A recent survey of the traditional, complementary and natural healthcare sector revealed that homeopaths and other complementary therapists and practitioners were experiencing a 63% increase in patients presenting with mental health related issues, including anxiety and stress. With April being Stress Awareness Month, let’s look at what homeopathy can do to assist with this growing problem.

Physical and mental health are intrinsically linked. Poor mental health can lead to a range of physical issues, like insomnia, digestive problems and immune issues. If you’re feeling stressed, perhaps the most important thing to do first is to talk about it. Share how feel with friends, family or colleagues. Then look at what you can do to address the underlying causes of the stress, and how they are manifesting themselves.

As a complete, whole-person system of medicine, homeopathy offers the opportunity to get to the root cause of mental, emotional and physical illness. Medicines are chosen to fit the individual characteristics of the patient. Homeopathy promotes the body’s natural ability to heal, and is a natural and sustainable healthcare option which is kind to your body and the environment.

If you prefer to try homeopathy for yourself at home before seeing a homeopath, then you could consider Gelsemium. It’s a good option to try for apprehension and anxiety where the particular symptoms are trembling and physical weakness on being exposed to an anxiety provoking event. 

Alternatively, Aconite is a homeopathic remedy often recommended for managing anxiety. The key indications are intense, sudden anxiety, panic, or restlessness, which may occur after a trauma. Symptoms could include dry skin, dry mouth, trembling and fast heartbeat. If your stress and anxiety is manifesting itself in this way, then Aconite could be worth trying.

Whatever you decide to try, don’t do nothing. Take this opportunity to tackle stress before it creates other physical and mental health problems.

With World Sleep Day taking place in March, what better time to remind ourselves that sleep is the essential foundation to good mental and physical health. It supports immune health, brain health and helps maintain our bodies and energy levels. If you find that you’re getting poor sleep, it doesn’t just make you feel tired all day and harder to perform everyday tasks, it has been linked to obesity, diabetes and can lower your immune response, making you more susceptible to illness.

Surveys have shown that the vast majority, nearly three quarters of people, do not get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night, with one in seven surviving on limited amounts of sleep, under 5 hours. That is without even looking at the quality of sleep which people are getting.

If you want to improve the level and quality of your sleep, and prefer to avoid sleeping pills, then homeopathy could be an option to try. It is a natural, gentle, and sustainable system of medicine which will work in harmony with your body. In a consultation, a homeopath will look at you as a whole-person, consider whether there are any underlying factors impacting on your sleep, and choose a homeopathic remedy specifically for you. You can find a registered homeopath close to you here on the Find a homeopath website.

Alternatively, self-help is an option if you prefer. You could try a remedy at home first. Nux vomica is a common remedy for sleeplessness caused by worry when you wake up and can't get back to sleep. There are many others though, depending on the nature of your sleeplessness and the factors behind it, so it's always better to seek professional help if you can.

We all don’t sleep well at times, but if you feel that you are regularly getting poor sleep, then don’t ignore it. The possible effects on your future health could be significant.

Spring may be on the horizon, but winter coughs and colds are still rife, with children sick and workers staying home. UK Health Security Agency figures show that calls to 111 for coughs have increased across the country in February, with multiple viruses still circulating and infecting people at any one time. If you or your family can’t seem to shake a cold, it may be that you’re experiencing a string of viral infections back-to-back.

One of the reasons why you could be experiencing this is that your immunity against these viruses may not be as strong as it should be. Someone who is exhausted from one illness may find themselves struck down by others over and over. Pharmacies are generally reporting a 30% rise in demand for cold and flu drugs this winter.

If you’re feeling run down or exhausted, or feel like you just can’t shake these viruses, but want to try something other than pharmaceutical drugs, you may want to consider homeopathy. Homeopathy is a natural system of medicine which is used by millions of people around the world for a range of ailments. It offers a gentle option for all the family, and works with your body’s own healing mechanism. It can be used preventatively too. 

If you want to try something at home then Nux Vom is often a great homeopathic medicine to take when you have a dry teasing cough with a sore chest, where colds usually settle. Allium Cepa can help in building immunity by easing symptoms of colds. It’s also used for hayfever, so getting some now in advance of spring may be useful.

Alternatively, you can book a consultation with a registered homeopath here on the Find a Homeopath website. Most homeopaths offer online consultations too, so you can get the help and advice you need from the comfort and privacy of your own home if you prefer.

Did you know that historians believe that the origins of making new year resolutions dates back over 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians? Did you make one? It’s a tradition that so many of us still follow today. Whether it’s giving something up, starting something new, getting fit or losing weight, most of us have made one at some time or another. Resolutions focused on health and lifestyle changes are common things which people make in January. Unfortunately, many people give up by February because their goals are unsustainable, or because they don’t know how to achieve them. Maybe you are already finding it difficult to keep one!

It’s often easiest to focus on one small thing that you want to do or change. If it’s health related, perhaps you just want to improve your general health and wellbeing for 2023 so you feel less tired or anxious, or want to boost your energy for new hobbies. It could be something more specific. Have you been worried about a health issue for some time, but don’t know what to do, or who to talk to? Or have you been unable to get help through your GP, or get anxious in a clinical environment, and are looking to try a different solution? Whatever you want to achieve health wise, homeopathy could be an option to try. Millions of people around the world have tried homeopathy and now use it as part of their daily life. It offers a genuinely sustainable system of healthcare which supports your own body’s healing mechanism in a gentle, whole person way.

Make positive changes to your health this year. Make it the year when you try homeopathy.

The festive season is upon us again, and many of us are busily organising activities and gifts for family and friends. It’s a time when people try to take time off from work and school to relax. For some people, however, it’s a challenging time. You may feel tired because you haven’t had any time off work for a while, or have to work over the festive period. You may feel stressed because you have so many things to sort out. You may even have a health issue that you have been putting off dealing with for some time which is now worrying you.

Whatever it is, don’t neglect your health over the festive season. You don’t have to wait until the New Year to seek help for any health problems or concerns.

If you’re feeling apprehensive about Christmas, and worried that things will go wrong, then Argent Nit could be worth trying. It may help your anxiety. Homeopathy can help with a wide range of ailments and conditions, and even for general health if you simply feel you need to boost your energy. It’s also good for some of the more self-inflicted ailments. Nux Vox is commonly used for hangovers, which might be helpful for the day after those festive celebrations.

If you’re unsure which remedy is best for you, then you can find a registered homeopath here at findahomeopath.org who will look at you as a whole person, and give you time to go through all your concerns. Many homeopaths offer online consultations too, so you can get the help and advice you need from the comfort and privacy of your own home if you are pushed for time.

In addition, if you want to give a friend or family member a present that could have a really positive impact on their health and wellbeing, you could buy a homeopathic remedy kit from one of the homeopathic pharmacies. What better way to help a loved one look after their health in 2023 and beyond?