Stress is part of being human, but when it builds up it can impact sleep, mood, health, and relationships. Herbalist, Monika Beau offers advice on how to manage stress effectively.
Stress is your body’s built-in alarm system, designed to help you navigate life’s challenges and prepare you to face difficult or demanding situations.
Long ago, stress kept our ancestors safe by triggering the body’s “fight or flight” response, preparing them to react to danger quickly. Today, we don’t face the same challenges, but instead deadlines, conflicts, family responsibilities, money worries, or information overload can trigger the same reaction.
When you are stressed, your body reacts as if it’s under threat. Your heart beats faster, breathing quickens, and muscles tighten. Hormones like adrenaline boost energy and alertness. Cortisol is the stress hormone that helps your body stay alert and maintain energy during stressful periods, while slowing non-essential processes like digestion.
A little stress can sharpen focus, but prolonged stress can affect sleep, mood, health, and even relationships. Everyone reacts and copes with stress differently. Some people feel its effects more quickly, while others seem more resilient. Physical signs may include headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, or trouble sleeping, while mental effects can range from irritability and anxiety to exhaustion and low motivation. Understanding your own responses is key to managing stress effectively.
Gentle Ways to Manage Stress
Spending time outdoors and getting fresh air are simple yet effective ways to ease tension. Gentle movement, walking, or cycling can lift your mood, while relaxation practices like meditation, breathing exercises, and mindfulness calm both body and mind. Organising tasks and setting priorities makes daily demands feel more manageable. Consistent sleep, a balanced diet, staying hydrated, all help build resilience.
Herbal Support: Rhodiola
Herbal remedies may also offer gentle support during times of stress. As a herbalist, I often recommend Rhodiola to clients experiencing periods of mental or physical exhaustion and overwhelm, as part of a balanced approach to wellbeing.
Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that supports the nervous system¹ and can give the body just that extra help to cope with stress. It may support mental performance, energy, and strengthen the immune system. Irish Botanica Rhodiola contains Rhodiola rosea, also known as “golden root” or “Arctic root.”
This perennial flowering plant grows naturally in the wild Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Carefully harvested and sustainably sourced, it offers gentle support for body and mind during challenging times. As Rhodiola is an endangered plant, Irish Botanica ensures their Rhodiola is ethically sourced and CITES-approved. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement that regulates and monitors the trade of certain animal and plant species to ensure it doesn’t threaten their survival. Its aim is to protect these species by making sure trade is legal, sustainable, and traceable.
Each capsule contains 350mg of Rhodiola root extract (Rhodiola rosea), standardised to 3% Rosavins and 1% Salidrosides. Available in packs of 60 capsules. Take 1–2 per day.
¹Rhodiola is an adaptogen that helps to stimulate the nervous system. - Article 13.1, Claim ID 2659