Crystals for Anxiety: A Comprehensive Guide

Humans have been fascinated by crystals for millenia. Often in gorgeous, lustrous, glass-like formations, crystals are appealing for their stunning beauty and beguiling for their intricate, rugged structure alike. 

But in addition to their gorgeous appearance, the best crystals have a mysterious charm and therapeutic energy that many people find healing. And natural and complementary medicine practitioners often use crystals and healing stones for their restorative properties.

In fact, we know that people have believed that crystals had healing powers for the mind and body just about as far back as recorded history goes. There is evidence of crystals being used for a huge variety of healing (and magical) purposes for the human mind and body in such ancient lands as Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, and Sumer. The first documented use of an ancient healing stone is from Mesopotamia, the birthplace of human civilization.

Whether for protection, calming, restorative, emotional regulation, or magical purposes, many powers have been ascribed to various crystals over time. Note that while anecdotal evidence is strong and tons of alternative medicine practitioners (and patients) tout the benefits of healing crystals, there is a lack of conclusive scientific research on efficacy. 

However, today, many people swear by using the gentle energy of their best healing crystals to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Popular support of the calming energy of crystals is especially strong for using crystals for anxiety. In this guide, we will discuss how beautiful crystals might help when you feel anxious, how to select the right crystals for anxiety, and how you (or a crystal healer) can use them to relieve stress and anxiety.

Healing crystals for anxiety

Crystals have an allure that many attribute to a special energy that gives these stones healing powers. They are a natural, safe tool that many find uniquely relaxing and restorative.

Throughout history, different healing and rejuvenating abilities have been ascribed to different crystals, from curing night terrors to warding off evil spirits to drawing in love. Additionally, various cultural, religious, and ethnic traditions believe crystals do different things.

However, the most common powers crystals are thought to have are those of protection and healing of the human body and mind.

Today, crystal healing is a common alternative medicine technique used by crystal healers to treat a variety of ailments. From improving your emotional balance and soothing stress to finding inner strength, self love, and inner peace, crystals may provide fantastic self care and stress relief for people with anxiety. These attributes make crystal healing particularly appealing to many people with social anxiety, in particular. To learn more about how to overcome anxiety, read our blog on the subject.

Crystal healing: How crystals relieve anxiety

As there isn’t conclusive proof of how (or whether) crystal healing works, it is unclear exactly what makes crystals restorative. Believers say healing crystals facilitate the body’s energy flow, helping the body to heal itself. Additionally, the specific energies of each crystal is said to influence the mind and body of the wearing, bringing wellbeing and banishing negativity.

The general idea, which goes back thousands of years, is that adorning yourself with the right crystals can offer healing, protective, and restorative powers. Key in this equation is selecting the best crystal nearby for the ailment you hope to cure or manage. 

So, for those with anxiety, certain crystals may provide better results than others, in terms of alleviating symptoms of anxiety. Some crystals may promote feelings of calm, while others offer rejuvenation or positivity. You’ll want to think about the feelings you want to get from the crystals you use and how that energy and emotion may work to soothe your anxiety. Then, match your desired feelings to the crystal or crystals that are known to promote those responses.

Belief matters

If you want to use crystals for anxiety, it’s key that you are open and receptive to the idea that the right crystal will have the power to help you. In fact, while specific evidence on the efficacy of crystals for healing is thin, much research shows that if you believe something will heal you that it often does, at least to some extent. This is called the placebo effect.

According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “The placebo effect is a beneficial health outcome resulting from a person’s anticipation that an intervention will help.” Interestingly, studies have shown that placebos have been shown to offer effective healing power even when people know they are receiving a placebo. In other words, if you believe that crystals are healing for your anxiety, then they very well might be.

It’s important to note that crystals should not be used to replace any treatments or anti-anxiety medications you are receiving for a mental health condition. Instead, think of healing crystals as an extra boost you can use in tandem with whatever other methods you use to help ease your anxiety. These other approaches may include cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, and other stress-relieving techniques, such as meditation, exercise, yoga, acupuncture, and breathing exercises.

Crystals for social anxiety

For those with social anxiety, you’ll want to choose crystals that promote relaxation, inner peace, and stress relief. Think about what negative feelings you are experiencing when you have anxiety. Then, choose crystals that tend to counteract or balance those feelings with more positive energies.

You’ll also want to consider which crystals appeal to you specifically, as particular crystals may resonate with you stronger than others do. And they may work better for relieving your symptoms of social anxiety when you feel a connection to that crystal. Trust your instincts on which crystals draw you in. Crystal healers can also help guide you.

Crystals for child anxiety

Many children who have anxiety also respond well to using crystals as a part of their self care and self-soothing. During times of stress, kids can use various crystals to help recenter themselves and regain a sense of calm. Many kids are drawn to the beauty and diversity of these stones, which makes tapping into their healing powers very accessible.

Choosing the right crystals

Key to using crystals for healing is to pick the right one (or ones) that will address whatever issues you’re hoping to solve. Below, we offer descriptions and potential healing powers of some of the most commonly used crystals for anxiety to help you choose the right one for your needs.

Amethyst

Amethyst is one of the most frequently used healing crystals, particularly for anxiety. It’s also one of the most stunning. This beautiful glass-like, purple-hued crystal is actually a variety of quartz. Unlike a smoky quartz or a clear quartz, the amethyst’s name comes from the Greek for “not intoxicated,” as ancient Greeks believed wearing amethyst would prevent a person from getting drunk. 

Today, amethyst, which ranges in color from a pale, translucent lavender to a deep, dark, almost black purple, is most often associated with bringing a sense of calm and wellbeing. This healing crystal is also praised for helping the wearer to manage their emotions and clear their mind. Some natural health providers also use this crystal to help with addiction.

