Optimize Your Freelance Fall: 7 Herbal Supplements for Wellness
Are you a freelance, gig or contract worker? Have you noticed a change in your productivity with the change in season from summer to fall? Maybe it's hard to pinpoint as you think about it. Then you realize you have experienced less drive, you’re less organized, and have a feeling of time running out. Could it possibly be a change in the season? Quiet possibly! If you have noticed lowered productivity in the colder months of the year, you’re going to want to learn more about supplements for wellness.
Impacts on Work Performance - The Shift from Summer to Fall
The change in the seasons may cause mood changes and lower physical activity levels; this could be a hit to your business. How? In business, especially as a freelance worker, you are constantly hustling. Slow your roll and you risk poor work performance.
Your clients are relying on you. You are relying on YOU to keep yourself successful! You are the single most important part of your business, right? It wouldn’t be without you. It's like the oxygen mask scenario on an airplane. Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, so you can get oxygen to the passenger next to you. You can’t help others if you don’t help yourself first!
The Greatest Challenges Freelance Workers Face
Most of us are familiar with the professional networking site Linkedin. According to them, the six greatest challenges freelance workers face are:
- Uncertainty of income
- Finding and maintaining clients
- Managing workload
- Dealing with taxes and finance
- Lack of benefits
- Isolation
Sunlight decreases in the fall months, the days are shorter and the weather turns much cooler. A survey of 2000 adults showed a 31% decrease in exercise when the weather became cooler in the fall and winter months. This definitely impacts physical health, but it greatly impacts your mental health as well. Combine that with the challenges freelance workers already face in the workforce and you may have a recipe for poor work performance come fall. Nobody wants that! That is why we encourage our clients to utilize herbal extracts as their allies.
Supplements to Take in the Fall
Herbs work synergistically with your body making them some of the best natural supplements. Here’s some of the best herbal supplements for productivity and how they can help you beat mood changes, fatigue and manage stress.
Nature’s Vitamins for Fall
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
A nervine and adaptogen herb shown to help the body reduce anxiety, fatigue, brain fog and stress-related insomnia. Nervines nourish and calm the nervous system, aiding high stress times. Adaptogens help the body to manage all types of stress whether it be physical (ie. exercise), mental or emotional. Ashwagandha is a calming herb shown to help regulate the hormonal system; aiding the body in managing stress in a better way, improving cognitive function, stamina and nervous system function.
Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinalis)
This common weed is a key herb to support liver function and promote regular detoxification of the body. Dandelion root is also highly nutritive. This root is known to lower overall inflammation in the body by aiding liver function. Lower levels of inflammation help the muscles and joints to be less stiff, and energy levels optimal. This is ideal for overall health and performance, especially as we become more sedentary in the fall. This plant is truly a gift to overall health.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
This root is frequently promoted by natural health practitioners to support adrenal function. The adrenal glands play a key role in stress management. It may be beneficial for those with morning fatigue. It is also an immunomodulator; aiding immune system function. It has been shown that chronic stress and a change in the seasons may lower immunity, possibly leading to illness. Supporting your immune system through fall and the winter months is vital to staying healthy and combating airborne pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
Maca root (Lepidium meyenii)
A native food to Peru, Maca root only grows high in the Andes mountains above 10,000ft. in elevation. It is a prized food and is cultivated to this day as a food and natural medicine. For thousands of years it has been integrated into daily life and revered as special for promoting endurance, energy and overall vitality. Now that is something you definitely want to have each day!
Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica)
This dark green herb is rich in vitamins and minerals which the body requires for cellular energy. Being rich in nutrients, it is strengthening the body as a whole. Nettles nutrition makes it an effective antioxidant, protecting cellular health as well. It's an excellent addition to any daily nutritional supplement routine. This leafy green is a nutritional powerhouse, and considering good eating habits decline when fall hits, Nettles extract is a great way to help nourish the body.
Turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa)
Most people think of turmeric as a spice for Indian and Asian cuisine. While this is true, it also has powerful health benefits. Curcuminoids, a yellowish orange volatile oil, is its active constituent. This oil is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral. Turmeric rhizome extract helps to protect cellular health, promotes cellular regeneration and boosts immune system function. These actions are vital to supporting the body through a shift in the seasons and maintaining mental acuity and optimal energy level.
Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian is a potent sleep aid. A change in the seasons has been shown to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm which often causes sleep pattern changes. It's both a sedative and nervine that helps to relax the musculoskeletal, nervous and respiratory system. When taken 30 minutes prior to bed, it may help one to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. Good sleep is important to maintaining energy levels, mental acuity and a positive mood.
Integrating Herbal Supplements Into Your Daily Life for Optimal Work Performance
Are you wondering the best way to take these herbs? At Soma Naturals we find that liquid herbal extracts are an easy and convenient way to take your daily herbal supplements. Herbal extract supplements are a quick way to get their benefits into the body. Here’s why:
- They are more concentrated than other forms of herbal supplements such as tea and capsules.
- Their extraction method enables them to be quickly absorbed into the body. This means their nutrients and actions bypass the digestive system and go straight to the bloodstream.
- Their concentration means their benefits bring about change in the body quicker.
- They are convenient to take with you.
- They have a long shelf life.
- Each extract can be combined to make a customized formula.
- They can be added to other beverages such as water, fresh juice and smoothies.
Remember to always follow the suggested guidelines for use on the label of the product.
Prepare Now for the Turn of the Season
You now have the wisdom to utilize the best natural supplements to prepare your body for your fall workload. Not only that, once you begin you will help your body and mind to sustain optimal levels of performance. Remember, consistency over time is most helpful in achieving beneficial results. Here’s to your health! Cheers.
SHOP ASHWAGANDHA
SHOP LICORICE ROOT
SHOP MACA
SHOP TURMERIC
SHOP VALERIAN
References:
- Guanco, Tristan Edward. (March 13, 2023). The challenges of being a freelancer. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenges-being-freelancer-tristan-edward-guanco
- Author not cited. (n.d.). Exercise levels drop during the winter months for a fifth of adults. Retrieved from: https://swnsdigital.com/uk/2022/11/exercise-levels-drop-during-the-winter-months-for-a-fifth-of-adults/
- Hoffman, David, FNIMH, AHG. (2003). Medical Herbalism The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.
- Winston, David, and Maimes, Steven. (2007) Adaptogens Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.
- Yance, Donald R., CN, MH, RH (AHG). (2013). Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging and Chronic Disease. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.