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When Stress Shows Up In Your Body
Stress begins in the brain. Or at least, that's what conventional wisdom says. And maybe it does. Begin there, that is. Too much thinking. Too much worrying. Too many thoughts racing around in too little space. But the notion that stress is "all in your mind" is long past its expiration date and is in dire need of a serious upgrade. For example: Sometimes stress shows up in your shoulders. Your stomach. Your jaw. Your restless feet. Your inability to relax even when you are bone tired. That’s because stress is not just a thought. It’s a whole-body experience. And sometimes the most useful support is not something that knocks you out. It’s something that helps your body get the message that it is safe to stand down. Quick Answer Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine combines two well-studied ingredients to support a calmer nervous system without leaving you sleepy, foggy, or checked out. It was designed for the moments when your body needs to unwind, but your brain still needs to function. At a Glance Stress can be physical as well as mental. Feeling tense, restless, overstimulated, or “wired but tired” may be signs that your nervous system needs a little help shifting gears. L-Theanine supports relaxed brain activity while helping preserve alertness and focus.2,3 Oral lavender has been studied for relaxation, stress support, and sleep quality.4–6 Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine is designed for calm during the day and easier unwinding at night—not as a sedative or a conventional sleep aid. Why Stress Can Feel So Physical Your mind and body are not running separate stress programs. When your brain decides that something requires your attention, it sends signals throughout the body. Whether that is a genuine emergency, a packed calendar, a difficult conversation, or simply too much stimulation, your nervous system prepares you to respond. When your stress response kicks in, you may notice: Muscles tighten Breathing gets shallower Your stomach may feel unsettled You become more alert, more reactive, and less able to simply be still. That response is useful when you need to slam on the brakes, avoid a falling object, or get yourself out of danger. It is less useful when it stays switched on long after the danger has passed. And that is the problem for many of us. We are not necessarily having a crisis. We are just spending too much of the day physically braced for one. That is why a calmer nervous system can make such a difference. Not because it makes life’s demands disappear. Because it can help your body stop treating every demand as an emergency. Calm Doesn’t Have to Mean Checked Out For a lot of people, this is the catch. They would love to feel less tense, less reactive, and less as if their internal alarm system has been going off all day. But they do not want to feel drugged. They have work to do. Conversations to have. Decisions to make. Kids to pick up. A life to participate in. They don’t want to trade stress for sleepiness. That’s one reason L-theanine has attracted so much interest. How L-Theanine Supports Relaxation Without Sedation L-Theanine is an amino acid found naturally in green tea. It has been studied for its ability to support a relaxed state while helping maintain alertness and mental clarity. In other words, it is not about shutting your brain down. It is about helping it stop acting as if every email, traffic jam, and minor inconvenience is a five-alarm emergency.1,2 Researchers have also looked at L-theanine’s effects on alpha brain waves—patterns of brain activity associated with a relaxed but awake state. In one human study, a 200 mg dose increased alpha-wave activity within about 40 to 60 minutes.3 That is a very different goal from sedation. Sedation says, “Let’s turn the lights down.” Relaxation says, “Let’s turn the volume down.” One makes it harder to show up. The other may make it easier. And that distinction matters, especially for people whose stress tends to show up in the body first: tight muscles, restlessness, overstimulation, and difficulty winding down after a long day. Why Add Lavender? Most of us know lavender as a scent. A candle. A bath product. A sachet your grandmother kept in a drawer somewhere. But lavender is more than a pleasant smell. Oral lavender oil—particularly oil from Lavandula angustifolia—has been studied for its ability to support relaxation, a healthy stress response, and sleep quality.4–6 That does not mean lavender is a sleeping pill. In fact, one of the things that makes oral lavender interesting is that it may support calm without simply flattening you. The goal is not to make you feel dull or disconnected. The goal is to help your nervous system move out of that wound-up, over-alert state that makes everything feel harder than it needs to. Why Combine Lavender and L-Theanine? Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine pairs 200 mg of L-theanine with French lavender oil in a once-daily capsule. Think of it as a two-part approach. L-Theanine helps support that relaxed-but-alert state. Lavender helps support the body’s ability to settle. Together, they are meant for the person who wants to exhale—but not disappear. The Same System That Keeps You On During the Day Can Keep You Up at Night Stress does not always respect business hours. During the day, it may make you feel tense, impatient, scattered, or physically unable to settle into what you’re doing. At night, it may look different—but feel strangely familiar. You finally have a chance to rest. The day is over. Nothing urgent is happening. And yet your body has not gotten the memo. Your mind may not even be racing. But you still feel a little activated. A little restless. A little too awake for someone who was dragging themselves through the afternoon. That’s the “wired but tired” experience. It is not a formal diagnosis. It is simply a phrase people use when exhaustion and activation somehow manage to coexist. And it makes sense. The nervous system does not have an on/off switch. It is constantly adjusting to the demands being placed on it. When stress has kept the system on high alert for much of the day, transitioning into rest may take more than turning off the television and hoping for the best. That is where a formula like Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine may fit. Supporting Relaxation During the Day and at Night During the day, it is meant to support a calmer, more grounded state without interfering with focus or alertness. At night, that same support for relaxation may help make the transition into rest feel easier. Not because it forces sleep. Because it may help you become less physiologically prepared for battle at 11:30 p.m. Research on L-theanine and lavender also suggests that consistent use may support sleep quality over time—particularly when stress and difficulty unwinding are part of the problem.2,5,6 This Is Not Really a Sleep Supplement That may sound like an odd thing to say when we have just been talking about sleep. But it is important. Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine is not designed to knock you out at bedtime. It is not a heavy-duty sleep formula, and it is not intended to replace the basics that make sleep possible: a reasonably consistent schedule, darkness, a cool room, and not treating your phone like it is a life-support device. Its real job is more fundamental. It supports relaxation. And relaxation happens to be useful at night. For some people, that may mean taking it when they feel tense or overstimulated during the day. For others, it may mean taking it in the evening, when they know they have a tendency to carry the day straight into bed with them. Either way, the point is the same: Calm the body. Keep the mind clear. And give your nervous system a better chance to do what it already knows how to do. What Kind of Stress Are You Dealing With? Not all stress feels the same. Sometimes it is mostly mental. Your thoughts are racing. You are replaying a conversation from three days ago. You are imagining fourteen possible future disasters, thirteen of which will never happen. That is one kind of stress. But sometimes the story is less about thoughts and more about your body. You feel wound up. Your shoulders are tight. You’re fidgety. You feel overstimulated by ordinary things. You can’t quite come down from the day, even when there is no particular thought you need to solve. That is the lane Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine was designed for. Calm My Brain vs. Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine BrainMD’s Calm My Brain is intended more for acute mental stress—racing thoughts, anxious mental chatter, and the feeling that your brain has too many browser tabs open. Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine is aimed more at the body’s stress response: tension, restlessness, overstimulation, and difficulty unwinding. Of course, real life is not always that tidy. Sometimes the body is tense because the mind is racing. Sometimes the mind races because the body has been braced for impact all day. But it can still be helpful to ask a simple question: Is my stress mostly living in my thoughts—or mostly living in my body? If it is the second one, this formula may be worth considering. Calm My Brain Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine Stress tends to feel Mental Physical Think Racing thoughts, mental chatter Tension, restlessness, overstimulation Primary focus Acute mental stress Relaxation without feeling sleepy What Should You Expect? The first thing to understand is that relaxation and sleep are not the same thing. How Quickly Does L-Theanine Work? You may notice a sense of feeling less tense, less physically “on edge,” or more able to settle within the first hour after taking it. Research on L-theanine suggests relaxation-supporting effects may begin within about 30 to 60 minutes.3 But that does not mean every benefit appears on a stopwatch. Stress resilience, nighttime relaxation, and sleep quality are usually more like fitness than like flipping a switch. Your nervous system