Natural Calming Herbs

Stress is a fact of life. From little stresses, like running late for an appointment or dripping barbeque sauce on your tie, to major stresses like financial difficulties and marital issues, most people find a way to cope with life's irritations and setbacks. While there are several drugs on the market aimed at reducing anxiety, herbs can also help take the edge off.

Mild Herbal Sedatives

• When things just aren't going as planned, an herb with mildly calming properties may be what you need to relieve stress. Annie B. Bond, author of the book "True Food" (National Geographic, 2010) and creator of the health and green-living website, Care2.com, suggests trying black horehound, borage, Roman chamomile or lavender.

  Black horehound was traditionally used by English colonists to relieve gout and arthritis. It has a disagreeable odor and is usually supplied as a liquid tincture to be used in tea.

  Borage is a flowering plant that can be made into tea. According to Dr. Richard N. Podell, medical director and clinical professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, borage oil can be used in natural depression treatment.

  Roman chamomile is a flowering plant that has been used for centuries for its calming properties. It is commonly made into tea.

  Lavender is a highly fragrant flower that is used in a number of preparations to reduce stress and relieve anxiety. The National Institutes of Health say that several small studies have reported lavender's ability to help reduce anxiety, but further studies are necessary to prove its efficacy. Lavender is commonly used by inhaling the aroma of the crushed flowers or sprayed onto linen.

Moderate Herbal Sedatives

• Bond, of Care2.com, says mugwort, black cohosh, St. John's wort and skullcap have moderate calming qualities.

  Mugwort is extremely bitter but can be mixed with other herbs for a soothing tea.

  The University of Maryland Medical Center states that black cohosh has been used to treat anxiety associated with menopause and suggests taking the herb in pill or tincture form, since the tea may be less effective.

  The National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine says that St. John's wort contains hypericin and hyperforin, two compounds that may be responsible for the herb's antidepressant and anti-anxiety benefits. St. John's wort is taken in pill form.

  A study published in "Phytomedicine" in 2003 found that skullcap contained flavenoids and amino acids that help reduce anxiety. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM) suggests making a tea from the dried herb.

Strong Herbal Sedatives

• For more severe cases of anxiety and stress, stronger herbal remedies may be helpful. Bond says some of the strongest herbs available for anxiety include California poppy and valerian.

  Kathy Abascal and Eric Yarnell, executive director and president of the Botanical Medicine Academy respectively, stated in an article published in "Alternative and Complimentary Therapies" that, "Studies show that California poppy tea reduces anxiety. In a lower dose in a mood formula, California poppy makes life seem a little better, a little more manageable, to patients."

  The National Institutes of Health reported in a 2002 study that valerian had potential anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) properties but concluded that more studies were necessary. Valerian is available in capsule and tea form.