It seems like I receive at least one e-mail every day from someone asking about herbs that can treat anxiety and help them sleep.

As a result of the ongoing recession, this problem has become commonplace. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 80 percent of respondents reported significant stress because of the economy. And the National Sleep Foundation’s 2009 Sleep in America poll found that nearly one-third of people surveyed weren’t sleeping well due to increased anxiety.

Many are visiting their doctors to get sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications. However, you don’t have to go the pharmaceutical route. There are plenty of natural alternatives. Exercise, deep sleep, and yoga, for example, have been proven to help many. Meditation and prayer works for others. In addition, there are several over-the-counter supplements to consider.

Kava is one of the most potent anti-anxiety herbs. In a recent study, Australian researchers gave 60 adults with chronic anxiety symptoms either kava or a placebo for one week. The second week, placebo patients were switched to kava and kava patients to the placebo. Anxiety symptoms declined for the patients on the kava extract, as did depression symptoms in some – often within an hour or two after taking it. However, there have been rare reports of liver damage when kava has been used daily. For this reason, I recommend taking kava no more than three days a week.

Another herb I like is passionflower. Its effects (which include relaxation and sleepiness) begin in an hour or two. Passionflower is quite safe, and can be used on the days when kava is not taken.

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that many find helpful in easing tension.

Certain amino acids and related compounds are popular for stress relief. These include 5-HTP, GABA, and theanine. I personally have not found GABA to be very effective, although some people really like it. 5-HTP helps to balance mood, reduces tension, and – like theanine – helps with sleep. The timing of these supplements depends on the severity of your anxiety. They can be taken during the day if you are very anxious. But if your symptoms are milder and you just need a natural pill to help you relax after work, they can be taken in the early evening.

If you are still having trouble sleeping, I have formulated an excellent product called Good Night Rx. A capsule is taken 2 to 4 hours before bed on an empty stomach, and the vast majority of users find they get a deeper and more restful sleep with hardly any side effects. Wait at least a half hour after taking Good Night Rx before eating dinner or a late snack.

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Years ago, while I was living in California, there was a saying: “Curb your enthusiasm.”

It’s an important saying to know when doing business. Sometimes you can get so excited about what you’re doing or offering that you make foolish decisions.

Happens all the time.

My friend Kim Wood, an NFL strength coach for 27 years, points out: “An animal on the attack is cautious almost to the point of cowardice.”

Fascinating, eh?

Picture a cheetah running 70 mph after a deer or antelope. He doesn’t appear to be cautious at all. Yet prior to that 70 mph burst, the cheetah had very carefully stalked his prey and scoped out the terrain. He does not simply take off on a sprint as soon as he’s hungry.

So the key to enthusiasm is balance. Same with confidence.

There’s confidence and over-confidence. There’s enthusiasm and over-enthusiasm.

Conversely, there is under-enthusiasm and under-confidence. I think most people who are struggling fall into the “under” category. They don’t need to curb their enthusiasm. They need to unleash it.

Enthusiasm for what you do and what you’re attempting to do is a cornerstone of success. Without it, you cannot accomplish much. As Emerson wrote, “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.”

At the same time, being too enthusiastic, too confident, and too positive can hurt you. It’s a matter of balance.

When I was studying shuai jiao kung fu years ago, Dr. Daniel Weng once told me, “A strength overextended becomes a weakness.”

How true.

And lest you think this applies only to martial arts – think again. It applies to everything you do in life. It also applies to every virtue.

Even love.

[Ed. Note: Matt Furey, an internationally recognized expert in self-development, fitness, and martial arts, is president of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation, Inc. With Matt's 101 Ways to Magnetize Money, you can learn the REAL SECRETS of financial success known only to the most prosperous men and women who have ever lived. Find out more right here.]