When a tree, the Linden, is a natural anxiolytic…
Do you not find that, even if you do not have a particularly anxious temperament, the current climate is super anxiety-inducing? We certainly do! While anxiety is a natural phenomenon the night before an exam or when our little ones do not come home quickly enough, this emotion can become disproportionate and unjustified, and become a disease. So what exactly is it and what are the tips and tricks to alleviate it?
Anxiety and Health
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Health and well-being, inseparable
For the WHO (World Health Organization), health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Health is therefore linked to the notion of well-being. Today, “civilization diseases” are exploding in rich countries; difficulties in daily life (work, housing, transport…), lack of visibility on the future, health crises, international conflicts, create an anxiety-inducing climate.
During Covid, anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide (WHO). Today, it is worse*:
- Two-thirds of French people have sleep disorders: 68%, vs. 49% in 2017,
- a quarter of French people have anxiety: 25% of French people vs. 14% in 2017,
- 18% have depressive states, vs. 10% outside of epidemics
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Women and young people are the most affected
*(Coviprev survey January 2022, published by Santé Publique France). Since Covid, the war in Ukraine and galloping inflation with a crisis in purchasing power have only increased anxiety, as has the climate crisis.
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Stress, anxiety, and anguish?
In any case, fear is present. Stress is normal in the face of a stressor, as long as it does not prolong. Anxiety is an emotion and comes from stress. It can become chronic and toxic. Anguish expresses a sense of malaise, with regular crises.
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The characteristics of anxiety
Psychological symptoms? Worry that affects daily life, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, fear, negative perception of the future, difficulty projecting oneself…
Physical manifestations? Heart rate accelerates, sweating increases, sleep is difficult, as is breathing, and nausea can occur. In principle, these manifestations disappear quickly, but if they persist and anxiety and this constant insecurity are not justified, then one is affected by anxiety disorders, of which there are several types…
Generalized anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, separation anxiety, eco-anxiety… Gradually, avoidance strategies are put in place, for places, actions, or meetings.
Anti-anxiety tips
- Trying to improve lifestyle habits, sleep, balanced diet, physical activity, is already the first imperative. Because anxiety affects the mind and body with an immune imbalance at stake, and the skin too by accelerating its aging.
- Adopting relaxation methods such as sophrology, breathing exercises that alleviate stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, by becoming aware of one’s body and allowing for better management of one’s reactions to an anxiety-inducing situation. By breathing deeply, exhaling longer, the body relaxes, diaphragm, muscles, back, trapezius… On the other hand, short breathing accentuates anxiety.
- Aromachology, the science of the influence of smells on behavior, also has amazing powers. Olfaction would affect 75% of our emotions on a daily basis, and we are 100 times more likely to remember a smell than something seen, heard, or touched. Even the skin has its olfactory receptors and perceives the virtues of a fragrance without needing to go through the brain!
Linden, the first natural anxiolytic
It is the most generous tree that exists because everything in it is beneficial, sapwood, flowers, leaves, buds, branches… That is why it lives close to humans. Already Pliny the Elder in the 1st century had nicknamed it “The Physician Tree“. It was planted near hospitals, and its harvests reserved for hospices because it was so renowned for its soothing properties… Its immense and fragrant shade protects meals, children’s games, confidences, kisses, and naps. That is why, very often, a linden tree is planted at the corner of the house.
For centuries, the fragrant harvest of its flowers in June infuses relaxation and serenity on winter evenings. The famous Madeleine de Proust, you know of course, but did you know that the complete story is a Madeleine dipped in a linden blossom infusion to calm Aunt Léonie in the evening ?! Soothing, it rests the mind, gives joy, and dispels melancholy. Fragrant, a few days a year, it exhales a divine scent with the smell of honey and white flowers.
So what could be more obvious than creating an ode to linden blossom with skincare that not only regenerates the skin but also detoxifies the body and soothes the mind? TiL was born out of this desire, in such difficult times, to offer daily little pleasures that are as many bubbles of serenity, to alleviate anxiety in the most natural and effective way possible.
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Comforting the mind
A tender and luminous fragrance, taking a stroll under a lane of flowering linden trees, was created by Francis Kurkdjian. L’Eau Qui Enlace, Eau de Toilette, so cuddly is it to the mind. Its emotional impact has been scientifically objectified by neuroscientists using 3 parameters:
-Respiratory rate, which slows down when the fragrance is pleasant
-The emotional load transmitted by the voice
-A psychometric analysis, or the choice of emotional attributes
The results of this study protocol exceeded our expectations! L’Eau Qui Enlace elicits a state of relaxation and appeasement, a respiratory rate reduced by 15%, and the triggering of 3 emotions: joy, relaxation, and comfort.
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Promoting sleep
"La Poudre Zéro Souci," our detox, destress & glow food supplement is a delicious dietary supplement that not only detoxifies the body with its linden tree sapwood and burdock but also induces true mental relaxation. Linden Blossom flowers maintain optimal relaxation, mental well-being, and promote sleep. Recognized for their calming properties, they soothe the nervous system and are used in herbal medicine to combat nervous fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
They are combined with Melissa which improves sleep onset and duration, Magnesium which reduces stress, and vitamin B6 which also contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and psychological functions.
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Easing anxiety peaks
Derived from gemmotherapy (the art of healing with the buds of trees that carry all their properties), L’Élixir de Sérénité is a dietary supplement that combines linden buds, Hawthorn, and Fig in a macerate, creating the go-to solution for soothing tension and anxious manifestations.
Linden tree
A true sedative with a gentle hypnotic effect to help fall asleep and avoid nocturnal awakenings, even when the mind is racing. Recommended for all fears, it treats anxiety by draining the nervous system,reducing psychological tension, agitation, and stress.
Hawthorn
Anti-stress and sedative, it calms the nervous system, soothes anxiety and agitation, and limits emotional outbursts in complicated situations.
Fig tree
They facilitate digestion in every sense of the word, food but also moments that are “hard to digest”. They calm anxiety and decrease the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach”.
Relaxing the mind
"Les Fleurs du Bien", a precious infusion that is as good as it is beautiful, has multiple virtues that act on the general well-being of the body and mind: it provides its benefits to sleep, as well as respiratory, hormonal, and digestive spheres. It is composed of the beautiful flowering tops of:
- Linden golden flowers, which soothe the mind and promote sleep. They represent one third of the composition for an unparalleled calming effect.
- Melissa flowers from Moldavia, which act on the sleep cycle by soothing and regulating it: quality sleep, peaceful night, and better recovery.
But also, winter Thyme flowers (respiratory sphere), Sage officinale flowers (hormonal sphere), Mauritanian Mallow flowers and Monarda leaves (digestive sphere).
So we don’t promise you miracles or a permanent state of deep serenity, but we do promise to help you, even modestly, to alleviate your moments of anxiety, thanks to comforting gestures that joyfully take care of you.
Because Linden is the tree of calm but also of joy !