What Ayurveda says
Chronic stress in Ayurveda is a depletion of ojas — the refined tissue that underwrites immunity, calm and stamina. The treatment is not stimulation; it is consistent, simple acts that rebuild reserves over weeks and months.
Possible dosha pattern
Vāta drives the wired, anxious, sleep-broken pattern. Pitta drives the irritable, perfectionist, burning pattern. Kapha drives the heavy, low-motivation, comfort-eating pattern.
Foods to favour
- ·Warm cooked meals, ghee, soaked almonds, dates
- ·Ojas-building drinks: warm milk with saffron, cardamom, a date
- ·One slow, sit-down meal a day with no screen
Foods to reduce
- ·Coffee on empty stomach, late-night alcohol
- ·Eating standing up or in front of a screen
- ·Snacking through the day
Daily routine
- ·Abhyanga 3–4× a week
- ·10 minutes daily of slow breathing or meditation
- ·Same wake-and-sleep time daily — even at weekends
- ·One screen-free hour before bed
Herbs (with cautions)
- AshwagandhaFull guide →
The lead adaptogen for stress recovery
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, Pitta heat
- BrahmiFull guide →
For mental fatigue and a busy head
Caution: Avoid with sedatives, hypothyroidism
- Shatavari
Rasayana for women in long-term stress
Caution: Avoid in oestrogen-sensitive cancers
When to see a doctor
Burnout with depression, chest pain, palpitations, or thoughts of self-harm — see a GP urgently; Ayurveda runs alongside, not instead of, that care.