Back to Basics: 5 Calming Herbs -> Calm Down Now

After trying many different "cures" and 1 year of T, I'm going Back to Basics.
Philosophy: Calm Down and De-Stress yourself, learn to forget.

I spent about $70 on these supplies
See attached image ...

Buy the 5 most well known calming herbs in tincture bottles from a health food store:
Valerian Root
Lemon Balm
Passion Flower
Chamomile
Kava Root (careful with this one, I heard it might not be good for your liver).

Buy 2 types of Tea:
Peppermint
Nighty Night (a mix of herbs)

Around 11AM or NOON
Make a large hot cup of Peppermint tea.
Add a few drops of each of the 5 herb tinctures.
Slowly and calmly drink

Around 9 or 10PM
Make a large hot cup of Nighty Night tea
Add a few drops of each of the 5 herb tinctures.
Slowly and calmly drink

Do this every day/night.
Do not multitask on other things when doing this.
Make time for yourself to do this.

I am on day 3 and I do notice a little improvement.

Stay away from loud noises.
Stay away from negative thoughts, debates, politics, and any anger.
Good luck everybody.

 

Hi, Lance. You posted about your "relaxation mix" in December 2015. Are you still using this protocol? If so, has there been any additional improvement in your tinnitus?

 

I used those herbs a lot for a month and there was some improvement.
I have not been using it religiously because life got real busy.

I think what is actually helping more than any pill or concoction is to "force" myself to relax.
Relaxation and rest is the key.

Set aside time each day to relax, do breathing, etc ..

 

Thanks for the feedback. Someone posted today about the Headspace app, also good for relaxation.

 

I never heard of the Headspace app.

Something else that is interesting to do is to watch videos on youtube that are called ASMR.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response

Basically, it's sounds that make your neck and head tingle.
Just go to youtube and search "ASMR".

 

Lance, here's the link to the thread post where you can follow up on getting this app.

Thanks for the ASMR tip. The concept is interesting. I did some research on it, watched some videos, but maybe I'm just impervious to the popular videos, because nothing happened. I have experienced the sensation, though, and didn't know it was some sort of Internet phenomenon.

Apparently the videos of Bob Ross, now deceased, are a trigger for ASMR. This video, with over 7 million views, was given as an example. He does have (did have) a nice soothing voice. The scraping of tool against the canvas might be too much for someone with hyperacusis.

Bob Ross: Painting Mountains

 

I have found ASMR videos to be a great help with getting to sleep, or getting back to sleep. They are better than white noise for me. There are many forms of ASMR and you can try different styles to see what works for you. Soft speaking, tapping sounds, hair brushing, even roleplays of a doctor treating you. It seemed strange to me at first, but I have a whole list of favorites now that I have found as there are thousands out there on Youtube now. Some are not serious or they seem misintended, but keep looking for sincere ones.

I use a Kindle because for some reason the ads on YouTube do not play on it. Ads can be loud and disturbing. Though the videos do not work as a playlist on the Kindle. It just plays one video and then ends. I use headphones with small ear buds for comfort. Nothing too expensive as I tend to wear them out quickly when I turn over in the bed and stretch the wires. There are some available that are flat in a headband, but I've found that the sound is not as good in most of these. It takes a bit of getting used to wearing the earbuds at night, but it is worth it to me as it is drug-free sleep-aid. I have many favorites, but the ASMR artist WhispersRed ASMR is a good start:

§~Be Calm Now~§ A Relaxing ASMR...

Sometimes I watch the visuals if I am particularly tense, but I usually just turn the kindle face down to keep the room dark and listen only to the sounds until it lulls me to sleep. When I watch, I enlarge the screen to black out the bright white light around the screen edges and I turn the brightness down as low as I can on my kindle. You can look for earbuds on Amazon.
Others: VeniVidiVulpes; this one is nice and long

Playlist:

Probably the Queen of ASMR, GentleWhispering. This is a good visual one - she has beautiful mesmerizing hands.

Playlist:

One of my favorite roleplays -with a sweet Russian accent, ASMRmania

Playlist:

For a male version, this one is a little out there - it has tibetan bowls softly ringing with slight tapping sounds layered in and whispering - a bit more intense than most videos, but it might be someone's cup of tea.

Playlist:

Each of these artists has a variety of types of ASMR videos, so click on their names and see what else they offer. I hope you find them as helpful as I do. Many are rather entertaining as well as calming (though some can be annoying. In that case, just try another!).

Whisper Crystal, foreign accented audios only

Playlist:

Isabel ImaginationASMR, The popular 'Cranial Nerve Examination' with a nice personal touch

Playlist:

 

I like buddhify as a mindfulness app