Blooming Through the Storm

Ever feel like life is one big roller coaster, and your body’s just along for the ride, screaming Wheee! one minute and Make it stop! the next? Well, buckle up because we’re diving into a super cool mash-up, Dr. Edward Bach’s magical flower remedies and Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

GAS isn’t about flatulence (though chronic stress can cause that too). It’s the three steps that our bodies go through to handle stress.

1. Alarm (oh no!)
2. Resistance (fight on!)
3. Exhaustion (I’m done).

Bach’s 38 flower essences are like little emotional superheroes, gently nudging us back to balance with vibes from wildflowers. And guess what? They pair perfectly with these stages to help us bloom instead of wilt.

Let’s break it down in a fun, flowery way with no PhD required!

Stage 1: The Alarm Stage – Holy Petals, What’s Happening?!

This is the initial freak-out. Your heart races, adrenaline pumps, it’s fight or flight mode. Consider sudden bad news, a near-miss car accident, or realising you forgot your big presentation.

Emotions here? Panic, terror, shock, losing control, or zoning out.

Enter Bach’s crisis crew: Rescue Remedy! This isn’t one remedy it’s a powerhouse blend of five flowers Dr. Bach created for exactly these emergency moments:

• Rock Rose for outright terror and panic attacks. (I’m frozen in fear!)
• Cherry Plum for that I’m about to lose my mind/control feeling.
• Clematis for when you’re spaced out, dreamy, or detached from reality.
• Impatiens for irritability and tension that makes you snap.
• Star of Bethlehem is the shock-absorber, soothing trauma and numbness.

Pop a few drops of Rescue Remedy (or spray, pastilles whatever format floats your boat), and it’s like a floral hug calming the chaos. Perfect for instant relief when alarm bells are blaring!

Bonus solo picks if one emotion dominates

• Mimulus or Aspen for specific/unknown fears kicking in.

Stage 2: The Resistance Stage Okay, I’m Adapting… But It’s Tough!

You’ve survived the initial hit, and now your body’s in coping mode. Cortisol is high, you’re pushing through, but irritation, overwhelm, and doubt creep in. This can last weeks or months, think ongoing work drama, family issues, or pandemic vibes.

Emotions at this point are overwhelm, impatience, frustration, indecision, or low confidence while grinding it out.

Flower allies to help you resist without cracking:

• Elm is the go to for feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities. (You’re capable, but suddenly it’s all too much!)
• Impatiens for the solo Hurry up already! irritation.
• Oak for the tough it-out types who push past limits without complaining.
• White Chestnut for the quiet the racing, worried thoughts keeping you up.
• Scleranthus or Cerato for indecision or doubting your choices under pressure.
• Vervain is for those where stress makes you over-enthusiastic and tense (burning the candle at both ends).

Mix a personal blend (up to 7 remedies) to keep your resistance strong and balanced. You’ll adapt like a boss without turning into a grumpy goblin.

Stage 3: The Exhaustion Stage , Nope, Can’t Even Petal Anymore

If stress drags on too long, boom, the exhaustion hits. Energy tanks, burnout, despair, total depletion. This is where diseases of adaptation can show up if we don’t recover.

Emotions include utter fatigue, hopelessness, resignation, deep gloom.

Time for restorative blooms:

• Olive, the star for complete mental/physical exhaustion after prolonged strain. (Feels like your battery is at 0%.)
• Hornbeam for that Monday morning mental weariness, even if rested.
• Sweet Chestnut for extreme anguish, like hitting rock bottom.
• Gorse, will help with hopelessness, for when you are at the what’s the point stage.
• Wild Rose for apathy and resignation, lack of vitality.
• Mustard: Deep gloom that comes and goes like a black cloud.
• Oak (again), for those who fought valiantly but are now depleted.

Add Star of Bethlehem if old shock lingers, contributing to the drain.

These help recharge your inner garden, bringing back joy and strength.

Bach believed negative emotions block our harmony, leading to dis-ease. Selye’s GAS shows how stress physically wears us down in predictable stages. Pairing them? Genius! Flower remedies gently shift emotions at each phase, potentially easing the body’s burden.

Pro tip: Remedies are safe, non-habit-forming, and work alongside anything else (therapy, medications, yoga so go wild!). Take 4 drops in water, 4x/day, or as needed.

So next time stress hits, grab your flower drops and think I’m not wilting, I’m blooming through this! You’ve got nature’s backup squad.