I Met Depression on a Sunny Day | Herbal Healing Story

I met depression on a sunny day.
It was not pleasant.

I am an eternal optimist, the kind of person who bounces back quickly no matter what life throws my way. My ancient remedy has always been simple. Cry for a day, feel the pain, and then wake up ready to face the world with determination and acceptance until the ache fades away.

I could do this with every obstacle, disappointment, and challenge life tossed my way. It worked every time, except when I lost someone I loved. That kind of grief takes more than optimism. It takes time.

Outside of the tragedy of never seeing a loved one again, I could always recover, until the day I could not.

The Day Everything Shifted

One day, I encountered severe depression and helplessness, trying to figure out what to do without ever seeing an alternative. Wow, this is heavy. A spiraling downslide of sadness, despair, crying, lots of crying, unable to get a grip, unable to see the light. As if optimism suddenly became a distant vision. Panting, pleading, unable to move past the despair and tears.

The pain came from somewhere deep inside me, a place I did not know existed. My pain needed to come out, and it did. It roared like thunder within me, shaking me with electric jolts that brought on more sobbing. As much as I wanted it to stop, there was a strange release in letting go.

I talked to my mom and my husband, and everyone was shocked and surprised because their warrior felt defeated. Without words, their reaction was disbelief. No way, this could not be. But yes, it was me. I lay curled in a fetal position, unable to catch my breath, gently rocking, until I finally fell asleep.

A Message in My Sleep

God, the Universe, talks to me in my sleep. Not with a voice, but with energy. A knowing voice telling me what I needed to know. The message was clear:

“Get up. You must keep going. Greatness is to follow. You may not see it, but believe it. You are my child, and I have not left you. Your pain is to tell the story of how each person can fix their deepest and darkest sadness when they want to. You have not given up, although it may feel this way to you. Make yourself a special tea to continue seeing the light within. The tea will help you deal with the obstacles you are now experiencing.”

When I woke up, I made the tea.

From Loving Me Tea to SoGo To Sleep

That day, I gathered the calming herbs I had. I made a tea with Ashwagandha, St. John’s Wort, Astragalus Root, Gotu Kola, Ginkgo Biloba, Lavender, Valerian, and Chamomile. I called it Loving Me Tea. It became my comfort in the middle of that storm, something warm to hold while I found my way back to myself.

Over time, I kept working with that tea. I listened to my body and refined the blend. Loving Me Tea grew into what is now SoGo To Sleep, an herbal sleep remedy with botanicals and adaptogens for anxiety. It carries the same heart as my original tea, and it is carefully balanced for anxiety, deep rest, and renewal.

Today, SoGo To Sleep is crafted with calming herbs like Lemon Balm, Passion Flower, Damiana, Skullcap, Chamomile, Lavender, and Valerian. Together, they create a blend designed to quiet the mind, relax the body, reduce stress and anxiety, and invite restorative sleep.

I also use Ashwagandha Powder when my body calls for it. I take it any time. During the day for stress and at night for deeper rest.

Discover the finished blend: Shop SoGo To Sleep Tea and Ashwagandha Powder and let the herbs bring calm and rest today

If you are on medication, always consult with your doctor before adding herbs.

SoGo To Sleep Tea Ingredients

Why These Herbs?

These adaptogens and calming herbs have been used for centuries to reduce stress and anxiety and encourage restful sleep.

Damiana • (Turnera diffusa, Turnera aphrodisiaca)
Widely touted as an aphrodisiac, it balances and tones the glandular and hormonal systems, the central nervous system, and the digestive system; it relieves depression, stress, nervous tension, mental chatter, nervous debility, exhaustion, weakness, mood disorders, headaches, anxiety, hypochondria, dizziness, and poor physical balance.

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)
Similar to valerian but milder, soothing, pain reliever, mood stabilizer; calms the central nervous system, reduces restlessness, insomnia (including chronic insomnia), agitation, anxiety, worry, depression, headaches, migraine, nervousness, nervous tension, nervousness and stress, nervous stomach; use for nerve pain, neuralgia, shingles (for pain), diarrhea; antispasmodic action (muscle relaxant).

Lavender • (Lavendula angustifolia)
Used for insomnia, relaxation, stress, calming, headaches, depression; A relaxing bedtime drink for comfortable sleep; quiets the body and the mind, antidepressant, anti-stress, nerve tonic, gives a feeling of overall peace and well-being; quiets the body and the mind, antidepressant, antistress, nerve tonic, gives a feeling of overall peace and well-being; may be useful for agitated behavior.

Lemon Balm • (Melissa officinalis)                                                                                            Primarily used as an antidepressant and calmative; use for stress, insomnia, nervousness, nerve disorders, emotional upset, tension, anxiety, agitation, hypochondria; promotes calm alertness, sense of well-being; reduces dizziness, fainting, seizures, headaches, and migraines, nervous indigestion.

Skullcap • (Scutellaria lateriflora)
A mild calmative and antispasmodic, used for nervousness, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, depression, stress, nervous tension, and as a general tonic for the nervous system.

Chamomile • (Matricaria recutita)
The best all-around herb used for nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, emotional stress, and insomnia. Encourages relaxation.

Mugwort • (Artemisia vulgaris)
Traditionally used to support dreaming and deeper rest, calms the nervous system and is a blood detoxifier. Mugwort is also known for its connection to dreams. It has been used to induce vivid dreams, increase dream intensity, support lucid dreaming, and improve dream recall.

Valerian Root • (Valeriana officinalis)
Used primarily for insomnia, stabilizes sleep patterns when used for several nights an hour before bedtime; use for weaning off of sleeping pills, antidepressants, and antianxiety drugs; sedative, reduces pain, eases anxiety and restlessness, eases nervous overstrain, traumatic stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Ashwagandha • (Withania somnifera)
Adaptogen similar in properties to Korean ginseng, used for thousands of years in India, also called winter cherry; used alone and in many herbal combinations; normalizes healthy whole body function when challenged by stress; supports adaptation to stress, resistance to dis-ease and aging; promotes better physical and mental performance; nourishes the brain.

(from Healing Herbs A to Z by Diane Stein)

Final Reflection

That was my tea, my comfort, my moment of self love in the middle of a storm.
And if nothing else, that is what I want you to remember. Sometimes the first step is simply Loving Me. 

Explore the Blends Mentioned in My Story

If you’d like to learn more about the teas and herbs I mention here:

• SoGo To Sleep Tea – crafted with calming herbs for rest and renewal.

• Ashwagandha Powder – a grounding adaptogen you can take day or night for balance.

• Unstress Me Powder – an alternative, Unstress Me an adaptogenic blend to help destress

Wishing you wellness!

~Sonia