Sometimes you just want to get away from it all and curl up with a cup of…..tea.  If the pressure of stress – and who doesn’t experience that – is getting to you, one way to bring some relaxing calm to a pressure cooker life is sipping on a cup of tea. 

Now you can’t expect tea to magically transform your stress into perfect bliss but it may help relieve and reduce anxiety and give you the needed time to sit down, close your eyes with your feet propped up, reflecting on what really matters in life.

Tea has several qualities working in its favor making it an effective strategy for stress.  Here are four ways drinking tea can calm your nerves taking you to a new height of tranquility:

·      Prevents dehydration

Feelings of anxiety and stress often mean you’re not paying attention to what your body needs physically and one can be drinking enough fluids.  Neglecting proper hydration can leave your already tension-filled mind even more dazed possibly leading to headaches.  Tea is a refreshing beverage containing no calories, sodium, carbonation, fat, or sugar.  It will do its part in maintaining a proper fluid balance bringing you peace of mind.

·      Calms nerves

There is something about drinking a cup of tea that makes you slow down and relax.  Do any of us associate tea with activity?  Tea is one of those beverages you take your time to drink and this act in and of itself forces you to become more calm and settled.  Practice slowly inhaling and exhaling during your tea time.

·      Make it a scheduled routine

Coffee drinkers know all about routines.  For many of them, the first thing they do after waking up each morning is make a pot of coffee.  Tea drinkers can learn a thing or two from fellow coffee drinkers – make drinking tea as routine as brushing your teeth before bedtime.  Routines are rituals that can provide a sense of familiarity resulting in calmness signaling your body to relax.  Find your own tea time ritual during the day making full use of that time to enjoy the moment.

·      Antioxidant benefits

Tea contains powerful antioxidants, substances that help prevent or delay oxidative damage to the body, cells, and tissues that may contribute to disease.  One such antioxidant is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea.  This compound is one of several catechins in tea which have been associated with increasing metabolism, fat burning, and blocking histamine release associated with allergies.  All those health benefits is bound to help you experience some anxiety relief while scaling down stress. 

Top teas for stress relief

Just about any tea will do but certain teas seem to be popular choices for melting away anxiety and stress.  Here are some to consider:

·      Ginseng tea – Known to help induce sleep, this tea can also clear mental exhaustion allowing peace and calm to return.

·      Lavendertea – Perfect for reducing nervous exhaustion and headaches caused by stress and anxiety.  It can also quell indigestion issues.

·      Chamomile tea – Well-known for reducing nausea and indigestion, it can also soothe nerves bringing a sense of calmness.

·      Peppermint tea – Just the aromatic smell and flavor will relax your mind and is excellent for soothing an upset stomach

·      Lemon Balm tea – Trouble sleeping?  A cup of lemon balm tea can have you nodding off in no time.

·      Linden tea – This tea is one of the most effective natural remedies for calming nerves and treating sleep disorders.  It also may help facilitate digestion making it easier to get a good night’s sleep.

·      Valerian tea – This mildly bittersweet and minty tea, helps you mellow out with its calming blend of valerian root, passionflower and lemon balm. It also is known for helping you fall and stay asleep when sleep is elusive.