Looking for a moment of calm in a stressful world? There are few things more comforting than the simple pleasure of a hot cup of tea. Here’s our pick of the 6 best herbal teas for anxiety and stress.
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We all have days when the pressure builds up, and it feels like stress might completely overwhelm us. When our thoughts are running at a thousand miles per hour, it can be hard to find a way to slow down and centre ourselves again in the present moment.
Sadly, a single cup of tea can’t cure all our worries. The pressures and stresses of life will still be there to challenge us. But grounding ourselves in the ritual of making and enjoying a comforting cup of tea can help us find the calm we need to face those challenges without being overwhelmed.
There’s something very simple and practical about the familiar process of boiling water, selecting a mug, and steeping your tea bag for the perfect amount of time. It helps us step out of our anxious thoughts and root ourselves in the present.
It’s no accident that some cultures have elevated tea-making into a sacred ritual. When done with precision and intention, the humble act of brewing a cup of tea becomes an act of mindfulness.
However, there are some cups of tea that do more than others to help us find calm when we’re stressed or anxious. Black tea might be the traditional British tipple, but its caffeine content can sometimes make anxiety worse.
Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives that we can choose when we need to find a moment of quiet serenity. This is our pick of the 7 best herbal teas for anxiety and stress.
1. Chamomile
A well-known stress reliever, calming chamomile is a popular tea to soothe a troubled mind. Its anxiety-busting properties come from a flavonoid called apigenin.
Apigenin is a natural mild tranquillizer that appears to have similar effects in our brains as an anti-depressant. This compound is behind chamomile’s long use in relieving stress and anxiety. It has also shown effectiveness as a treatment for insomnia, which is great news if your stress levels are stopping you from getting a good night’s sleep.
2. Lavender
Lavender is another herb that is well-known for its soothing properties. Many aromatherapy mists, sprays, and candles use it to promote a good night’s sleep, but lavender can also be used in a calming tea blend to combat stress and anxiety.
Like chamomile, lavender is a natural sedative, helping to slow our racing thoughts and relax our bodies. As well as giving us a more restful night’s sleep, lavender’s calming effects can also help to reduce anxiety while we’re awake, giving us some much-needed calm.
3. Passionflower
Like chamomile, passionflower contains significant amounts of the flavonoid apigenin, making this herb a natural alternative to antidepressants for treating anxiety and stress. Its mild taste means it can easily be added to any herbal tea blend to help us find peace and calm.
Again, passionflower is also a great herb to choose if stress and worry are disturbing your sleep. It has been used as a traditional treatment for insomnia for centuries and there’s scientific evidence to support its effectiveness too.
4. Lemon Balm
A member of the mint family, lemon balm has a soothing citrus and mint taste. Not only is its flavour delicious, but it also helps to relieve anxiety, making it a popular ingredient in soothing herbal tea blends.
Lemon balm’s calming properties appear to come from its ability to stimulate the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter found in our brains. Low levels of this neurotransmitter are associated with anxiety and low mood, so drinking lemon balm tea regularly might help to boost your mood and soothe your stress.
5. Ashwagandha
One of the most important herbs in Ayurveda, ashwagandha is a prized adaptogen, meaning it helps us to fight stress and find a good balance in our bodies and minds.
Ashwagandha has been used for centuries in India as a traditional remedy for anxiety and stress. It’s also gaining popularity in the West as scientific studies increasingly support these claims. As well as calming our minds, ashwagandha is known for giving us a boost of energy and mental clarity, which is why we use it in our NutraBoost tea.
6. Hawthorn Berry
Herbalists know hawthorn as the go-to remedy for the heart – in both the physical and the emotional sense. While this herb is often used to protect and strengthen the cardiovascular system, it is also prized for reducing anxiety and bringing rest and relaxation.
Hawthorn is another source of apigenin, the same flavonoid that gives chamomile and passionflower their calming properties. This is perhaps what makes it a popular herbal remedy for insomnia, as well as stress and mood swings.
7. NutraRelax
At NutraTea, our expert team of pharmacists and nutritionists like to pack every cup of tea with beneficial herbs. While all the herbal teas on this list are great choices for calming stress and soothing anxiety, we prefer to combine them into one relaxing herbal tea blend.
The result is NutraRelax, our premium tea designed to help you relax, de-stress, and get a good night’s sleep. The ingredients include hawthorn berry, chamomile, passionflower, lemon balm, and lavender, as well as several other calming herbs.
