After this whirlwind of a year, we’re all about creating an anti-stress wellness routine. But where to start? Wellness experts suggest a healthy diet, but even that sounds stressful. We prefer baby steps, which is where something called adaptogens come in. We talked to Charm City Integrative Health wellness coach Hannah Kahn all about this trend and how taking adaptogenic supplements can apparently help keep us calm, cool, and collected.

What are adaptogens?
Adaptogens are [largely] herbs that support the body’s natural ability to deal with stress. These stressors can include anxiety, inflammation, and fatigue, among other things.

What are the benefits of incorporating adaptogens into your daily wellness routine?
The benefits we get from this group of herbs are really special. Research has found that they contain anti-fatigue properties, anti-depressive effects, and increase mental work capacity and attention. These are things that everybody can benefit from, and it’s not difficult to begin incorporating adaptogens into your routine.

In your opinion, how effective are they?
Generally, adaptogens are incredibly effective. They’ve been [in use] for thousands of years, rooting back to Chinese Functional Medicine and Indian Ayurvedic Medicine. These herbs work at a molecular level, helping our bodies to fight stressors. I believe every individual is different, we are not one-size-fits-all, so it’s best to try one out and listen to your body to see how it’s responding.

Are there any side effects?
Side effects are typically minor, but they do occur occasionally for some people. Some of these herbs can interact negatively with prescription medications or for those with specific medical conditions. Always check in with your doctor and listen to how your body is feeling.

In what ways can you take adaptogens?
Adaptogens can be taken as herbal supplements in capsules, in powder form for foods and smoothies, and as herbal tea. Some can even be eaten directly! Some adaptogens can taste quite earthy, so play around with different fruits and veggies until you find something you enjoy.

Who would you recommend adaptogens for?
Adaptogens can be helpful to anybody experiencing anxiety, depression, fatigue, or other stressors. They are not an end-all-be-all, and it’s best to use these supplements alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle. Pregnant women and those taking prescription medications should be careful and check with their doctor before taking anything.

RESEARCH: Be sure to look into the different types of adaptogenic herbs to find one that works for your specific needs.

EXPERIMENT: Adaptogens can be taken as a supplement capsule or added to food or drinks; figure out what works best for your lifestyle.

DOCTOR’S APPROVAL: For more serious conditions, always talk to a doctor beforehand.

Feeling anxious? Having difficulty sleeping? Is your mind racing with all the possibilities of what could go wrong—or perhaps what already has? Rest assured, you’re not alone. Everyone deals with anxiety from time to time and a global health crisis like this—with all its commensurate unknowns—can only make it worse. We chatted with Andrea G. Batton, LCPC, of the Maryland Anxiety Center, about coping mechanisms for handling coronavirus related stress.

Why do we even feel anxiety?
We’re wired that way. It’s evolutionary. We need it to have that ability to jump to the worst case scenario. So if you look back at cavemen, if they heard a noise or a rustle, they had to go, “Oh my God, it’s a tiger!” Because if they thought, “Oh that might be a little mouse rustling through the leaves,” then they’d be dead. But we’re not living in the wild. Yes, we do have danger. But we need to be able to rationally assess for the actual level of threat.

And worrying never helps, right?
Right. We have no control over what’s happening with this coronavirus. Hopefully we’re doing everything that we can. We’re following the CDC guidelines. If I get in my head and I worry about it, it isn’t going to change anything. It’s just going to make me feel terrible. What I can do is bring my focus back to the present moment: What’s really important right now? What are your life values? That’s what you want to focus on.

What’s the best way to deal with quarantining?
I recommend a regular schedule: Say, wake up 8 a.m., exercise, get dressed, and have a cup of coffee. Block it out as loosely as possible. So maybe at 9 a.m., have a work project. And then block out some time for house projects or laundry or activities of daily living and then lunch. It’s really important to incorporate self-care right now. So that’s a time where you turn off the social media. You disconnect. Sit on your front porch or take a walk. And sleep is crucial. Don’t stay up until 2 in the morning. Don’t get sucked into sleeping half your day away. That isn’t good for your mood.

What if something bad does happen—like if I lose my job?
Bad things happen. The question is: How do you respond in the most helpful and adaptive way? Do I take this time to look for a job? To update my resume? To look at developing my business? To look into financial assistance? Is there something else I want to do? Do I want to write a book? Learn to play the guitar? Look into another career? Freaking out and panicking is not going to change anything. I’m always a believer that we can learn from adversity and grow from it. And sometimes become better.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Guidelines: Follow the CDC’s guidelines. Don’t overreact—or underreact. That will help give you a sense of control.

A Schedule: Keep a routine going. It doesn’t have to be rigid, but enough to give you structure. Take time for self-care.

Sleep: Don’t let your sleep patterns get all out of whack. That’s not good for your mental health.

With the holidays on the horizon, we can almost smell the delectable treats in our future—bring on the pumpkin pie! But along with the joy of the holidays comes the stress of party planning, gift buying, and family time, all of which might compel us to indulge ourselves a bit more than usual. We talk to Ben Supik, president and nutritionist at Activate Body in Woodberry, about how stress can affect our eating habits—and how to combat it.

