The Best Teas for Anxiety and Stress Relief

THE BEST TEAS FOR ANXIETY AND STRESS RELIEF

Anxiety affects many people across the globe which affects their ability to function and live fully. And while there are medications that help, these medications also come with unwanted and even dangerous side effects. So some alternatives such as teas for anxiety can help relieve anxiety and decrease stress.

But please note: If feelings of anxiety are making it hard to function, please see a mental health professional for a comprehensive plan of care and also discuss if taking the best teas for anxiety listed below is right for you.

Herbal remedies have been used across many cultures for centuries. And now they are starting to become more mainstream. And certain herbs provide the best teas for anxiety and stress relief.

Drinking tea is always such a mindful experience and one that provides a moment of quiet and relaxation no matter what type of tea you drink.

First of all, tea making and drinking is such a zen experience. It quietly transports one mentally to a quieter place of ease and calm.

As the tea steeps and as you drink, you inhale these wonderful essential oils and calming scents that ease stress and anxiety naturally. Even just holding a cup of hot tea in your hands reduces stress.

And because there are so many benefits of tea, various teas have been used in traditional medicine for conditions including stress reduction and calming the mind, improving sleep quality.

However, remember that any natural supplementation you take including tea has the potential to interact with medications you may be on.

So always talk to your doctor for recommendations before embarking on natural supplements even if it is just something as simple as tea.

But if you have symptoms of anxiety, drinking teas known to bring about calmness is a great natural way to soothe your mind.

So let’s dive right in and take a look at the best teas that calm anxiety and ease stress naturally.

BEST TEA FOR ANXIETY AND STRESS RELIEF

The best teas for anxiety include the following:

Peppermint Tea

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I love a cup of hot peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is so soothing. When you drink a cup of peppermint tea it warms you all over giving you a feeling of calm and well-being.

It suffuses your mind with a wonderful sense of ease, quieting your nerves and easing stress naturally.

The aroma is very relaxing and soothing and that makes peppermint tea one of the best teas for anxiety relief.

Just as peppermint essential oil calms the mind, drinking peppermint tea can also reduce anxiety and feelings of jitteriness research has found.

I love, love this loose-leaf peppermint tea for its fresh, rich flavor and the aroma seems to whisk my stress right off and just calms me down.

Try a cup of peppermint tea. It is a great way to calm down and reduce stress.

Chamomile Tea

Just the name itself indicates calm. Chamomile tea has been used for ages for its ability to calm nerves and induce sleep.

Chamomile tea, which is made of dried chamomile flowers is a wonderful calming tea to drink for anxiety and for stress relief.

Chamomile extracts have benzodiazepine-like hypnotic activities ( sort of like Xanax without the side effects), and inhaling chamomile oil was found to decrease the stress hormone cortisol levels in the blood and decrease anxiety levels, (according to research).

Research also shows that long-term use of chamomile can reduce symptoms of GAD or generalized anxiety disorder.

And the good thing is, you can drink a cup of chamomile tea at any time but it’s usually better before bed.

Here is one chamomile tea to try.

Passionflower Tea For Anxiety

Also known as passiflora incarnate, passionflower was used by the native people of the Americas as a mild sedative.

You can say it was used for the same effect produced by Xanax and other anxiety meds.

Passionflower tea which is sweet and delicate has been used throughout Europe as an antianxiety herbal remedy for decades.

The flavonoids in passionflower are found to modulate GABA neurotransmitters and thereby calm hyperactivity in the brain. 

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter known to block certain brain signals when it binds to the GABA receptors, thus decreasing activity in the nervous system and reducing anxiety. And that makes passion flower tea one of the best herbal teas for anxiety and insomnia.

However, it’s important to note that research is ongoing and inconclusive, so do check with your doctor first before use.

Caution is also needed if you are pregnant as passionflower may induce contractions ( source).

THE BEST TEAS TO DRINK FOR ANXIETY

Lavender Tea

Lavender is widely known for its ability to relieve anxiety and stress and has been used for centuries across many cultures for its calming effect.

And research scientific studies support its anxiolytic effects and even found that lavender was as effective as benzodiazepine lorazepam in calming anxiety without the addictive effects of benzos.

One thing to note is that the research was on essential oil but good quality lavender tea will have a calming effect too.

So the next time you are feeling a bit on edge or stressed out or even anxious, brew a soothing cup of lavender herbal tea.

One of my favorite stress relief teas is this yogi lavender tea.

I work at night and I find that this tea also helps me sleep so well and deeply and calms my mind so I am not laying there with racing thoughts.

Lemon Balm Tea

Studies have found that lemon balm tea reduces stress and anxiety and is also great for sleeplessness.

Lemon balm reduces anxiety and improves sleep by decreasing corticosteroid levels in the blood and increasing GABA levels (source.)

So a little more GABA available in the brain means feeling calm and less anxious.

