Beyond Self-Help: Anger as Fuel for Sustainable Action

Jovie Hawthorn Browne
Nov 21
7 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

As we move into the season of forced cheer and crowded tables, we often feel pressure to suppress frustration and keep the peace… especially around family.

But what happens when you silence that deep tension? You create stagnation, emotional exhaustion, and burnout…

The Power of Outrage

The world gives us plenty to be angry about. Whether it’s watching systems fail the most vulnerable among us, witnessing the relentless extraction of our planet’s resources, or feeling the heavy grief of lost connection, these emotions are not flaws in our character—they are accurate, appropriate, and necessary responses to injustice.

Too often, we are sold the narrative that anger and grief are personal problems requiring individual self-help solutions. We are told to "manifest positivity," "vibrate higher," or medicate the feeling away. This approach serves the status quo. Systems of oppression thrive when we isolate our pain and attempt to suppress the very emotions that could spark collective action.

Our goal is not to eliminate our righteous outrage... our goal is to build the capacity to carry it. We seek to channel, transmute, and process these powerful emotions, ensuring they remain a sustainable source of energy for justice, not a destructive fire turned inward against ourselves.

Herbal Allies for Emotional Fortification

The practice of herbalism offers deep allies that work alongside therapeutic processing, activism, and community care. We are looking beyond hypnotic and sedative nervines to calm and relax ourselves. We need herbs that work as emotional catalysts, heart openers, and energetic movers. We are seeking protective allies that fortify bodily systems, allowing us to feel deeply without becoming debilitated.

As with any powerful tool, it is crucial to understand how herbs interact with your unique body chemistry and medications. We are herbalists, not medical doctors. Please consult with a qualified herbalist or healthcare provider before integrating any new herb, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or take prescription medications.

Disclaimer: The information below is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

We can categorize these allies by the kind of energy they are helping us to process and move:

1. Heart Openers & Grief Movers

Grief, betrayal, and deep sorrow often feel physically stuck—a tightening in the chest or a sense of emotional collapse. These herbs help bring fluidity and strength to the Heart space, allowing feelings to flow rather than stagnate into chronic resentment or bitterness.

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): The quintessential heart protector and boundary setter, both physically and energetically. With its strong, thorny branches and ability to nourish the muscle of the heart, Hawthorn fortifies the heart against distress. It builds emotional endurance, helping the heart remain open to both pain and possibility, while simultaneously defining a protective perimeter. It is superb for long-term healing work.
Taken as: Tincture or Tea of the leaf, flower, or berries.
Contraindications: Don't take hawthorn if you are pregnant or nursing, or on cardiovascular medications (e.g., Digoxin, blood pressure meds, antiarrhythmics) due to potential additive effects.
Rose (Rosa spp.): Rose is beautifully protective, cooling, and soothing. It creates a container of self-love and gentle strength, which is essential for feeling vulnerable emotions (the hurt that underlies anger) without being overwhelmed. Rose helps open the heart space, allowing feelings to flow rather than stagnate into resentment.
Taken as: Tea
Contraindications: Rose has GRAS status when taken in culinary/tea amounts.

2. Hepatic & Bitter Movers (Stimulating Flow)

Many healing traditions believe that when we experience chronic, intense emotions like resentment, frustration, or suppressed anger, it can create physical and energetic stagnation that manifests as tension, irritability, and a feeling of being "stuck."

The liver acts as a primary filter for the body, involved in processing and eliminating everyday foods, waste, and hormones. These hepatic (liver-supportive) and bitter allies work by stimulating the production and flow of bile, which has numerous downstream benefits. This action is not just digestive; it is seen as a way to physically and energetically "move" that emotional congestion out of the body, preventing resentment from turning into chronic, internal tension.

Dandelion Root & Leaf (Taraxacum officinale): Accessible and potent, Dandelion is a powerful hepatic (liver-supportive) ally. Energetically, Dandelion helps move stuck energy and resentment out of the body, encouraging an emotional clearing that shifts chronic tension into available energy.
Taken as: Decoction or tincture
Artichoke Leaf (Cynara scolymus): A deeply bitter herb that strongly supports liver function and bile flow. When chronic stress comes with nausea, bloating, constipation, or indigestion— a few drops of artichoke can help stimulate the body to move things along.
Taken as: Tincture

Contraindications for both Dandelion and Artichoke: Allergy to Ragweed/Asteraceae family, Bile Duct Obstruction (those Gallbladder disease/gallstones should use with the guidance of a medical professional). May increase the effects of blood pressure and diabetes medications.

3. Adaptogens & Nervines (Grounding the Fire)

When anger is intense, it can trigger the "fight or flight" response, leading to overwhelm, exhaustion, and burnout if left unaddressed long term. These herbs help ground the intensity and stabilize the nervous system so that the fire of outrage can be channeled productively, not wasted on panic or spiral.

