HW499 Bachelors Capstone Unit 4 Assignment: Chamomile, Stress & Anxiety

1. CHAMOMILE, STRESS, &
ANXIETY
STEPHANIE LAMPKIN
HW499-01
UNIT 4 ASSIGNMENT
31 JULY 2017

2. INTRODUCTION TO STRESS & ANXIETY
• EVERYONE EXPERIENCES STRESS AND ANXIETY AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THEM IS THAT STRESS IS A RESPONSE TO A THREAT IN A SITUATION. ANXIETY IS A
REACTION TO THE STRESS. WHETHER IN GOOD TIMES OR BAD, MOST PEOPLE SAY THAT STRESS
INTERFERES AT LEAST MODERATELY WITH THEIR LIVES. CHRONIC STRESS CAN AFFECT YOUR
HEALTH, CAUSING SYMPTOMS FROM HEADACHES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, AND CHEST PAIN TO
HEART PALPITATIONS, SKIN RASHES, AND LOSS OF SLEEP.
• THERE ARE SOME HERBS AND NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS THAT CAN HELP WITH THIS CONDITION.
CHAMOMILE HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. CHAMOMILE HAS BEEN USED FOR CENTURIES IN TEAS AS
A MILD, RELAXING SLEEP AID, TREATMENT FOR FEVERS, COLDS, STOMACH AILMENTS, AND AS AN
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, TO NAME ONLY A FEW THERAPEUTIC USES. CHAMOMILE MAY ALSO BE USED
INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY.

3. THE BREAKDOWN OF USES
• CHAMOMILE IS USED AS AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND TO TREAT INSOMNIA,
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SPASMS.
• IT IS ALSO COMMONLY USED TO TREAT DIGESTIVE CONDITIONS SUCH AS
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS), INDIGESTION, COLITIS, AND CROHN’S
DISEASE.
• IT CAN BE USED TOPICALLY TO PROMOTE WOUND HEALING (SKIDMORE-ROTH,
2010).

4. CHAMOMILE & STRESS
• IN OUR CRAZY, STRESSFUL, OVERLY-BUSY AND HECTIC LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE HAVE
LOST THE ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN, RELAX, AND NOURISH THEMSELVES. WE KEEP
TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE – OUR BOSSES, SPOUSES, CHILDREN, AND
RANDOM STRANGERS ON THE STREET – TO THE POINT THAT WE LIVE IN A
CONSTANT STATE OF AGITATION AND HYPER-DEFENSIVENESS, AND WE LOSE
THE ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN, RELAX, AND ENJOY LIFE.
• CHAMOMILE NOT ONLY REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO
TREAT INSOMNIA. CHAMOMILE HAS GREAT BENEFITS IN RELAXING AND
REDUCING IRRITABILITY (KLENNER, 2014).

5. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME & STRESS
• IT'S NOT TOTALLY CLEAR HOW STRESS, ANXIETY, AND IRRITABLE BOWEL
SYNDROME ARE RELATED -- OR WHICH ONE COMES FIRST -- BUT STUDIES
SHOW THEY CAN HAPPEN TOGETHER.
• THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN IBS, STRESS,
AND ANXIETY:
• ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS LIKE ANXIETY DON’T CAUSE THE
DIGESTIVE DISORDER, PEOPLE WITH IBS MAY BE MORE SENSITIVE TO EMOTIONAL
TROUBLES.
• STRESS AND ANXIETY MAY MAKE THE MIND MORE AWARE OF SPASMS IN THE
COLON.
• IBS MAY BE TRIGGERED BY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, WHICH IS AFFECTED BY STRESS.

