As my problems built up every single day, I used to depend on anti-anxiety medications despite its adverse side effects. Thankfully, I found out that herbal teas can be a safe and effective alternative to blow away my stress and anxiety.
Herbs such as Valerian root, chamomile and rose can help you sleep better, feel less stressed, and therefore may relieve anxiety. Their unique ingredients can assist your brain function in making you feel calmer and more relaxed.
Let’s read on to see which herbal tea is suitable for you to sip on when you feel stressed and anxious.
Valerian root tea for anxiety
Valerian root has such a good reputation as a natural way to reduce stress and anxiety that many people choose to use it for anxiety instead of traditional anxiety medications.
It’s recommended to have Valerian root three times a day; in the morning, in the middle of the day and before bed. This is because it affects the levels of chemicals in your brain. By spreading out the dosage throughout the day, you can influence how calm your brain is.
There is still lots we don’t know much about how Valerian root actually works, although it could help many people who suffer from anxiety.
However, we know that Valerian root can impact the level of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), primarily responsible for passing signals in your brain. Specifically, it helps block, inhibit or slow down the passing of messages by your nervous system.
The GABA binds with receptors in your brain, which stop the messages. The more GABA you have in your brain, the slower the signals are passed.
This means that when you drink Valerian root, you naturally produce more GABA in your brain. Of course, this means your brain can slow down, everything may become calmer and less frantic, and you may feel less anxious.
So, when you take Valerian root, it can help improve your mood, reduce stress and anxiety and promote positive thinking!
If you think you’d be interested in trying Valerian root tea, there are lots of really simple recipes. Valerian root makes a great base, and you can make additions depending on your taste.
You can add some Lemon Balm for a floral flavour and extra benefits or add lavender honey for sweetness. It’s simple, delicious and could really help your brain to relax.
In this article, you can discover more about Valerian root and how it can help with your anxiety and stress.
SUMMARYValerian root is proven to help boost the amount of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in your brain. This chemical helps to pass messages telling you to calm down, leaving you feeling instantly calmer and less stressed. |
Green tea for less stress
Another fantastic de-stressing herbal tea is green tea. Green tea is a great way to actively reduce stress by keeping you calmer, having less stress, and helping you feel less anxious.
You might choose to replace your morning coffee with green tea for a double effect. Not only is green tea great for you helping you relax, but coffee is actually bad for anxiety. Making the switch can have a significant impact on your mental health from day one.
Green tea contains two compounds called l-theanine and EGCG, which help to change the chemicals in your brain, making you feel relaxed and calmer. Green tea also helps regulate the signals in your brain, meaning that when you feel stressed, you can still think clearly and focus.
There is still much research going on to discover more about the amazing benefits of green tea. This study from just last year found that people who drank green tea were generally less stressed, in a better mood and felt calmer and more in control than those who didn’t have the tea.
Green tea also helps to suppress levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This means that even if you are exposed to stressful situations every day, you won’t feel so affected by them.
Furthermore, the stimulating effect of the tea (often used to replace caffeine) helps you to focus and concentrate. In a stressful situation when you lose your cool and can’t concentrate, green tea could help you face the problem calmly to get it sorted.
If you want to know more about green tea, check out this article about the best green tea in Australia.
SUMMARYGreen tea is an excellent replacement for your morning coffee if you suffer from chronic stress or anxiety. The tea plant contains compounds that affect the chemical levels in your brain to slow down anxious thoughts and reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol. |
Chamomile tea for relaxation
Chamomile tea is well-known for being calming and relaxing and helping you fall asleep at night. But did you know you can also drink chamomile in the day to help with feelings of anxiety, depression and stress?
Chamomile contains a particular antioxidant called apigenin. The apigenin works by binding with GABA nerve receptors in your brain, which helps to reduce panic signals. It’s like extra GABA which is similar to Valerian root.
It may take around 45 minutes for your body to metabolise the apigenin. So, you should drink chamomile an hour before a stressful situation to minimise stress. You can even drink chamomile when you feel stressed or after a stressful situation to help you calm down.
Chamomile can also help regulate blood sugar levels which prevents panic attacks. Many people feel anxious or panicky when they experience a sugar rush.
High blood sugar levels can cause overthinking, heart palpitations and panic attacks. And by regulating blood sugar with chamomile tea, you can avoid sudden surges of anxiety.
SUMMARYChamomile tea can be drunk in the daytime as well as at night. Chamomile can be used during the day to help tackle feelings of anxiety and stress. The plant works to bind onto neurotransmitters in the brain, helping to slow down and stop signals that make you feel anxious. The apigenin compound actively works to stop you from panicking. |
Rose tea for calming
Another great way to deal with stress and anxiety is to calm yourself down with a cup of rose petal tea. Made with the dried petals of roses, it smells, tastes incredible and rose tea helps keep you calm.
The beautiful scent of rose tea has calming and relaxing properties on its own as an aromatherapy remedy. When drunk, rose petal tea may encourage your brain to slow down as well as regulate your natural circadian rhythm.