How does stress affect our eating habits?
When the body is stressed it releases a hormone called cortisol, which when elevated in the body has a biochemical effect on what the body craves, how the body feels, and on its energy levels. While stress is a psychological state of mind, it is also important to remember this biochemical component and to recognize when cortisol is increased as we reach for those typical comfort foods.

Can stress affect your metabolism?
Indirectly, it can. It doesn’t affect the number of calories you burn directly, but typically stressed behavior can. For example, if you are more stressed you may feel overwhelmed and less inclined to do the activities you would normally do. A busier schedule may impede you from being more active or going to the gym, and when that stuff gets cut out, our caloric burn decreases as well.

How do you tell if something is more of a stress craving than a hunger craving?
I like to use the grilled chicken salad test. Ask yourself when you are feeling this craving if you had an unlimited grilled chicken salad in front of you and you could eat as much of it as you want, would that satiate you? For some people it would, because they are just craving the feeling of wanting to be full. Other times we are craving different aspects of the eating experience like flavor, smell, or how it makes you feel when you consume it. This lets us know we are not necessarily hungry but are craving a certain experience, and we can try to figure out what the healthier alternative is.

What are your tips to control stress eating over the holidays?
Don’t arrive hungry. These delicious holiday foods are tempting enough when you’re not hungry, but when you are starving, it’s that much harder. Eat a healthy meal right before or as close as you can before going into that environment. I would also suggest trying to put the fork down between bites rather than just going into autopilot. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, don’t beat yourself up. Be gentle with yourself, have a few bites, enjoy the holidays, but be mindful throughout the experience about how much you really need.

Some people like to unwind with a long hot bath at the end of the day. Some people prefer a sound bath. We’re talking about sound therapy, an alternative healing therapy which uses ancient singing bowls to decrease stress, anxiety, and chronic pain levels. We talk to Elaine Wujcik, a registered nurse and certified sound massage practitioner at Metta Integrative Wellness Center about the ins and outs of this ancient practice.

What is sound therapy?
I don’t really like to refer to it as sound therapy. I like to use the term sound massage, because what I’m doing when I am in a session is allowing a person to relax and get in touch with his or her own self-healing capacities. I’m not going to heal you with sound, but I will help you relax with it. I also like to refer to it as a soundtrack for self-healing.

How is it beneficial?
The biggest benefit with sound massage is that it can help with letting go of stress in your life. I believe there are so many conditions that are connected to having a high level of stress, so just to be able to let go of that allows your body to help recover or come back into balance. It can provide results for sleep disorders, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and types of pain management.

What is the process like?
The entire process is very calming. First you start to relax by lying down and slowing your breath. You are then told to think positively during the experience. You are able to move and stretch a bit while lying there so that you are able to be as comfortable as possible and listen to the sounds. I think it feels like getting a massage without the skin contact.

What instruments do you use?
I mostly use the Himalayan singing bowls I was trained with, which make really soothing noises. I also use a gong, chimes, and little bells. I don’t really like to start off with a gong, because it’s not as calming as the singing bowls. They are a lot louder than singing bowls, and some people like that, but I really like to work my clients up to it. The bowls really do help take down the layers of stress and clients are more receptive to them.

How long is a session?
I like to keep each session around 90 minutes, especially when you are first starting out with sound massage. Trying to do those sessions in just 60 minutes ends up being very rushed, so if you are trying to create a space of relaxation and letting go, I recommend the full 90. I also try to work with people and their schedules because people are busy, so after your first 90-minute session we can make our way to 30 if requested.

Most people know that exercising is an instant mood-booster (hello, endorphins!), but there are plenty of other ways to join the Happiness Club. And while Norway tops the list of happiest countries on Earth (and, sadly, the U.S. fell from No. 13 to 14), according to the 2017 World Happiness Report (yes, there is such a thing), there’s no need for despair. You can still find happiness here at home. Here are our top feel-good tips and how to achieve them. Illustrations by Danielle Dernoga.

Adopt a Pet
The Centers for Disease Control lists many benefits of having a pet, including decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and feelings of loneliness and increased opportunities for exercise and socialization. Adopt at: Maryland SPCA.

Take a Hike 
While some hardcore calorie busters might not consider gentle walking exercise, the experts do. Thirty minutes a day of daily walking improves circulation, lowers weight, and loosens stiff joints. Go into the woods at: Patapsco Valley State Park.

Read a Book

Think of reading as medication for the mind. Go deep with Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, or read Gwendy’s Button Box, the latest page-turning tome by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. Buy it: The Ivy Bookshop.

Get a Massage

Reach out—and have someone touch you. Getting a massage isn’t just good for stress, as the human touch can also reduce blood pressure and cortisol. Book it: Ojas Wellness Center.

Volunteer
Beauty is more than skin deep. Altruism is actually good for your health, so say Harvard researchers, who attribute volunteerism to lower blood pressure and longer lifespans. Volunteer at: Our Daily Bread.

Bake Like a Pro 
Researchers say there’s a link between creative expression and well-being. Activities such as baking can reap the same benefits as meditation. Take a class: Charm City Cakes.

Take a Bath  
For soft, supple skin and a bit of luxury, consider a bath with a chemical-free, homemade bar of vegan soap. Buy it: Sarah & June Handmade Soaps.