My top 5 teas for Anxiety and Stress Relief

What are the best teas for anxiety and stress? This is a subject I’ve been wanting to write about for a while, because I am a near-daily tea drinker and I so enjoy the benefits that it feels like a crime to keep this knowledge all to myself!
I have battled anxiety for most of my life, and drinking tea before/during/after a stressful event is something that I find great relief and joy in. Some of these teas cannot be taken with medication, so please, make sure to research any of them and the ingredients therein prior to imbibing. Here are my top 5, in no particular order:

(Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional nor am I a nutritionist, I am simply sharing my favorite teas in the event that you may also wish to give them a try! Please use caution and discretion when trying a new tea, as some of these are known to cause side effects. I have linked a few articles that can help you learn more about these various herbs – please do your own research before choosing if these teas might be right for you. Lastly, I earn commissions from sponsored links included in this post.)

1. Yogi’s Calming or Relaxed Mind tea.
These are both great teas to have as a single bag (if you know me, you know I tend to double up or triple up on tea bags to get a unique flavor or to try to reap the benefits of all the teas I can at once). They aren’t too herbal tasting, so I don’t feel the need to have anything else with them, and they are great just before going to bed or during work if you happen to feel a little on edge. The Relaxed Mind tea contains Ashwagandha, an herb known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, improve cognitive function, and help you get a better night’s sleep. (ods.od.nih.gov)

2. Yogi’s Kava Stress Relief tea.
This is an herbal-tasting tea that I like to have usually with some other tea that has a stronger flavor to balance it out. I like to have this with the Calming tea listed above, or Yogi’s Egyptian Licorice tea is another favorite. I drink the Egyptian Licorice tea so much, I tend to often just throw in a bag with whatever other tea I’m drinking that day.
I do not drink the Egyptian Licorice tea every day anymore, however, as licorice root  “can cause serious side effects, including increased blood pressure and decreased potassium levels, when consumed in large amounts or for long periods of time.” (article from nccih.nih.gov).

3. The Republic of Tea’s Get Relaxed.
I don’t know what it is about Rooibos, but it often puts me in a very calm, happy mood. This particular tea comes in a pod instead of a bag with a string that goes over your cup. It has a bit more of a floral taste to it – so if you don’t care for a heavy floral taste (or even a slight one, for that matter), give this one a pass. I like to have this tea with others to help bring down the floral taste.

4. The Republic of Tea’s Stress Suppress with Tulsi and Rhodiola.
Tulsi tea is also known as holy basil tea. This Ayurvedic herb is linked to helping support your body to respond effectively to stress, anxiety, and fatigue, in addition to other metabolic benefits, and its immune boosting effects (health.clevelandclinic.org). Rhodiola seems to act in a very similar way to Tulsi and works as an adaptogenic herb to help your body fight better against anxiety, fatigue, and depression (healthline.com). This is another tea I like to have with other flavors, as it does have a floral/herbal taste that I like to sometimes mask with something sweetened with stevia. 

5. Buddha Tea’s St. John’s Wort.
This is an earthy tasting tea that I usually never drink alone. I like to have this with Egyptian Licorice (see notes in #1 above about this one), and usually only before an event that may be stressful for me. This herb is often used to treat mild depression, and contains chemicals known to affect serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels – these chemicals are hypericin and hyperforin (urmc.rochester.edu). As with the other teas mentioned above, this tea should be used with caution, as it can change the efficacy of your medications and cause other side effects. Check out the link in this article to read more on St. John’s Wort. 

​That is a quick recap of my top 5 teas that I choose to use for my anxiety and stress. Do you currently drink any of these? What are your favorite teas to help you in stressful moments?