If you've been trying to stop your overwhelming anxiety for any length of time, you're probably already familiar with some of the more common strategies. Breathing techniques, mental exercises and finding physical outlets for stress are just a few. Granted, these tactics work pretty well, if you want to speed up the process, the following 5 natural herbs for anxiety are sure to do the trick.

I have to admit, prior to trying out the herbs listed below, I was pretty skeptical of the results. I've never considered myself the holistic, hippie type. I had some reluctance going the route of natural herbs to deal with my anxiety.

What finally convinced me was a simple yet effective remedy to nighttime panic that yielded amazing results.

I used to have a LOT of trouble getting to sleep at night. My mind would toss and turn and it seemed impossible to get to bed with the unstoppable, anxious thoughts rolling around in my head. A good friend told me to try Sleepytime tea with Valerian root by Celestial Seasons.

I figured I'd give it a shot. I picked up a box of the tea at my local supermarket and quickly discovered drinking it before bed was a great way to lull my body into a calm state.

The Valerian root in the tea decreased my anxiety like nothing I had ever found.

I decided to do a little research about the herb and found out that it has mild tranquilizing properties. Obviously it's not the kind of thing you should ingest before operating heavy machinery or driving, but valerian root proved to be an awesome, gentle solution for my nighttime anxiety. It led me to do some more research.

I wasn't looking for something that acted like a heavy drug; quite the contrary. I was looking to find natural supplements that I could weave into my diet to give me a nice, gentle way take the edge off daily stress.

After some trial and error, I came up with the 5 effective herbs for anxiety listed below. As always, talk to your doctor before using any of these herbs on a regular basis.

Passion Flower

Passion Flower acts as a non-drowsy, natural sedative that relieves intermittent nervousness, anxiety and panic attacks. It's actually the vine of the passion flower that holds the soothing effects.

Rather than knock you out or make you sleepy, passion flower will make you feel emotionally balanced. It won't give you a hyper, happy or excited feeling. Instead, passion flower will restrain your emotions from its range of extremes. If you have exaggerated emotions throughout the day (you go from very happy to very angry or sad), you may find passion flower to be a nice supplement.

St. Johns Wort

Extracts of this popular herb exert an antidepressant effect by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Dosage may vary. The one I took had a recommended serving of three grams of powder per day, but you really need to take it for weeks before results are felt. That said, if you just buy the supplement pills at your health store, this herb becomes a convenient way to ward off the blues.

Ginkgo Biloba

Used to improve circulation to the brain, Ginkgo Biloba elevates mood and is often used as a natural antidepressant. Side effects are minimal, but talk to your doctor if you decide to go this route. Ginkgo Biloba has been linked with bleeding disorders so you should do your homework before giving it a try.

Meadow Sweet

Meadow Sweet relieves headaches related to anxiety and stress. You can drink meadowsweet tea or extract as a convenient dietary supplement.

I have just a couple of warnings for you here. People with sensitivity to aspirin should avoid the use of meadow Sweet. Keep in mind, it should never be used to lower headaches or fevers in children as it may possibly lead to Reye's syndrome.

Kava Kava

This is one of the most popular choices for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. It is a powerful herb from the South Seas. Used as an alternative to Valium, research studies have found it reduces anxiety equivalently. The advantage is that there are no addictive side effects with the Kava Kava.

Bear in mind, Kava Kava WILL knock you out. It acts as a sedative so don't take it if you need to stay alert for any duration of time. This is a more powerful alternative if Valerian root isn't getting rid of your nocturnal anxiety effectively enough.

Talk to you doctor and see if they advocate adding any of these natural herbs to your diet. I've tried the ones mentioned above. Your own results will vary but for myself, I found Valerian Root and St. Johns Wort to be the most beneficial for my specific anxiety traits.

Remember, adding these supplements to your daily routine won't do a thing if you're not engaging in the RIGHT anxiety fighting tactics. Knowing strategies that effectively reduce panic, stress and anxiety is the only way to get over your debilitating condition.