Feeling stressed out? Bach flower remedies are here to help!
17 Flowers to return to balance
Hi! This is Marie from Naturally Yours, a newsletter for people seeking simple natural paths to holistic health and emotional balance.
This is the second part of a three-part series on how to support yourself naturally in times of stress, exhaustion and burnout. You can read them independently or approach them as a whole, as they complement each other.
In the first part, you have learned how to create an effective medicinal plant-based protocol to support yourself during periods of stress.
In this second part, you will discover how Bach flower remedies can help you free yourself from the patterns and emotional dynamics associated with and responsible for your stress.
Finally, the third part will present you a case study… mine! I will share with you the story of my first burnout, how I rebuilt myself, and I will talk in detail about the herbal protocol and the Bach flower remedies that helped me rebalance my nervous system and avoid a second burnout last summer, when I was on the brink of it.
I invite you to subscribe below to make sure you won’t miss part 3!
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In the first part of this series, we discovered that stress is a true worldwide epidemic and that most of us – 79%! – are experiencing it to varying degrees on a regular basis.
We discussed the damage it causes to our physical health, and we learned how we can support ourselves with medicinal plants.
But stress, exhaustion and burnout also have a central emotional component. And we must take it into account if we want to address the situation in a holistic way.
That’s what we will do today, and we will approach this question through the lens of Bach flower remedies.
You will discover which Flowers can help you when you are under pressure, exhausted or overworked. And, more importantly, you will learn how you can use the Flowers to free yourself from the emotional patterns and dynamics at the source of your stress.
A Flower for stress
I am often asked which is the Flower to take for stress.
But there isn’t just one flower for stress, exhaustion or burnout. In the language of Bach flowers, those words are too vague. After all, stress can take many different forms and have many different causes.
Some people will feel overwhelmed, drowning in their to-do list. Others will be faced with fears and worries. Some will feel so irritable they might explode, others will harshly blame themselves and still others will not know how to set or respect their own limits.
So, to select the right remedies, you will have to observe yourself closely and understand exactly what happens within you.
Let’s explore this in more detail!
You will then know which Flowers can help you and you will be able to create your own personalized Bach flower mix to support yourself through times of stress.
If you are not yet familiar with Bach flowers, how to use them or how to prepare your own mix, I invite you to learn all about it in my article on what Bach flower remedies can do for you. It will give you the bases you need to get started.
Under acute stress
When you are under acute stress, the first remedy to think of is, of course, the Rescue Remedy.
It will be invaluable when the pressure is so intense and you are so distressed or in such a panic that you simply can’t cope with or manage your emotions.
It is your go-to remedy in crisis situations: you just had a car accident, you are swamped with work and suddenly your computer breaks down, causing further delays and costs, your had a heated argument with your husband or your wife, you have received bad news...
However, if moments of significant stress keep recurring, it will be essential to engage in deeper reflection. Only then can you find the Flowers addressing the true root of your problems.
You might, for example, have recently taken on too many responsibilities. So, you, who are usually competent, motivated and good at your job, suddenly find yourself completely overwhelmed.
You feel like you are drowning. You are overworked, defeated, convinced that you are unable to rise to the task which now seems simply impossible to achieve.
If you recognize yourself in this description, Elm will help restore your faith in your ability to cope with the situation. It will also help you be more aware of your limits, take on only what you can handle and learn to lighten your load by prioritizing and delegating.
Maybe you are under so much pressure that you feel like you are about to explode? You are afraid of cracking, of “losing it”, and perhaps saying or doing things that could hurt someone (or yourself)?
Cherry Plum will appease this emotional turmoil, help you maintain your self-control and give you the courage to confront your feelings.
Worries, fears and anxieties
For many of us, stress takes the form of worries, fears and anxieties, which are sometimes experienced on a constant basis.
Are you beset by fears? Maybe you are afraid of losing your job? Never being recognized? Never achieving your goals? Being judged? Falling ill? Not being able to overcome your financial difficulties? Not being truly loved? The future?
Mimulus will help you regain strength and courage, enabling you to face your fears with tranquility, learn from them and surmount them.
If it is the wellbeing or the safety of someone else that you are worried about – a child, a parent, a friend, a colleague, someone you met at the store or on the bus… – Red Chestnut will help you feel reassured.
You will regain confidence and faith in their ability to follow their own path and overcome the challenges that life presents to them.
You might also be plagued by worrying thoughts that go round in circles, recurring again and again, to the point where they prevent you from thinking constructively – and perhaps even from sleeping.
If this is the case, White Chestnut will calm your mind and help you regain control over your thoughts. You will feel more at peace. You will then be better able to address the problem you are facing and find a solution.
Chronic stress, exhaustion and burnout
If you have been suffering from stress for so long that you are overworked or in a state of burnout, one of the first symptoms you will experience is physical, intellectual and/or emotional exhaustion.
You feel like you are at the end of your rope? You can’t sleep well, you are never truly rested and you simply can't keep going any longer?
Olive will help restore your energy reserves, either by reviving what remains within you, or by enabling you to rest and sleep properly should that be what you need.
You might feel terrible about not being able to accomplish your work or not having enough energy to give more attention to your children, keep your house in order, take that walk with your dog or help a friend going through a difficult time.
If you are blaming yourself, Pine will free you from the burden of guilt and help you be kinder to yourself. It will give you a more constructive sense of responsibility and allow you to accept yourself without excessively negative self-judgment.
