Quick note before we start: I’m not a doctor. I’m just a real person with a busy brain. I tested these on my own time and my own dime. Talk to your doctor if you’re unsure. I sure did.
What my anxiety feels like
I work from home. I live in a small apartment with a loud street. My brain goes fast. Meetings, Slack pings, traffic noise, and that one neighbor who drills at 7 a.m.—it all piles up. My heart can jump for no clear reason. Hands get cold. Thoughts race. You know that tight chest thing? Yep.
I also walk a lot, do therapy, and try to sleep like a grown-up. Supplements weren’t my first move. They were more like little helpers for hot moments or rough weeks.
If you’re curious how someone else managed a similar experiment, this candid journal of trying nootropics for anxiety walks through the ups, downs, and data points in detail.
What helped me the most
These four gave me the best mix of calm and function. Not perfect. But real help.
- L-Theanine (Suntheanine, 200 mg)
Brand I used: Doctor’s Best and also Life Extension.
How I used it: With coffee or solo, usually mornings.
What happened: It took the edge off. My brain stayed awake, but my body felt less jumpy. On a Monday Zoom, my Apple Watch showed 102 bpm. I took 200 mg. Twenty-five minutes later, 78 bpm and my voice stopped shaking. Not a miracle. But very useful.
Side stuff: No crash. Tastes fine in water if you open the cap, but I just swallow it.
According to a randomized, double-blind human trial on L-theanine, participants showed lower anxiety and better attention—lining up neatly with the steadier heart-rate numbers I saw on my watch.
- Ashwagandha (KSM-66, 300–600 mg daily)
Brand I used: Sports Research.
How I used it: 300 mg at night for two weeks, then 600 mg on hard months.
What happened: It helped my baseline stress feel lower after about two weeks. I snapped less at small stuff. Grocery lines felt normal again.
Side stuff: First week I had heavy dreams. Also a little tummy rumble. It passed.
Backup or further reading: I found this in-depth ashwagandha review matched a lot of what I felt.
A broader scientific overview of Withania somnifera highlights similar cortisol-lowering, stress-buffering effects I noticed in real life; you can skim the open-access paper here.
-
Magnesium Glycinate (200–400 mg at night)
Brand I used: NOW and also Pure Encapsulations.
How I used it: 200 mg with dinner, 200 mg at bedtime on tense days.
What happened: Sleep felt deeper. Mornings were smoother, not so wired. My shoulders stayed down, not up by my ears.
Side stuff: Glycinate was kind on my gut. Citrate sent me to the bathroom, so I learned fast. -
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis, 300–600 mg or strong tea)
Brand I used: Nature’s Way capsules; Traditional Medicinals tea.
How I used it: Before things that spike me (dentist, flights, crowded stores).
What happened: A soft calm. I still cared, but I didn’t spiral. Took about 30 minutes to land.
Side stuff: Can make me a tad sleepy if I stack it with magnesium.
For a deeper dive into how these specific compounds influence neurotransmitters and stress hormones, I found the explainer on Best Brain Doping super helpful.
Stuff that kind of worked
These helped, but not enough to join my daily crew.
-
CBD (25–40 mg, full spectrum)
Brand I used: Charlotte’s Web.
What happened: Helped at night after loud days. My mind stopped replaying scenes.
Why not daily: Pricey. Also a bit foggy in the morning if I went over 40 mg. -
Bacopa Monnieri (300 mg, standardized)
Brand I used: Himalaya.
What happened: After three weeks, I felt less reactive. Like my brain had more space between worry and action.
Why not daily: First week brain fog and weird dreams. Helped later, but it felt slow and uneven.
Things that backfired on me
Not bad for everyone. Just not good for me.
-
Rhodiola Rosea (100–200 mg)
Brand I used: Gaia Herbs.
What happened: I felt alert, but also buzzy. Great for work sprints. Not great for a busy heart. My anxiety tilted up.
Lesson: It’s more pep than peace for me. -
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus, 1,000 mg)
Brand I used: Host Defense.
What happened: Focus went up. But I got tingles and felt keyed up at night. Also a tiny itch on my arms.
Lesson: Cool for brain fog, not for my anxiety. -
GABA (100–250 mg)
Brand I used: NOW.
What happened: A short calm, then a blank mood, then a little groggy.
Lesson: The window was too small. Not worth it for me. -
Kava (tincture, measured by kavalactones)
Brand I used: Herb Pharm.
What happened: My jaw unclenched. I felt loose, like post-yoga.
Why I stopped: Taste is rough, and I’m careful about liver stuff. I keep it for rare, high-stress nights.
Still, if you’re chasing a lighthearted lift rather than pure calm, this euphoric nootropics test-drive is worth a skim. -
L-Tyrosine (NALT, 300–600 mg)
Brand I used: Jarrow.
What happened: Better focus, more drive. But my anxiety? Louder.
Lesson: Great for deep work, not for shaky days.
Real-life snapshots from my week
- Tuesday 11:15 a.m. Big presentation. Heart rate up, hands cold. Took 200 mg L-theanine with half a cup of coffee. At 11:45 I felt steady. I kept my voice level and didn’t rush my words.
- Thursday grocery run. Crowded, long line, bright lights. Lemon balm at home 30 minutes before. I hummed to the store music and just… waited. No flight urge.
Social settings used to terrify me, so I also pulled ideas from Kayla’s favorite nootropics for social anxiety if you need more angles. - Two-week check-in with ashwagandha. I noticed I didn’t fear my inbox. I still had stress, but it didn’t stick to me like glue.
- Sunday night prep. 200 mg magnesium glycinate. Sleep by 10:30. Monday morning came, and I didn’t dread it. That alone felt huge.
My simple stack now
This is my steady setup. I adjust if life gets wild.
- Morning: 200 mg L-theanine with one small coffee.
- Evening: 200–400 mg magnesium glycinate with dinner or at bedtime.
- Daily during rough seasons: 300 mg KSM-66 ashwagandha at night.
- As needed: Lemon balm before high-stress tasks or travel.
I keep a tiny pill tin in my bag. Feels like a small safety kit. Funny how that helps too.
Side effects I felt (and what I changed)
- Vivid dreams: Ashwagandha and bacopa did this. I moved doses to earlier in the evening. It eased up.
- Tummy stuff: Magnesium citrate was a no from me. Glycinate was fine.
- Sleepy dip: Lemon balm plus magnesium can make me too calm. I don’t double up if I have late work.
- Jitters: Rhodiola turned the dial up. I use it only for heavy work days, never on anxious ones.
A quick word on timing and food
- I feel L-theanine in about 20–40 minutes.
- Lemon balm kicks in around 30–45 minutes.
- Ashwagandha and bacopa need weeks, not days.
- Most of these sit better with a snack. A banana and almond butter did the trick for me.
Who I think this fits
- If your anxiety feels like a sharp edge on normal days, L-theanine is a gentle start.
- If your stress piles up and hums in the background,