With problems springing up everyday and pressure building up in different angles, mental, physical and emotional, you're bound to be stressed out! The world's getting crazier by the minute and it doesn't seem like it'll stop any time soon.
Anxiety and stress are tough to deal with. Turning to medication to help deal with them puts you at risk of adverse side effects. In fact, anti-anxiety medication increases your mortality risk by 36%.
That is why more and more people are looking for a safer and more natural solution. Here's a list of 6 natural teas for stress and anxiety so that you can literally drink your way to calmness and relaxation.
1.Peppermint Tea (Mentha Piperita)
Our first stop in the list of natural remedies is peppermint tea. This aromatic tea works well to reduce stress and relieves you from anxiety. The menthol contained in peppermint is a natural muscle relaxant. When you're stressed out or anxious, you tend to feel very tense and irritable.
Drinking peppermint tea will help you have an overall calm. Because of the relaxing effect of peppermint tea and its lack of caffeine, it makes a wonderful tea to drink before going to bed. It will help you have a peaceful sleep, just what you need after a crazy day.
Note of warning though, peppermint tea may help reduce stress and anxiety, but pregnant women must avoid drinking it. This is because it may increase the risk of miscarriage.
You can use both dry and fresh peppermint leaves to make tea. For dry peppermint leaves, add 1 tablespoon in about 8 ounces if boiling water. Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes. For fresh leaves, add crushed leaves in boiling water and allow simmering for 2 minutes. Strain before drinking.
2.Chamomile Tea (Matricaria Recutita)
Sometimes excessive stress and anxiety may cause sleeplessness. Chamomile tea not only reduces stress and anxiety, but it also helps treat insomnia. Just like peppermint tea, chamomile tea has great benefits in relaxing the muscles and reducing irritability.
Method of preparation
For dry chamomile, add 3-4 tablespoons in 8 ounces of boiling water. Allow to Steep for 5 minutes.
For fresh chamomile, add chamomile flowers into a pot of hot water to infuse for 3 minutes. Strain before drinking.
3.Lemon Balm Tea (Melissa Officinalis)
Lemon Balm is a calming herb that belongs to the mint family. No wonder it has a natural mint flavor with a slight taste of lemon. It reduces the stress hormone called cortisol and relaxes the body without causing drowsiness. It also helps to elevate the mood.
Method of preparation
For each cup of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon, if you're using dried lemon balm leaves or 2 table spoons of fresh lemon balm leaves. Strain before drinking.
4.Passion flower tea (Passiflora incanata)
Passion flower tea is another great natural remedy for stress and anxiety. This is because of the flavone chrysin contained in passion flower which has anti-anxiety benefits. Passion flower tea helps induce a peaceful sleep.
Although it's safe and doesn't cause adverse effect when interacted with other sedatives, it's better to avoid passion flower tea if you're taking such medication. Children under 6 months and pregnant and lactating women should avoid this tea.
Method of preparation
Add 1 tablespoon of dried passion flower in a cup of boiling water. Allow to Steep for 10 minutes.
5.Green Tea (Camella Sinensis)
The polyphenol in green tea helps combat anxiety and stress. Although green tea contains a lot of caffeine, it's adaptogenic in nature such that it keeps you alert yet calm enough without making you feel drowsy.
Method of preparation
Add half a tablespoon of powdered leaves in 1 cup of water. Boil until leaves settle to the bottom. Strain before drinking.
6.Rose tea (Rosa centifolia)
In addition to its numerous benefits, rose tea also helps remedy stress and anxiety. It does this by easing the mind, thus making rose tea an excellent tea to drink before going to bed. Its calming effect helps you sleep well.
Rose tea can be made with dried rose petals or fresh ones. Add rose petals in boiling water. If you're using fresh rose petals, wash thoroughly before adding them in the boiling water. Reduce heat and steep for 5-10 minutes until petals turn dark. Strain before drinking.
Don't just gulp these teas down! Why not take these teas while doing some stress relieving activities like writing in your gratitude journal to help keep you focused on the positive things that happened in your day. Or reward yourself with a nice cup of tea after a few minutes of meditation or a workout for further stress relief.