responds to what you do consistently. For that reason, Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine can be used as part of a daily routine—especially if you know that tension, overstimulation, or trouble unwinding are recurring parts of your life. How to Take Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine One capsule provides 200 mg of L-theanine and 40 mg of Pharmako CPO® French lavender oil powder. BrainMD recommends taking one capsule daily, ideally on an empty stomach. You can take it during the day when you want calm without sacrificing clarity. Or you can take it in the evening when you are ready to begin letting the day go. The timing matters less than the purpose. You are not trying to check out. You are just trying to feel like yourself again. __________________________________________________ Frequently Asked Questions Will Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine make me sleepy? It is designed to promote relaxation without making you feel sedated, foggy, or mentally checked out. L-Theanine has been studied for supporting a relaxed-but-alert state, which is why this formula can be used during the day when you still want to stay focused and present.2,3 Can I take it during the day or at night? Either. During the day, it may be helpful when stress is showing up as tension, restlessness, or overstimulation. At night, it may support a more relaxed transition into rest—especially if you tend to carry the day’s stress into bed with you. How fast does it work? Some people may notice a more relaxed feeling within the first hour. Research on L-theanine suggests relaxation-supporting effects can begin in about 30 to 60 minutes.3 Other benefits, including support for nighttime relaxation and sleep quality, may build with consistent use over time. Is it habit-forming? No. Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine is a dietary supplement, not a sedative medication, and it is not considered habit-forming. Can I take it every day? Yes. One capsule daily can be used as part of an ongoing routine for nervous-system support, or when you know you are heading into a particularly stressful stretch. Can I take it with medications? If you take prescription medication, have a medical condition, or are under a healthcare professional’s care, check with your clinician before adding any new supplement to your routine. The same goes for anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. The Bottom Line You do not have to be in crisis to want to feel calmer. You do not have to be having a panic attack to notice that your body is holding too much tension. And you do not have to choose between feeling relaxed and being able to function. Sometimes the most useful kind of support is not the kind that makes you sleepy. It is the kind that helps you unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders, take a fuller breath, and move through your day without feeling as if your nervous system is one bad email away from sounding the alarm. That is what Relaxing Lavender + L-Theanine was designed to support: Calm for your body. Clarity for your mind. ___________________________________________________________ References Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biological Psychology. 2007;74(1):39–45. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.006 Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-Theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2362. doi:10.3390/nu11102362 Kobayashi K, Nagato Y, Aoi N, Juneja LR, Kim M, Yamamoto T, Sugimoto S. Effects of L-Theanine on the release of α-brain waves in human volunteers. Nippon Nōgeikagaku Kaishi. 1998;72(2):153–157. doi:10.1271/nogeikagaku1924.72.153 Donelli D, Antonelli M, Bellinazzi C, Gensini GF, Firenzuoli F. Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine. 2019;65:153099. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153099 Chen TY, Hiyama A, Muramatsu M, Hinotsu A. The effect of lavender on sleep quality in individuals without insomnia: A systematic review. Holistic Nursing Practice. 2022;36(4):223–231. doi:10.1097/HNP.0000000000000528 Müller WE, Sillani G, Schuwald A, Friedland K. Pharmacological basis of the anxiolytic and antidepressant properties of Silexan®, an essential oil from the flowers of lavender. Neurochemistry International. 2021;143:104899. doi:10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104899 These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk with your healthcare professional before beginning any new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a health condition.
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Lavender Benefits: What Science Says About Lavender Oil, Stress, Mood, and Sleep
Lavender may do more than smell relaxing! Explore lavender benefits for mood, sleep, and stress, plus what science says about oral lavender oil.
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Cortisol Detox: Do You Need One?
Do you really need a cortisol detox? Learn how cortisol affects your brain and body, plus healthy ways to support your natural stress response.
