Managing Work Stress Series: Ashwagandha

⭐ Key Points

• Ashwagandha reduces cortisol (stress hormone) by up to 28% - measurable stress relief without drowsiness or cognitive impairment

• Clinically proven to reduce anxiety scores by 30% while improving sleep quality and morning energy levels

• Helps you stay calm during high-pressure situations - meetings, deadlines, difficult conversations - without feeling sedated or mentally foggy

📊 Research

Key finding: Ashwagandha's stress-reducing effects work at the hormonal level by directly lowering cortisol production. A gold-standard randomized controlled trial published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research found that 600mg of ashwagandha daily reduced serum cortisol levels by 27.9% compared to placebo over 8 weeks. Participants also showed significant reductions in stress and anxiety scores across multiple assessment scales (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012).

The anxiety relief is equally compelling. Research from Medicine journal demonstrated that ashwagandha supplementation (240mg daily) showed a statistically significant 30% reduction in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores in the treatment group compared to 10% in placebo over 60 days. What's remarkable is that participants maintained normal cognitive function and alertness while experiencing a significant 23% reduction in cortisol levels (Lopresti et al., 2019).

Perhaps most relevant for busy professionals, a recent meta-analysis of 9 studies involving 558 patients found ashwagandha consistently reduced anxiety and stress scores on standardized scales compared to placebo. Individual studies show participants maintained better stress resilience during challenging periods, with the herb helping regulate the body's stress response system long-term rather than providing just temporary relief.

How this translates: When you take ashwagandha consistently, you're essentially training your stress response system to be less reactive. The herb works as an "adaptogen" - helping your body maintain homeostasis during challenging periods. This means you handle the same workplace pressures with greater emotional stability and mental clarity, without the sedating effects of traditional anxiety medications.

☕️ Storytime

We’ve all had butterflies in our stomach, whether that be for a first date, final round interview at your dream company or a big presentation for the entire company. It’s a natural feeling, we’re human we all feel anxious sometimes.

There was a period of time when I was in between jobs and the uncertainty of when I’d get my next paycheck would keep me up at night. I put forth my full effort with a strict regime from sunrise to sunset to increase my odds of landing my next opportunity but as someone who is a J instead of P from the MBTI personality test, the rational stress of financial instability was like a looming gray cloud that followed me every step of the day.

Throwback to my tea craze of when I was trying a bunch of different herbal teas, I had one that was an Elderberry & Ashwagandha tea for immune support. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a simply generic packaged tea that you can get from your local grocery store. At the time, I’ve known about Ashwagandha and how it’s used for treating symptoms of depression while simultaneously having a positive effect on boosting testosterone levels.

I never felt that I was ever clinically depressed, but I would say during that period of financial uncertainty, I did feel less like myself and I woke up everyday with horseshoe blinds on, solely focused on the grind, no socializing, no dinners, doing nothing remotely leisurely fun. I wasn’t “depressed,” but I did feel the heavy burden of keeping up with bills and that weighed on my mood negatively. One day, I decided to drink the Ashwagandha tea I had and boy did my anxious thoughts dissipate nearly instantaneously. It put me on cloud 9, but rather it felt like I was sitting on a cloud, clearly visualizing everything I had to do, yet still understanding all the responsibility without feeling the burden, kind of like lucid dreaming. Going to sleep at night, I could mentally get into the right headspace, to wake up the following morning to hit the day hard.

I’m no magician, but I do prefer simple solutions over medication when it comes to “supplementation.” I would say that if you’re someone who deals with a lot of anxiety or periods of intense stress, that Ashwagandha could be added to your arsenal for those stressful days whether it’s via herbal tea or daily oral supplementation.

References

Chandrasekhar, K., Kapoor, J., & Anishetty, S. (2012). A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 136(1), 40-46.

Lopresti, A. L., Smith, S. J., Malvi, H., & Kodgule, R. (2019). An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract. Medicine, 98(37), e17186.

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