Herbalist Tips for Parenting Stress

1. Repeat after us, "This too shall pass."

Every parent or caretaker has been there—the balloon pops, the ice cream cone falls on the sidewalk or someone gets an impromptu haircut. It’s important to try to remain calm and reassuring no matter what’s going on. We asked Lata how she handles stressful moments as a parent, and she said, “Thankfully I’ve learned to maintain an even keel. It’s important to realize that everything is temporary. My mantra is ‘this too shall pass.’ This gets easier as your child gets older and wiser, thank goodness!”

For Lina, claiming a moment of peace is key. She said, “Walk away if you need to take a breather. Place the baby in a crib or the toddler in a safe room and take a few deep breaths away. And remember—you don’t need to do all the things, all the time. Sometimes, just do whatever you can to make it through the day.”

2. Protect your peace

Remember that you can’t give from an empty cup. As Lina shared, “Although it seems like an impossible task to take care of yourself over someone else, your family will benefit from you being recharged.” Let stress be your sign that it’s time to hit pause.

For Lata, her “favorite way to de-stress is to take a long walk. Preferably in nature.” For Lina, she savors moments of self-care and peace sprinkled throughout the day. She said, “Coping with the day-to-day can be hard so I add herbs to my routine wherever I can. Some of my favorites are sipping nervine teas during work, adding culinary or nutritive herbs to my meals, adding Lavender essential oil to our diffusers at bedtime, taking an Epsom salt bath with relaxing herbs when my kid goes to bed and (especially) taking Herb Pharm liquid herbal extracts throughout the day. They’re so easy!”*

3. Support Yourself with Extracts

Naturally, most herbalists already know the magic of plants. As Lata shared, “I find that our adaptogenic herbal allies equip us to respond rather than react to stressful events. I love Holy Basil. It helps my concentration and calms me at the same time. The Stress Manager™ blend is also a godsend. This blend is my secret to not simply coping but thriving through such stressful times. Honestly, as a New Yorker, I feel anyone who is a city dweller can benefit from Stress Manager.”*

Lina also expressed a love of adaptogens. She said, “I make sure to keep to my daily routine of supporting my own well-being with adaptogens. I use Herb Pharm Schisandra daily and it’s my favorite one! It’s called the ‘5-flavor herb’ and you can taste them all when it hits your tongue. It’s so yummy. When I need a bit more support, I add in our Stress Manager which provides me with optimal energy, strength and endurance to handle longer-term stress.”*

4. Be Prepared & Ask for Help

Know that the highs and lows are inevitable. Reach out to friends and family when you need support! As Lina said, “Although parents seem to be superhuman, we are regular humans and can frequently ride the struggle bus.” Her tip for tackling the tough times? Be prepared. “Life as a parent can get super busy and pretty overwhelming. One tip that makes it easier for me is to have all my go-to products already on hand, including our full Kids' line. That way I don’t have to rush out with a kid who isn’t feeling the best or wait days for shipping to arrive.”