How to Reclaim Your Peace of Mind with Tea

Relaxing with tea feels like an impossibility when your days are full of doing more and doing it all faster. But, tea can be a gateway for you to really slow down and find simple and real comfort.

Tea has been used as a ritual tool and the center of mindfulness for centuries. You don’t have to commit to a daily tea ceremony to lose yourself in tea. Give yourself permission to relax and pause with a simple cup of tea right now.

In today’s blog, you’ll find out why tea is so naturally relaxing and what the best teas are for ultimate decompression. You’ll learn how to create a fulfilling tea experience in your own space, and when to use different kinds of tea throughout the day. Finally, you’ll reflect on simple tea ritual ideas and how to avoid common pitfalls to relaxing with tea.

What Makes Tea Naturally Relaxing?

Are you wondering why so many people are switching over from coffee to matcha? It’s because of the naturally relaxing properties of real tea. Matcha is made of ground-up green tea leaves that contain an amino acid called L-theanine. 

This amino acid is found in all teas, and is what’s responsible for tea’s naturally calming and soothing effects. The great thing about matcha is that it’s very high in caffeine, but it doesn’t make you crash or make you feel groggy after you drink it. L-theanine evens out the body’s reaction to the tea, giving you a stable caffeine boost without the jitters. 

Now, you aren’t necessarily here to get a huge caffeine boost from your tea — actually, you are probably thinking that you want quite the opposite if you’re relaxing with tea. But it’s good to know that there are properties in real teas — like black, white, oolong, and green teas made from the Camellia sinensis plant — that can help you relax naturally. 

Herbal teas, on the other hand, are not made from tea leaves, but a variety of flowers, herbs, spices, and botanicals. They are called tisanes, and varieties like chamomile, mint, and rooibos are used as herbal remedies and calming drinks. Different herbs and ingredients can help soothe your nervous system, comfort your stomach, and help support relaxation and rest. 

This is all fine information for you to know about tea and herbs, but tea is more than chemistry. How you drink tea and the ritual for tea time also contribute to relaxing with tea. 

Creating tea rituals can help signal to your nervous system that it’s time to unwind. Now, let’s choose a tea or two that might help with your relaxation. Then, let’s take a look at creating these tea experiences at home.

The Best Teas For Relaxing

Not all teas are equal when it comes to relaxing. Choosing the right tea for your body and situation is key to relaxing with tea. Will you go with a caffeinated or caffeine-free tea?

Caffeinated Teas for Relaxation

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All true teas have caffeine, and even decaffeinated teas have trace amounts. If you are sensitive to caffeine, staying away from true teas might be the best option if your primary goal is relaxing with tea. If you aren’t as sensitive to caffeine, you can explore some of these lower-caffeine options as a great middle ground. 

Green Tea is not as high in caffeine as black tea and may be a suitable lower caffeine option for many people. Stay away from matcha, which uses the whole tea leaf for consumption and has a higher amount of caffeine than whole leaf green teas. White tea has even less caffeine than green tea and may help you relax even more. 

If you are looking for a slight caffeine boost, but with calming properties, green or white tea might be your best bet.

Herbal Teas for Relaxation

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If your goal is to completely relax with tea, stick to herbal blends. Most herbal teas are caffeine-free and can help with sleep and anxiety. 

Herbs like chamomile are widely loved for their sleep properties. Lemon is bright but calming, while mint is soothing and cooling. Herbal teas like Rooibos can also help with digestion and have been used as natural remedies for centuries.

For completely relaxing with tea, we recommend seeking out an herbal blend.

How to Create a Relaxing Tea Experience at Home

Tea is only part of the relaxation process itself. The other half is creating the environment around you. Here are some tips for making the ultimate experience for relaxing with tea.

Choose a Comforting Tea

You don’t have to commit to one single kind of tea for your tea ritual. Instead, choose from many of your favorite teas and pick one that speaks to you in the moment. Maybe you want a little jasmine pearl green tea in the afternoon, or maybe you reach for your lemon mint chamomile in the evening. There is no right or wrong answer.