In addition to its healing powers, amethyst is popular as a gemstone for jewelry. It is also the birthstone of February.

Angelite

This crystal is said to promote balance and alignment of the chakras. It comes in a range of pale shades, including blue, white, brown, violet, rose, and gray. Also called the angel stone, angelite may help you find inner peace and connect to your true spirit.

Aquamarine

This beguiling gemstone looks like a tidy capsule of the sea itself. Aquamarine is thought to contain some of the healing power of the ocean, too. It’s also called the mermaid stone, and is imbued with the wondrous spirit and song of those mythical creatures. Vibrant blue-green in color, aquamarine helps center the mind, cooling and calming your energy in times of stress and anxiety.

Black tourmaline

Also called schorl, black tourmaline is a black triangle-shaped crystal that looks like hunks of finely packed charcoal. It offers protection and helps you feel grounded. Black tourmaline is also known as a powerful antidote to panic attacks, shielding you from dark thoughts and/or flipping negative energy into positive vibes.

Blue lace agate

As its name implies, blue lace agate is blue with a lacy appearance. It is a relatively rare crystal and part of the agate family. Its sky blue color, which is threaded with layers of white (and sometimes pale brown) offers a soothing energy. Blue lace agate also has come to symbolize hope, positivity, happiness, and truth. 

Celestite

Celestite (also called celestine) is a pale or clear blue crystal. It is commonly used for meditation to help focus the mind. It is also thought to have heavenly qualities that promote inner peace, quiet, and calm. Incidentally, it is a source of the element strontium, which is used to make fireworks.

Citrine

This crystal, which is also a type of quartz, comes in a range of bright yellow to orange hues. It is claimed to promote optimism and prosperity. Natural citrine is rare. Instead, many are manufactured out of amethysts that are turned yellow-orange using heat. 

Kyanite

This gorgeous, high vibrational crystal is white with vivid splashes of bright to baby blue or blue with pale spots, giving it a bewitching otherworldly appearance. This powerful stone also comes in shades of orange, green, and black. Praised for its ability to enhance spiritual wellness, kyanite provides a powerful jolt of calm—and clear-headedness—for those that need it.

Lapis lazuli

Sometimes associated with throat healing and the throat chakra, this vivid blue stone has a mesmerizing energy that calms and offers protection. Lapis lazuli is also heralded for connecting you to your inner wisdom—and bringing anxiety to its knees. Like looking into the deep blue sky, this healing crystal helps you regain emotional balance, washing over the human body with waves of calming energy. 

Moonstone

Technically sodium potassium aluminium silicate, moonstone has an ethereal, opalescent look. It comes in a variety of iridescent colors, including blue, white, as a pink crystal, or in purple, orange, green, or brown. Often used in jewelry, moonstone emanates hope, intuition, and sensitivity. This crystal is also often associated with femininity and connecting with one’s inner self.

Rhodonite

Rhodonite comes in a range of rose, red, and pink shades. It is known to promote compassion, forgiveness, and emotional regulation. Its pink color is thought to link it to your heart or emotional center. In addition to its self soothing qualities, wearing rhodonite is thought to help attract love into your life. This powerful healing crystal is also often used to help the wearer overcome trauma and panic attacks.

Rose quartz

This very popular gemstone, which is also called hyaline quartz, is known to attract love and encourage positive feelings for the self and those around you. Rose quartz is praised for boosting emotional healing, self love, self-acceptance, and inner peace. Transparent and pale pink in color, rose quartz forms in beautiful glass-like shapes. A crystal with gentle yet powerful energy, rose quartz is used to promote harmony, both internally and with those in your life. 

Tiger’s Eye

Tiger’s eye is lauded as a superb protection stone that fosters mental clarity. The gorgeous, shiny mineral looks like smooth, lustrous wood. It comes in a rich range of reddish, chocolatey browns to golden yellows, which form in stripes. Tiger’s eye is known for fostering inner strength, which is why it is sought after by people who have anxiety. This durable quartz gemstone is primarily found in South Africa and Thailand.

How to use crystals for anxiety?

Crystals can be used in a multitude of ways to help combat anxiety and other feelings of stress or unease. Essentially, you can use the crystals at times when you feel anxious to help you regain control, calm, and peace. You can also use them preventatively when you anticipate that anxiety may strike. Many people create a crystal grid, or arrangement of their healing crystals, to magnify the power of each one and facilitate their personal healing.

You can interact with crystals in a variety of ways, too. These include wearing the crystal, say in a necklace or other piece of jewelry, or placing a crystal on your person, such as in a pocket or right on your skin. Sometimes, people will lie down and place a variety of crystals on their bare skin. You might also simply keep the healing crystal near you, such as on your bedside table. Or set up a crystal grid.

Alternative medicine practitioners may incorporate crystals into various treatments, such as massage, reiki, ayurvedic healing, and Chinese medicine.

Where can you buy crystals for anxiety?

Crystals are widely available. You can find them at a variety of retailers, from alternative medicine-themed shops and spas to specialty grocery stores and boutiques specifically centered on crystal healing. You’ll also find a huge selection online.

The takeaway

Crystals have been loved and trusted for their healing properties for countless generations. The calming qualities of many crystals make them a good fit for helping you cope with anxiety. Plus, there are really no drawbacks or risks of using them. 

So, if you’re so inclined and feel drawn to a particular type of crystal, try it out and see if having or wearing the crystal helps you manage your anxiety. You’ve got nothing to lose—and the healing crystal just might help you overcome your anxiety.