Why Stimulating Herbs Can Calm ADHD??
Understanding the beautiful paradox of the nervous system
There is something deeply fascinating about the way the ADHD brain responds to herbs. This particularly fascinates me and i personally know how it feels. What energises one person may calm another… and what normally brings sleep may instead create gentle, sustained focus. This isn’t unusual. In fact, it tells us a great deal about how the nervous system truly works.
The ADHD brain seeks balance, not more stimulation
ADHD is not simply “too much energy.”
Instead, it is often linked to lower baseline dopamine and norepinephrine activity in the areas of the brain responsible for:
-focus and concentration
-impulse control
-emotional regulation
-executive function
Because of this under-stimulation, the body naturally tries to create its own stimulation through:
-movement
-talking
-restlessness
-unable to sit still for long periods of time
-the need to keep busy
-racing thoughts
This is the nervous system’s way of trying to return to balance.
Why stimulating herbs can feel calming:
For someone without ADHD, stimulating herbs such as ginseng or rhodiola tend to:
-increase alertness
-lift energy
-sharpen mental clarity
But for someone with ADHD, these same herbs may:
-normalise dopamine signalling
-quiet the need for constant stimulation
-create calm focus rather than hyperactivity
-makes them tired and sleepy
This is known as a paradoxical calming effect — the same reason stimulant medications can reduce restlessness instead of increasing it. When the brain finally receives the stimulation it has been quietly seeking…the body can relax.
The opposite paradox: calming herbs that create energy!!
Interestingly, the reverse can also occur. Herbs traditionally known for: calming the nervous system
-easing anxiety
-supporting sleep
may, in someone with ADHD, instead provide:
-steady, sustained energy
-clearer thinking
-gentle alertness without jitteriness
Rather than sedating, they stabilise the nervous system, allowing energy to flow more smoothly throughout the day.
My personal herbal rhythm: This is something I experience personally in my own daily routine.
Each morning, I take two capsules containing:
-lemon balm
-ashwagandha
-licorice root
For many people, this combination would feel deeply calming — even sleep-supportive.
Yet for me, it provides:
-long, sustained energy
-grounded mental clarity
-calm focus without overstimulation
Not a spike…
but a steady current of nourishment that carries me gently through the day.
This is the beauty of herbal medicine.
It doesn’t force the body in one direction — it guides the body back toward balance.
A reminder from the plants: Herbs meet us where we are.
-The overstimulated may feel softened.
-The depleted may feel lifted.
-The restless may find stillness.
-The tired may rediscover quiet strength.
This is not contradiction.
It is intelligence — the quiet wisdom of nature working in partnership with the human body.
And perhaps ADHD is not simply something to be subdued…
but a nervous system asking, gently and persistently:
“Help me find my balance.”
