are not chemical formulations.

Fast Acting and Natural

One of the primary benefits of counteracting stress with adaptogens is the fact that they are ingested, and thus begin doing their work the moment they are absorbed through the intestines to your bloodstream.

Unlike other natural methods of counteracting stress like Hatha Yoga or Mindfulness Training that take an ongoing and concerted effort over a period of days or weeks to start neutralizing stress, adaptogens are working their magic almost immediately.

It should also be mentioned that even modern medicine promotes stress relief with adaptogens.

This article on the UCLA website indicates to what extent they are proven effective. Whether you take them in supplement form, drinks or as ingredients in a meal, the work begins.

However, in the amounts needed to counteract the levels of stress we are subjected to in these worrisome times, supplementation might be your best line of defense.