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How to Relieve Stress Naturally & Conquer Your Day
Did you know that stress causes 80% of all disease and illness? It’s true! But even if you ignore that startling statistic from the National Safety Council, there are many other serious problems associated with stress. Take a look at just a few of the things on that list: Fatigue Headaches Irritability Mood swings All of that should make you want to fight hard to reduce the stress in your life, right? Sure it does. But most of us have a difficult time pulling that off when stress has been largely accepted as an unavoidable part of living in today’s “modern world.” The good news is that we don’t have to panic. It’s not all gloom and doom when it comes to stress. In fact, there’s a ray of hope coming from Daniel G. Amen, MD, clinical neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, brain-imaging expert and New York Times bestselling author. Check out this video where Dr. Amen explains how you can beat back stress. FIGHT OR FLIGHT: Why Your Brain Could Use More Calming Nutrients We’ve all heard of "fight or flight." It’s our built-in system for dealing with threats--real or perceived. When we sense danger, our brain’s hypothalamus immediately sends an alert to your body. The brain then triggers the adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline gets your heart rate and blood pressure up and gives you a rush of energy to escape the danger. Cortisol, your body’s primary stress hormone, releases glucose to repair damaged tissue. It also puts your body in survival mode, reducing non-essential functions, altering immune responses, and suppressing the digestive and reproductive systems. Our body’s natural alarm system communicates with the area of the mind that manages mood, motivation and fear. It helps us react quickly and move toward safety. After the danger passes, hormone levels go down and the body’s heart rate and blood pressure return to normal. If “perceived stress” continues day in and day out, it can disrupt many of your body’s processes and lead to all sorts of health problems. That’s where a natural stress-reduction supplement can come to the rescue. The right formula can help support your brain and body to “turn down” our own stress response. How to Relieve Stress Each Day Naturally Dr. Amen and his team have created a brain-directed supplement that supports the body’s healthy and natural response to stress. It’s called Everyday Stress Relief and is formulated to promote calmness without causing drowsiness. Whether you suffer from mild or chronic stress often, you’ll want to learn how this natural calming supplement can help you. Here are the natural key ingredients in Everyday Stress Relief: Magnesium: The “relaxation mineral,” it’s estimated that 80 percent of the population is low in magnesium. Holy Basil: An adaptogen that supports healthy relaxation. L-theanine: Derived from green tea, l-theanine supports healthy focus and relaxation. Relora: A proprietary botanical complex that has been clinically tested to support calmness. IT WORKS! “This is what I take when I’m stressed,” says Dr. Amen. “And it works.” Everyday Stress Relief has a 100% satisfaction, money-back guarantee. You have nothing to lose except your stress, and a lot to gain by caring for your brain. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Everyday Stress Relief and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
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7 Ways To Keep Calm While Preparing For Vacation
Now that summer is officially here, it’s that time of year again…VACATION! You’ve worked hard all year so it’s time for a break and time to relax. Time off is essential to personal wellbeing, professional success, business performance, and more, but nearly half of American employees don't use all of their vacation days each year! Research has even demonstrated that taking a vacation can have similar biological benefits to your health as meditating. In short, vacations are good for your health. So why don’t more people take vacations? Often the reason is that planning and preparing for a vacation is too stressful an experience. It sounds like extra work, having to prepare for vacation. It can be easy to get caught up in the stress of everyday life, even in the summer. How do you transition from a stress-inducing life to relaxation mode? It’s difficult to get into the right mindset, but you can more calmly prepare yourself for vacation if you follow a few simple steps: 7 of the Best Ways to Keep Your Vacation Prep Stress-free 1. Have Realistic Expectations Resist the urge to plan every minute of your vacation and maintain realistic expectations about your trip. Your flight could be delayed. It might rain the afternoon you plan to go jet skiing. Mishaps and meltdowns happen, but they don’t have to ruin a trip. If you expect that things will go less than perfectly, you will be better prepared to handle whatever does happen. 2. Focus On The Positive This can feel "easier said than done," but it's very effective. As mentioned above, a lot can go wrong when you travel. However, as with life in general, negative things won't feel like they have as much power when you notice the silver lining of the situation. For example, if your flight is delayed, focus on how you have extra time to catch up on reading a novel you enjoy. 