6. ANXIETY
• OCCASIONAL ANXIETY IS A NORMAL PART OF LIFE. YOU MIGHT FEEL ANXIOUS WHEN FACED WITH A PROBLEM AT WORK, BEFORE TAKING
A TEST, OR MAKING AN IMPORTANT DECISION. BUT ANXIETY DISORDERS INVOLVE MORE THAN TEMPORARY WORRY OR FEAR. FOR A
PERSON WITH AN ANXIETY DISORDER, THE ANXIETY DOES NOT GO AWAY AND CAN GET WORSE OVER TIME. THE FEELINGS CAN
INTERFERE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS JOB PERFORMANCE, SCHOOL WORK, AND RELATIONSHIPS. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT
TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER, PANIC DISORDER, AND SOCIAL ANXIETY
DISORDER (NIMH.GOV, 2016).
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
• RESTLESSNESS OR FEELING WOUND-UP OR ON EDGE
• BEING EASILY FATIGUED
• DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING OR HAVING THEIR MINDS GO BLANK
• IRRITABILITY
• MUSCLE TENSION
• DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE WORRY
• SLEEP PROBLEMS (DIFFICULTY FALLING OR STAYING ASLEEP OR RESTLESS, UNSATISFYING SLEEP)

7. CHAMOMILE BENEFITS
• RELAXES MUSCLES
• REDUCES FEELINGS OF IRRITABILITY AND
NERVOUSNESS
• CAN PROMOTE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE
STOMACH
• HELPS BABIES WITH COLIC SPASMS
• SOOTHES HEADACHES, NAUSEA, AND INSOMNIA
• SUPPORTS SLEEP
• EASES IMPACTS OF STRESS
• PROMOTES WOUND HEALING

8. CHAMOMILE NIGHT TIME TEA
INGREDIENTS
1 PART CHAMOMILE
1 PART ROSE PETALS
1 PART HOLY BASIL
1 PART LEMON BALM
½ PART PASSIONFLOWER
½ PART SPEARMINT (OPTIONAL)
¼ PART ORANGE PEEL
PINCH OF LICORICE ROOT *OMIT IF YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE*
DIRECTIONS
COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS AND STORE THEM IN A COOL, DRY PLACE.
TO BREW: USE 1 TABLESPOON OF THE HERBAL BLEND PER CUP OF WATER.
POUR BOILING WATER OVER THE HERBAL BLEND, COVER WITH A TIGHT LID AND ALLOW TO
STEEP FOR 10-20 MINUTES, STRAIN AND ENJOY.
THIS DOES INCLUDE HERBS THAT HAVE SEDATIVE QUALITIES. DO NOT DRINK IT THEN
OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY UNTIL YOU KNOW HOW THE TEA WILL AFFECT YOU. DO NOT
ENJOY THIS TEA IF YOU ARE TAKING OTHER PRESCRIPTION SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS. OMIT
THE LICORICE ROOT IF YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (KLENNER, 2014).

9. CHAMOMILE BEDROOM
SPRAY
INGREDIENTS
8 OUNCES GLASS OR STAINLESS STEEL SPRAY BOTTLE (NEVER PUT ESSENTIAL OILS IN
PLASTIC CONTAINERS)
4 OUNCES WITCH HAZEL EXTRACT
4 OUNCES DISTILLED WATER
5-10 DROPS CHAMOMILE ESSENTIAL OIL
3-7 DROPS CEDAR WOOD ESSENTIAL OIL
3-5 DROPS VANILLA ESSENTIAL OIL
3-5 DROPS PALO SANTO ESSENTIAL OIL*
* BE SURE TO CHOOSE ONLY ETHICALLY GATHERED PALO SANTO, AS THIS IS AN
ENDANGERED PLANT
DIRECTIONS
COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN YOUR BOTTLE.
SHAKE WELL BEFORE USE AND SPRAY IN THE BEDROOM OR ON THE BED OR PILLOW
BEFORE GOING TO BED TO HELP ENHANCE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.
YOU CAN ALSO USE THIS IN THE HOUSE WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF STRESSED ENERGY,
AGGRESSION, AND ANGER ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS TO HELP PEOPLE CALM DOWN,
BREATHE, AND RECONNECT.

10. REFERENCES:
• MOSBY’S HANDBOOK OF HERBS & NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS L. SKIDMORE-ROTH,
(2010)
• ALL ABOUT CHAMOMILE: NATURAL HERBAL LIVING A. KLENNER, (6/2014)
• ANXIETY DISORDERS NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH, (3/2016)
HTTP://WWW.NIMH.NIH.GOV/HEALTH/TOPICS/ANXIETY-
DISORDERS/INDEX/SHTML