With the average Canuck's debt-to-personal-income ratio at 153 percent, according to Statistics Canada, consumers may be looking for a little relief from their financial stress.

If you're not heir to a personal fortune, maybe a little herb or two can help

Of course, using any organic therapy comes with the standard caveat: always consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal medicine -- because herbal therapies contain many of the same chemical elements as pharmaceutical drugs and can have serious side effects.

Here are some common financial missteps and the herbal remedy that may help you approach resolution with a clearer head:

Blunder No. 1: Disregarding credit card statements
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by severe restlessness and the inability to focus on tasks. ADHD sufferers might toss or misplace monthly statements without even glancing at their contents. Outstanding account balances then compound to unmanageable levels.

Herbal remedy: Chamomile has a calming effect on the nervous system. Drinking three to four cups of chamomile tea daily has helped some people overcome ADHD symptoms and could enable them to better prioritize and organize their monthly bills debts.

Blunder No. 2: Missing monthly payments
Cardholders who forget to pay their credit card bills may be suffering from memory loss. Such oversights can lower credit scores, trigger late payment fees and boost interest charges.

Herbal remedy: Ginkgo has a blood-thinning effect and improves blood flow. Healthy individuals who take gingko extract report improved memory and faster mental processing. Once you are thinking more clearly, you could set up automated email reminders to better manage upcoming bill deadlines.

Blunder No. 3: Making only minimum payments
Those who are stressed out often experience acid reflux and nausea. Unfortunately, paying the bare minimum towards your credit card balance can prolong stress for years. Based on the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's online calculator, contributing the 3 per cent monthly minimum towards a $10,000 balance on a card with an 18 percent annual percentage rate (APR) incurs a stomach-churning $9,800 in interest -- and requires almost 23 years get to the balance down to zero.

Herbal remedy: Powdered licorice root is a natural anti-inflammatory that soothes inflamed or irritated areas. Ingesting 1 to 2 grams of licorice root powder daily reduces acid reflux, upper stomach pain and nausea. Without those discomforts, you'll be better able to focus on doing what it takes to pay down your debts.

Blunder No. 4: Juggling too many credit cards
Anxiety can result from having just too many credit cards. Meeting a slew of payment deadlines can release stress hormones in the body that prompt a cascade of physical responses including pupil dilation, accelerated heart rate, elevated blood pressure and muscle tension.

Herbal remedy: Passionflower tea has calming effects comparable to sedative drugs and can moderate anxiety. But be careful -- drinking more than three cups of pacifying passionflower tea daily can result in dizziness, confusion and sedation.

Blunder No. 5: Failing to budget for emergencies
Losing your job or being hit with a huge unexpected expense can cause high blood pressure, a deadly condition with few visible symptoms that's been nicknamed "the silent killer." Hypertension inflicts damage to the heart and blood vessels because the heart is pumping harder to supply blood to vital organs. Without the comfort a well-padded emergency fund provides, consumers run the risk of constantly worrying (and raising their blood pressure) over costs they cannot control.

Herbal remedy: Drinking green tea can help lower blood pressure, while increasing mental alertness. However, consuming more than five cups of green tea daily could lead to caffeine dependency, increased heart rate and restlessness.

Blunder No. 6: Ignoring collection calls
Harassing calls from bill collectors can push consumers into depression, especially when cornered victims lose all hope of resolving their debts. People experience depression in different ways. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, food binging, apathy, irritability, uncontrollable crying and pessimism.

Herbal remedy: St. John's Wort extract has served as an antidepressant for mild to moderate depression, with upbeat results reported for both psychological and physical symptoms. St. John's Wort stimulates the brain chemical serotonin, which facilitates the problem-solving attitude needed to deal with collection calls.

Additional information about herbs and their specific uses is available in "The Herbal Drugstore" by Linda B. White and Steven Foster, and similar symptom-and-herb guides.

See related: 8 risky credit card scenarios you should avoid; How to stand up to collection agency bullies