DR Camilla Richards Shares Her Experience and Guidance on Stress Relief Supplements for Women

For as long as she could remember, Camilla Richards had been the dependable one. She was the friend who arrived early, the coworker who caught every detail, the older sister who carried everyone else’s worries without ever sharing her own.

She held stress quietly, the way many women do—through tight shoulders, a tense voice she barely noticed, and a constant feeling that she needed to keep everything together without complaint.

Over time, that quiet stress began to show itself. In her early thirties, Camilla started waking up tired even after a full night’s sleep. Her chest felt heavy for no clear reason. Her thoughts scattered easily. Her appetite changed. Small things irritated her in ways they never had before. Nothing dramatic had happened in her life. She had simply spent years being “the strong one,” until her body finally asked for softness.

The moment that pushed her to seek answers was surprisingly ordinary. She was standing in line at a grocery store, holding a carton of eggs, when she noticed her hands shaking. She wasn’t scared or cold. She was simply exhausted from carrying too much for too long.

“That’s when I realized it wasn’t one big thing,” she said. “It was years of small things I never allowed myself to rest from.”

That moment marked the beginning of her journey toward understanding stress as something physical and biological—not a personal weakness. Along the way, she discovered that certain supplements, chosen carefully and thoughtfully, could support a nervous system that had been under constant pressure.

This is the story of how Camilla changed her relationship with stress and found calm from the inside out.

The quiet stress many women normalize

Before turning to supplements, Camilla had to face a truth she’d ignored for years: women are often taught to accept chronic stress as normal. Her stress didn’t come from major crises, but from countless small demands—work responsibilities, family needs, emotional caretaking, and the pressure to stay composed.

Over time, her body stayed in a constant state of alert. She slept lightly. Her heart raced unexpectedly. Stress became the background of her life.

Her doctor explained that long-term stress disrupts hormones, drains essential nutrients, increases inflammation, and keeps cortisol elevated long after the day ends. Stress becomes both emotional and chemical.

For Camilla, this explained everything. She wasn’t failing. Her nervous system was overwhelmed.

Approaching supplements with care

Camilla didn’t want quick fixes. She wanted understanding. She started with small lifestyle changes—calmer evenings, fewer screens, more walking. These helped, but the tension ran deeper.

Supplements became gentle support, not solutions. Before trying anything, she spent time learning how certain nutrients and herbs affect the nervous system. Understanding the science helped her feel grounded and safe in her choices.

Magnesium: helping the body soften

The first supplement that made a noticeable difference was magnesium glycinate. Her muscles had been holding tension for months—jaw clenched, shoulders tight, chest restricted.

Magnesium didn’t knock her out or numb her feelings. It simply lowered the volume of her internal alarm system. Her body remembered how to relax. Evenings became calmer. Sleep came more easily.

Stress didn’t disappear, but it stopped gripping her body so tightly.

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Ashwagandha: easing constant alertness

Ashwagandha worked slowly and quietly. Over a couple of weeks, Camilla noticed she wasn’t waking up with the same tightness in her chest. Her reactions softened. Small problems no longer felt overwhelming.

It didn’t sedate her—it helped her nervous system settle back into balance.

L-theanine: calming a busy mind

On nights when her thoughts wouldn’t slow down, L-theanine helped create mental space. It didn’t make her sleepy or dull her emotions. It simply smoothed out racing thoughts.

She paired it with warm tea and noticed her mind loosen its grip. Worry softened. She could finally rest without mentally rehearsing the next day.

GABA: releasing physical restlessness

Some nights, her body stayed tense even when her mind felt calm. GABA helped ease that leftover physical anxiety—the restless legs, shallow breathing, and internal vibration.

As Camilla put it, “It didn’t quiet my thoughts. It quieted the part of my body that was still on edge.”

Rhodiola: building resilience

Rhodiola didn’t calm her—it strengthened her. She felt less drained after stressful days and recovered more quickly. Stress still showed up, but it didn’t knock her down the way it used to.

Omega-3s: supporting emotional balance

Omega-3s helped stabilize her mood and thinking. Her thoughts felt clearer and less reactive. It wasn’t dramatic—just a steady sense of mental balance returning.

More than supplements

As Camilla combined supplements with therapy, better boundaries, and honest conversations, stress stopped dominating her life. She still faced challenges, but her body no longer reacted with the same intensity.

Most importantly, she stopped seeing stress as a flaw. She learned to treat it as information—a signal pointing her toward rest, care, and balance.

Supplements supported her body. Understanding supported her healing.