Rose petals contain the same anti-anxiety compound as green tea, l-theanine. This amino acid can be metabolised by your body and will impact your brain.
It has a precise way of helping to relax your brain, so you feel calmer and less anxious without feeling drowsy. This study covers the science behind this in more detail.
Rose petals also contain lots of naturally-occurring phytonutrients and antioxidants. This study done in 2019 found that rose extract can help manage stress and help prevent it.
Slowing down your body’s natural rhythm
Now, all flowers have their own circadian rhythm. It tells them when to bloom, just as your circadian rhythm lets you know when to sleep. But there are phytonutrients in rose petal tea that can impact your body’s natural rhythm.
Rose petals contain natural melatonin, the same hormone that tells your body it is time to relax, switch off and get some sleep. By introducing more melatonin to your body, you will feel calmer as your body’s natural rhythm slows down.
If you’re interested in other benefits of rose tea on women’s health, check out this article.
SUMMARYThe scent and flavour of rose tea are incredibly calming on their own. In addition, the petals contain phytonutrients and amino acids that help you feel calmer. Roses also have a circadian rhythm, so when you consume the petals, they can stabilise your body’s natural rhythm and combat stress. |
Passionflower tea for anxiety
When you are overwhelmed, your brain tries to work overtime, making you feel anxious and stressed. It’s not as well-known as some other herbal remedies, but passionflower tea has been proven as an effective alternative to alleviate anxiety.
Passionflower tea can help to lower brain activity and slow down the signal passing in your brain. Like Valerian root, passionflower tea promotes the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in your brain. With more GABA binding with your nerve receptors, your brain is forced to slow down and relax.
The passionflower manages to help keep your brain clear, allowing you to think clearly and rationally. Further research found that by helping slow down brain signals, not only can anxiety be reduced, but memory improved.
Besides, passionflower is so good at helping you relax that doctors say you shouldn’t take it with medicinal sedatives. Instead, it can be an effective alternative to these medications.
One study also found that not only did passionflower help soothe anxiety in mice, it also helped them to fall asleep. Check out this article if you want to learn more about how passionflower can help with sleeplessness.
SUMMARYPassionflower can help your body produce more GABA, which helps slow down anxious signals in the brain, making you feel calmer and less stressed. The flower can also help decrease anxiety and improve focus and memory by allowing your brain to focus and not become overworked and stressed. |
Other natural options to relieve stress and anxiety
Herbal teas can be a fantastic way to unwind and relax when you feel stressed. If you want to really de-stress, pour yourself your favourite herbal tea and sip it while finding other natural ways to calm your mind.
Here are some other ways to tackle stress naturally while sipping on your cup of herbal tea. If you think your anxiety is caused by your period, read:
Aromatherapy to deal with stress and anxiety
Many of the herbs we mentioned above can also be used as aromatherapy treatments to help deal with stress and anxiety. Using essential oils can be hugely beneficial for combating stress and allowing you to relax and unwind.
Some traditionally relaxing scents include lavender, chamomile, sandalwood and sage. However, you should pick one or more scents that you like. Try matching your herbal tea to your aromatherapy for double the effect.
You can use the oils in diffusers, on your pillow at night, as a bath oil, in a face steamer or as part of a topical cream. Each oil has its own health benefits, and you can create your blend that is specialised for your needs.
Practice mindfulness for positive thinking
When we get stressed, we often forget to think about the good things and focus only on the bad. Practising mindfulness may force yourself to focus on the positive for just five minutes and reset your brain into a better mood.
Try taking a moment each day to dwell on the positive things. It could be the sunny weather, fresh snow, a good cup of tea, wearing your favourite scarf or seeing a cute animal.
If you need help with mindfulness and don’t know where to start, you could try a guided meditation class. You can also find online videos to help with guided breathing while you drink your tea and relax.
Journaling to face your problems
Journaling has become very popular recently, but unlike some trends, this one actually works! Grab a notebook and start writing! It’s really simple but writing down your problems is a proven way to help you find release.
As well as writing down things that haven’t gone to plan or the reasons you are stressed, try to write down the positives in each day and ways you can tackle problems. If you manage to do this every day or even just once a week, you’ll find yourself becoming more active in how you face problems and lessen stress overall.
You can also make the process of journaling a way to relax. Grab some herbal tea, light a candle or run a bath and really take some time for yourself.
Conclusion
Stress and anxiety affect us all at some point. If you are looking for ways to naturally manage your stress and feelings of anxiety, you can try out different herbal teas. Some herbal teas, such as Valerian root and passionflower tea, are so effective that doctors don’t recommend you consume them while on other anti-anxiety medications.
You can also manage stress in other natural ways by practising mindfulness, stress journaling or aromatherapy.
We hope you manage to find your own way to manage stress and anxiety. If you want to learn more natural ways to relax at night, this article lists the top teas for sleep.