Winter’s a time to rest. Cold days invite cozy reflection, and long nights encourage deep sleep.
Yet the season can also pull you in the opposite direction. Holiday demands and work schedules that don’t shift with the natural seasons make it hard to heed winter’s call to slow down. As a result, stress and tension can build.
Prioritizing winter rest doesn’t mean you have to shirk responsibilities or stay in bed all day, though. Simple practices like sitting in quiet stillness each day and ensuring you get a good night's sleep can make all the difference.
And there are many herbs to help you rest and rejuvenate this winter. Adaptogens for stress support and nervines for nervous system health are our favorites.
Adaptogens for Stress Resilience
Adaptogens help the body cope with stress by supporting equilibrium in the nervous and hormonal systems. They help the body regulate key stress signals like cortisol, nitric oxide, blood sugar, and cholesterol.*
They do this by supporting the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, helping calm or normalize the body’s stress response. Most adaptogens also offer antioxidant effects, helping you respond to and recover from occasional stress.*
But adaptogens aren’t a quick fix.
To vitalists, fatigue is your body’s call for rest and nourishment. So it’s not something to override. Using herbs to push through exhaustion can actually accelerate burnout.
Adaptogens are best used in combination with lifestyle changes like:
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Improving stress management
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Increasing sleep
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Eating a nutritious diet
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Getting adequate exercise
Adaptogens for stress also work best when combined with nervine herbs to soothe and repair a frazzled nervous system.
Our Favorite Adaptogens for Stress Resilience
Ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha warms, moistens, and stimulates digestion with its bitter flavor. It supports the nervous, digestive, endocrine, and reproductive systems.*
If you feel overstimulated, anxious, depleted, or occasionally unable to sleep, Ashwagandha may help. Its gentle oiliness nourishes dry, taxed tissues and adrenals, helping restore calm, resilience, and long-term sleep balance.*
Eleuthero root (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Eleuthero is sweet, bitter, pungent, and gently warming. It supports the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.*
If you experience occasional brain fog, fatigue, stress, or low mood, consider Eleuthero. It tones and nourishes depleted nerves, replenishes core vitality, and improves stamina without overstimulating.*
Holy Basil aerial parts (Ocimum sanctum)
Holy Basil is warming and drying with a delicious spicy-sweet flavor. It supports the nervous, digestive, endocrine, and upper respiratory systems.*
If daily stress and anxiety disrupt your digestion and focus, try Holy Basil. It promotes easeful digestion and calms the nerves while still improving focus.*
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
Rhodiola is mildly bitter and sweet, cooling and drying. It supports the nervous, reproductive, and respiratory systems.*
It’s ideal if you’re facing fatigue or seasonal low mood. It improves memory, focus, and physical resilience while easing stress and brightening your mental state.*
Adaptation Spagyric Formula
Our adaptogen formula was carefully designed to rebuild your core vitality by supporting neuroendocrine health.*
Formulated with Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and Eleuthero, it promotes a healthy stress response and strengthens your immune system.*
Nervine Herbs for Ease and Resilience
“You cannot be restful, at peace, or properly digest when your sympathetic nervous system is overstimulated.”
-Sajah
In addition to adaptogens for stress, we always suggest nervine herbs when you experience mental and physical tension, or occasional sleeplessness. The best nervines for stress are:
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Relaxing nervines to reestablish a healthy “fight-or-flight” response and promote rest*
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Restorative nervines to gently rebuild depleted nerves*
(See our blog “How to Support Your Nervous System with Spagyrics” to learn more.)
Our Favorite Nervines for Rest and Deep Sleep
Valerian root (Valeriana sitchensis)
Valerian is warming and drying, with a distinctly acrid, bitter, and pungent flavor and scent. It supports the nervous, musculoskeletal, and digestive systems.*
When muscle tension, worried thoughts, or irritability make it hard for you to fall asleep, Valerian helps you drift off. It’s also helpful for nervous stomachaches.*
California Poppy aerial parts (Eschscholzia californica)
California Poppy is cooling, calming, and bitter. It supports the nervous system and mental well-being.*
If you experience tension headaches, muscle spasms, and occasional sleeplessness, California Poppy calms the mind and relaxes the body. While it doesn’t cause daytime drowsiness, it still promotes restful sleep.*
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Passionflower is cooling and calming, with a bitter, sour, and sweet flavor. It supports the nervous, reproductive, and respiratory systems.
If you can’t sleep because of muscle twitches or racing thoughts, Passionflower can help you unwind. It eases physical tension and pain, calms the mind, and promotes restorative sleep for all ages.*
Chamomile flower (Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile is cooling and drying, with an aromatic and bitter flavor. It acts on the digestive and nervous systems.*
Chamomile is known for its calming effect on fussy children, but it’s potent enough to soothe grown-ups, too. If you tend to feel stress in your gut, this herb eases digestive woes like gas and nausea, while also relaxing your mind.*
Sleep Support Spagyric Formula
Our most relaxing formula, Sleep Support, features a blend of potent nervine herbs to help you settle down for a night of restful sleep.
With Valerian, California Poppy, and Passionflower, Sleep Support offers both immediate relaxation and long-term support health of your nervous system.
Make Rest a Priority
Winter is here to remind you that rest is not a luxury; it’s essential to a healthy life. As you weave adaptogens and nervines into your day, develop some simple habits to promote better sleep:
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Turn off all screens a few hours before bed
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Take time to make yourself feel comfortable—take a hot bath or drink a cozy mug of herbal tea (recipe below)
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Read something inspiring and uplifting, or journal
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Give yourself enough time to sleep
These gentle practices, supported by the right herbs, can help you make the most of the long winter nights.
Deep Reset Tea Recipe
Enjoying a nightly cup of warm, calming tea can help you slow down and relax. Here’s a recipe our family likes to make before bed.
Ingredients:
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1 tsp dried Milky Oats tops (Avena sativa)
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2 tsp dried Lemon Balm leaf (Melissa officinalis)
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2 tsp dried Chamomile flower (Matricaria recutita)
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1 slice fresh Ginger root (Zingiber officinale)
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Teapot (or glass canning jar)
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Spring or filtered water, brought to a boil
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Raw honey to taste (optional)
Instructions:
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Place the dried herbs and fresh Ginger in a strainer basket or at the bottom of the teapot or jar
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Pour just-boiled water over the herbs
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Cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes
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Pour into your favorite mug (strain if necessary); add honey if desired
Put your feet up and relax while you sip.
More Resources:
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For more about taking care of yourself with herbs, please read our blog post, “How to Support Your Nervous System with Spagyrics.”
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To hear a more nuanced discussion of adaptogens, check out the School of Evolutionary Herbalism’s video, “Holistic Herbalism and the Adaptogen Myth.”
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Did you know you can sort our spagyric collection by organ system? You can shop for spagyrics to support the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems individually.
We also regularly share herbal and alchemical wisdom, along with seasonal sales, in our newsletters and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. We look forward to seeing you there!