3. Plan Ahead There is nothing more stressful than realizing the day before you leave that you still haven’t checked the oil level of your car, gone to the bank, bought the extra socks you needed, set up the timer for your house lights, or had your mail held. There are countless vacation preparation checklists available online – download one ahead of time and check items off to reduce your preparation stress. 4. Pack In Advance This might sound overwhelming, since you’re already stressed and still trying to get into the vacation mindset. However, it’s important to remember to work toward your goal of relaxation in advance or you might never get there! Make or download a packing list and begin to assemble necessary items with plenty of time to spare. That way you won’t find yourself running around like crazy the night before trying to get everything together. 5. Get Plenty Of Rest Speaking of the night before your vacation, make sure to get plenty of sleep so that you do NOT travel tired. Certainly, rushing to get everything done before your vacation can leave you worn out. However, navigating unfamiliar roads or airports will be much more difficult and stressful when you are sleep deprived. 6. Know What Works For You You may have heard the tip to clean your house while you’re packing for a vacation so that you aren’t stressed about a mess when you return. While some people might benefit from a little prep work beforehand, it won’t necessarily make re-entry easier for everyone. For others, the prep only adds more stress. The same goes for work. Many folks stress about doing extra work before leaving in hopes of cutting down on the amount they have when they come back. But it seems like there’s always a lot of work when you get back, no matter how you prep. Prioritize and focus on those tasks that have a deadline while you’re gone and put non-pressing items on the back burner. 7. Supplement To Manage Stress Natural relaxation substances can be incredibly effective in helping you manage your stress and feel more calm. Drink some spearmint or chamomile teas. Put dried lavender in a vase near your bed. Use calming essential oil aromas such as clary sage, bergamot, or ylang ylang. Try BrainMD’s Everyday Stress Relief – a nutritional supplement that can help promote a tranquil mind and body while supporting healthy adrenal and cortisol levels. It includes well-studied herbs and nutrients to support your body’s response to stress on multiple levels.
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How To Protect Your Body From Stress
Do you ever feel stressed out? Kids, jobs, traffic, bills, relationship issues, parents aging, siblings fighting, not to mention the overwhelming amount of everyday responsibilities you need to keep track of…stress is more like a daily experience than an occasional event. Usually, people think of stress as bad…but really, stress is both good AND bad. Stress can motivate us (to study for an exam or pay our bills on time), it can protect us (we buy alarm systems for our homes, businesses or cars), and it can feed us (we go to work to put food on the table). However, too much stress is very bad for your brain and body, and unfortunately, too much of it can also kill you. By some estimates, as much as 80% of all disease and illness is initiated and aggravated by stress. In fact, left unchecked, chronic stress can have serious personal and social consequences, including: Health problems Low self-esteem Disability Family conflict Withdrawal from social activities Alcohol and substance abuse Legal and criminal problems Suicide So, what do you do if you are dealing with too much stress? Countless articles seem to offer the same advice: count to twenty, take deep breaths, envision yourself on a beach, and take some yoga. While these strategies can indeed help, for many, adding a supplement that supports a healthy response to the inevitable stress we all face can mean the difference between feeling overwhelmed and having peace of mind. That’s where basil comes in. That’s right – basil. But not the kind that makes food taste so wonderful…we’re talking holy basil. Never heard of it? You’re not alone, at least in the Western world. Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), also known as Tulsi, is an Eastern herb, revered in Ayurvedic medicine as "The Queen of Herbs" for over 3,000 years. Known as an adaptogenic herb, holy basil enhances the body's natural protective response to physical and emotional stress. Adaptogenic herbs do not alter mood, but they help the body function at its optimal level during times of stress. Research demonstrates that they do this by modulating the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Long revered as a powerful antioxidant with demonstrated antibacterial, analgesic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, the most compelling research data suggests that holy basil possesses its greatest potential in the areas of stress relief and relaxation. Considering the fast-paced world in which we live, these findings prove to be extremely significant. In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, holy basil improved adaptation to problems associated with stress, including: Occasional anxiety Forgetfulness Decreased attention Feelings of exhaustion Sleep problems Holy basil is just one of the powerful and effective ingredients in BrainMD’s Everyday Stress Relief. This safe, non-sedating, and non-habit-forming formula combines holy basil with other well-studied herbs and nutrients that help support your body’s response to stress on multiple levels. While it's perfectly natural to feel stress if you need a little-added support to find some relief and peace of mind, give holy basil a try.
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