Tulsi / Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum): A gentle adaptogen loved for coping with chronic stress, tulsi helps normalize the stress response via the HPA axis. This helps us stabilize high emotional energy so it can be directed and focused, rather than taking its toll through chronically elevated cortisol levels.
Taken as: Tea or tincture
Contraindications: Tulsi is possibly unsafe when used in high doses during pregnancy or when trying to conceive. Theoretically, tulsi might interact with blood thinning medications and diabetes medications.
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): A profound nervine that is loved specifically when it comes to helping the overly-active, racing mind settle. Passionflower can interrupt the exhausting cycle of rumination and intrusive thoughts that often accompany unresolved anger and anxiety, allowing the nervous system to truly rest and consolidate the emotional work being done.
Taken as: Tea or tincture
Contraindications: Passionflower is possibly unsafe during pregnancy. Those on central nervous system depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and MAOIs may experience increased drowsiness.

The Integrative Ally: Motherwort

While the herbs above address specific needs (Heart, Liver, Nerves), sometimes we want a comprehensive ally that can address all three at once, especially during acute emotional difficulty or periods of intense pressure. A bitter plant with affinities for the cardiovascular, reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems— Motherwort has a beautiful way of softening while simultaneously strengthening us.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): The Three-in-One Ally.

Action 1: Heart and Circulation (Cardiotonic): Motherwort is renowned for being a heart tonic, particularly for stress-related symptoms. She helps ease the physical sensations of anxiety and panic that cluster in the chest, such as palpitations or a "fluttering" heart often associated with fear or acute rage. By supporting healthy heart function, Motherwort helps us feel literally and figuratively anchored during emotional storms.
Action 2: Nervous System (Nervine): Motherwort is a nervine that works to manage the physical agitation that comes with frustration and suppressed anger, promoting calm without dulling the mind. She is exceptional for those who feel fiercely protective but struggle to ground that intensity—and helps us hold our boundaries without collapsing into overwhelm.
Action 3: Bitter Taste (Hepatic Connection): Motherwort's noticeable bitter taste ensures she participates in the digestive and hepatic movement we discussed earlier. This bitter quality helps stimulate digestion and flow, tying into the traditional use of bitters to move stagnation. This means Motherwort is working not only on the agitated heart and nerves but also gently assisting in the emotional release often tied to the liver/digestive processes.

In essence: Motherwort helps us stay fiercely present, soothing the panic in the chest while subtly encouraging the movement of stuck, tense energy.

Taken as: Tincture or tea. Typically at up to 3 cups of tea per day, or 1-4mL of tincture 3 times per day (dosage can vary based on individual needs and sensitivity). If the bitterness of the tea is too much, you can add other herbs or spices like ginger or cinnamon for flavor.

Contraindications: Motherwort should not be worked with during pregnancy, as it can stimulate the uterus. It may increase the effects of blood pressure medications, blood thinners, and sedatives.

The Takeaway: From Personal Pain to Collective Power

Remember, you are not alone in your pain; it is a signal of our collective loss.

When seeking support for intense emotions:

Prioritize Foundational Care: Ensure you are staying well-hydrated and actively seeking rest where you can find it. These are not optional. They are essential to survival.
Practice Self-Protection: Focus on setting clear, necessary boundaries and being open to accepting help from your community. These are acts of resistance against burnout.
Acknowledge the systemic context: Your anger is a rational.
Practice movement and release: Walking, breathwork, dancing, creating art, somatic therapy, etc. are powerful tools that cannot be replaced by herbs or supplements.
Incorporate herbal allies: Call upon Hawthorn and Rose for the heart, Dandelion and Artichoke for moving stagnation, Tulsi and Passionflower for grounding the intense energy, and Motherwort to incorporate all of the above at once.

These plants are just the beginning of a truly empowering relationship with plant allies. They are just a glimpse of the foundational tools we can call upon for building resilience against systemic burnout.

If you are ready to move beyond simply reading about herbs and start confidently working with them to create sustainable support for yourself and your community, I have a learning pathway for you:

➡️ 1. Learn the Basics (The Foundational Path)

The Herbal Foundations 5-day crash course is designed to give you the basic knowledge to ethically source, prepare, and confidently work with plant medicine. Learn the fundamental skills needed to get started down a path that is both rooted in nature and grounded in science

Learn more & Enroll in Herbal Foundations here

➡️ 2. Go Deeper into Herbal Science

The Integrated Herbal Intensive is designed for those ready to take a deep dive beyond surface-level fluff so you can stop memorizing lists and start embodying a deep knowing. You won't just learn what herbs do—you'll understand the science behind how they impact each bodily system, so that you can build a resilient, plant-supported lifestyle that's not rooted in quick-fixes or miracle cures.