You might also have lost confidence in yourself.
You see yourself as inherently less capable or talented than others? You are convinced that you won't be able to get that promotion, to find another job, better aligned with your values, find a healthy work-life balance, be the parent you want to be or make that life change you aspire to? And you are so certain you won't succeed that you won't even try?
Larch will help you assess yourself more fairly and realistically, regain self-confidence and dare to try and act to create a more fulfilling and harmonious life.
If you feel lonely because you isolate yourself, you no longer feel like spending time with friends or family, you close yourself off and you keep people at a distance, Water Violet will help you open up and reconnect with others.
You may have relentlessly searched for a solution to your problem, explored every possibility, tried everything imaginable, but there seems to be no way out.
Your self-employed business is bankrupt and there is nothing you can do to save it, the injury you have suffered will prevent you from leading the life you have always yearned for, your partner is leaving you and won't be coming back... you are devastated, there is no hope left.
If you are feeling helpless, trapped, engulfed in an anguish so great it feels unbearable, Sweet Chestnut will help you feel supported from within. You will regain hope that the situation will find a liberating outcome, even if it is not the one you initially wanted. You will be able to stop fighting and to surrender, making space for something unexpected to happen.
Finally, in a state of overwork or burnout, you might reach a point where you feel completely demotivated, disengaged from your work, your hobbies or your relations. You have lost all interest, all joy, in them. You simply don’t care now.
It might even happen that you literally don't feel anything anymore; you have no emotion, everything leaves you indifferent, you are resigned, apathetic.
If this is what you are experiencing, Wild Rose will help you rediscover enthusiasm for life, regain the desire to involve yourself, engage with the world around you and bring about the changes you need.
How did you get there?
Bach flower remedies are there to assist you in regaining inner harmony when you experience emotional imbalances. But they can also help you free yourself from dynamics and patterns that are so deeply rooted in you that they may seem to be part of your personality.
And some of these patterns make you much more likely to eventually find yourself in a state of chronic stress or burnout.
Mimulus and Red Chestnut, which we have already mentioned, could fall into this category.
You might also be stressed out because you are naturally quick-paced. You speak, think and act rapidly, so much so that you tend to find yourself in a state of overdrive, often becoming impatient, agitated and irritated with others.
You are exasperated because your colleagues, friends or family members can't keep up with you? You seethe because you are always in a hurry and things never move fast enough?
Impatiens will help you regain calm, serenity and the ability to take your time and accept that everyone has their own rhythm, as does life itself.
Maybe you are the kind of person who works hard and refuses to give up? Whether it is a professional project or a personal commitment, there is no stopping you, you are always ready to push yourself further. You will keep going long after the point you should rest, whatever it takes, because you “have to”... until the day you completely break down.
You recognize yourself in this description? It is Oak that will be your ally.
It will help you become more aware of your limits and better able to stop in time, rest and listen to yourself. You will retain your qualities of perseverance, courage and endurance, but with the necessary moderation.
Perhaps it is not your sense of duty that drives you to surpass yourself, but your enthusiasm and commitment to the project or cause to which you are dedicated. You are utterly convinced, passionate, you want to accomplish the mission you have set for yourself perfectly, and even better than that!
But your inner fire consumes you, you can't rest, you can’t stop, you do everything intensely, and you end up exhausted, drained and extremely tense.
This sounds exactly like you? Vervain will help you be more temperate, more measured, so that you can find the right balance. You will then be able to continue pursuing your goals while preserving your vital energy.
You are also likely to experience significant stress if you strive for perfection and have set extremely high standards for yourself.
Your rigor, your healthy lifestyle or your work ethic is an example for others, but the (very) strict rules you impose on yourself leave little to no space for fun and enjoyment?
Rock Water will help you ease the pressure you put on yourself. You will retain your ideals and sense of discipline, but you will also be able to be more flexible and allow yourself to indulge in the little pleasures that make life so much more joyful.
Finally, you might be stressed and exhausted because you are too nice, too helpful. You are constantly trying to please others, you are incapable of saying no, and you systematically put other people's needs and wants before your own.
By always helping others and taking care of them, you may be forgetting to take care of yourself.
If this is you, Centaury will help you set the healthy boundaries you need so that your generosity doesn't come at the expense of your own wellbeing.
I hope this post has helped you find precious allies to support yourself!
Of course, the Bach flower remedies presented here do not constitute an exhaustive list of the emotional challenges you might face during times of stress. Our experiences are rich and complex, and each one of us is unique.
If you don't find here the remedy that corresponds to what you are experiencing, I invite you to come and meet me in the comment section! I'll be happy to help you find the Flower you need!
Please, note that the information given in this article is not a substitute for medical advice. Always use caution and consult a healthcare provider if symptoms persist or worsen.
Coming up next!
Stay tuned for Part 3. I will explain you in detail the herbal protocol that helped me avoid the burnout I was on the brink of last summer – which medicinal plants I took, why, in what forms, at what doses and for how long – along with the Bach flower mix I used and the other strategies I implemented.
As always when we are speaking about Bach flowers, I would love to open a safe space for us to share how we feel and support each other!
Are you feeling stressed lately? What happens within you when you are stressed? What do you think is causing your tension? Did you recognize yourself in one of the Flowers described in this post?
Let’s be there for each other and speak about the Flowers that will help us!
Ce sont tes flacons ?