Lemon Balm is one of those herbs that have a soothing aroma too that relieves stress and makes one feel calm and happy.

A 2018 study in Clinical Nutrition Espen found that lemon balm helps soothes anxiety, stress, and depression.

Valerian Tea

Valerian root tea has been used for ages as a sleep aid and research in the Global Journal of Health Science indicated that valerian reduces anxiety and also helps with insomnia.

According to the study, valerian reduced anxiety, and decreased insomnia, through its effect on serotonin levels, noradrenalin, and increasing GABA in the brain. In fact, valerian has been used since the 16th century as a sedative herbal medicine in France, Germany, and Switzerland due to its Valium-like effects and that is the reason why valerian is referred to as nature’s valium.

Black and green tea

Both black and green teas come from the camellia sinensis plant and are a favorite of many tea lovers across the world.

And green and black teas have many health benefits including stress and anxiety reduction.

Both green and black teas contain L theanine an amino acid that has soothing properties, is mood-enhancing and so it helps you to feel calm.

Black and green tea, are also rich in antioxidant polyphenols especially EGCG which help to fight free radicals, oxidative damage, and inflammation also boosting your immune system.

If choosing to drink green or black tea close to bedtime, try and go for decaffeinated for better sleep.

However, the L theanine in black and green tea helps to reduce the jitteriness that caffeine produces, so tea even with caffeine is not like drinking coffee with caffeine. Still, decaffeinated teas are better for anxiety.

 My favorite black tea blend is Twinings of London English Breakfast Black Tea Bags, 

This tea is smooth and rich and the balance between delicate and strong is just perfect.

Just add some honey, maybe some lemon, and feel your cares evaporate and your stress levels diminish.

Kava KavaTea

Kava kava is native to the south pacific islands, where it has been used in ceremonies traditionally for its calming and euphoric effects.

The relaxing and calming effects of kava have been widely researched and confirmed.

Kava can be used both in capsules and in tea.

My favorite kava tea is this Yogi tea.

With its delicate spiciness, combined with the soothing and warming effects of cinnamon and other Indian spices, this tea is perfect.

Brew a cup before going to sleep for a good night’s sleep, or any time you want to ease stress and anxiety.

Rose Bud Tea

The rose is beautiful to look at plus its lovely aroma is also good for your mind.

Moreover rose tea also has hypnotic and analgesic effects research has found that makes it great for anxiety.

It is also a great tea to have especially around bedtime to enhance sleep.

Rosehip and petal extracts work on the benzodiazepine receptors in the brain just like Xanax and other benzos do without the addiction.

So keep off that Xanax ( with a doctor’s order of course) and try rose tea.

Plus rose extracts are not just good for anxiety they also help with pain, improve blood sugar, have antimicrobial activities, help with respiratory illnesses, and more.

Ashwagandha Tea

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb that has been used for ages in Ayurvedic medicine.

It is an adaptogen that regulates stress response and is known to lower stress and anxiety.

This 2014 study found ashwagandha reduced feelings of stress and anxiety in subjects. Try Ashwagandha Tea Organic for anxiety relief. 

A few herbal tea blends to try

The Republic of Tea, Get Relaxed Tea is a blend of lavender, chamomile rooibos, and passionflower that is calming and soothes your mind. View on Amazon

Traditional Medicinals Organic Nighty Night. Try this tea if you have trouble falling asleep.

It will ease you off to sleep and calm your racing mind.

 You can buy it on Amazon

Good Earth Ayurveda Calm Tea is a wonderful tea for anxiety.

This is total goodness right here.

A refreshing cup of peppermint tea infused with hibiscus and zest lemon balm will ease and smooth that edge for a calm and relaxed mind. 

It is a delicious tea to drink at night and fight nighttime anxiety as well. 

Check it out on Amazon

And there you have it.

There are many herbal teas that are great for anxiety and the teas in this list are the best known teas used since ancient times for their stress-relieving properties.

Looking to try more teas? 

Try The Art of Tea. The Art of Tea is a tea purveyor based in Los Angeles that provides different organic tea blends to suit your every mood. I love the Chamomile Clementine tea for its light citrusy flavor and of course, it’s also calming.

The Wellness Mood Boosting Tea Bundle includes Happy a tea that is fruity light, and uplifting best for those cold days that bring you down. In this bundle, you also get a Feel Better tea featuring green rooibos, fennel linden flower, orange peel, raspberries, licorice root, neem, cinnamon, elderberries, echinacea, and chili Pepper to boost your wellness.

And there are so many more teas to choose from in The Art of Tea.

So tea is great for health and a great way to soothe nerves, calm the mind reduce stress and anxiety.

There really is nothing as calming as holding a warm cup of tea in your hands. And it is even better when that cup of warm tea is one of the best teas for anxiety.

And now, over to you! What is your favorite tea for anxiety and stress relief?