Steep With Intention

When you steep your tea, take your time with it. Boil your hot water, measure out your tea leaves, and stir the water as it steeps. Or simply watch your tea leaves unfold before you remove them from your water. 

Take an extra moment to read the instructions for steeping your tea. Bring your water to the proper temperature so you get enough flavor but not the bitterness from scorched leaves. Remove your tea leaves at the right moment to avoid chalky textures or flavors.

Even choosing the right tea mug or tea cup makes a huge difference. If relaxing means holding your favorite oversized mug while curled up in your favorite chair, go for it. If relaxing with tea means going through the ceremony of making a pot of tea and pulling out your saucers and tea accessories, have that be the heart of your ritual. 

The big takeaway here is to find ways to be mindful while relaxing with tea.

Set the Right Mood

Is there a particular space in your environment that really speaks to you? Do you enjoy relaxing with tea under dim lights or candlelight? Find elements that resonate with your idea of relaxation. 

Again, there is no right or wrong answer to this routine. If you enjoy separating yourself from electronics, find a way to put your phone down and detox from the blue screen. If you like journaling, reading, or simply sitting with your own thoughts, this is fantastic. 

If you don’t know where to start, begin small and make tiny changes. Start with your favorite music, light a candle, or snuggle up with a blanket and your cup of tea.

Different Times of Day for Different Tea Rituals

The tea you drink in the morning may not be the tea you drink in the evening. You can enjoy relaxing with tea throughout the day and not just in the evening before bed, too. 

Start your morning with a healthy breakfast and some tea. If you enjoy a caffeine boost first thing in the morning, a hearty breakfast tea might do the trick. Herbal teas are wonderful in the morning for most people who do not rely on caffeine to get them through the early hours of the day.

Enjoying an herbal tea after work might help you transition out of “work mode”. If you are prone to midday stress, a green or white tea might help you focus while also providing you with a sense of calm.

If you haven’t yet, try pairing meditation or yoga with tea. You might find the light, aromatic tea pairs very nicely with these mindful activities. Making tea itself can be a form of meditation, too — just like matcha tea ceremonies in Japan.

When you think of relaxing with tea, you might assume that this is a ritual reserved for the moments before bed. But, as you can see, this is not true. Caffeine-free teas are excellent for including as part of your bedtime routine, but different teas serve various purposes throughout the day. 

Here are some tea ritual ideas you can incorporate into your tea routine. Pick one or two as you experiment with relaxation and tea.

Ideas for Simple and Relaxing Tea Habits

Relaxing with tea doesn’t need to be complicated — in fact, it should probably be as simple as possible. Deepen your relaxation by making a cup of tea and journaling about your tea for a few minutes. Being as mindful as possible about this one seemingly insignificant moment may open a new understanding for your sense of observation.

If journaling doesn’t resonate with you, make a cup of tea and just meditate for five minutes as it cools down. Or, be as mindful as possible and focus on the warmth of the tea, the aroma, and how you breathe while you drink your tea. Be attuned to your body, your senses, and your environment.

You can even simplify the meditation and just do simple breathwork while you drink your tea. Take slow and deep breaths in between your sips. Try to feel every nuance.

If you thrive in the presence of people, invite someone to join you in your relaxation routine. No one said you have to do this alone. Take some time to slow down together and enjoy your tea.

Mistakes to Avoid When Relaxing with Tea

If you’ve tried some of these tips and suggestions, but still have a hard time trying to relax with tea, maybe it’s because of one of these reasons:

Are you drinking caffeine too late at night? 

Did you know the half-life of caffeine is about 6 to 8 hours on average? This means if you drink caffeinated tea at 4:00 in the afternoon, you’ll have about half of that caffeine in your system at 10:00 at night. Try cutting out caffeine completely by the early afternoon so you can relax a little easier in the evening.

Did you over-steep your tea? 

The suggested steeping time on your tea canister is there for a reason — because if you over-steep it, you might ruin the flavor and your experience when it comes to relaxing with tea. Over-steeping can make your tea taste bitter and chalky, which makes relaxing almost impossible. 

Are you doing too many things at once? 

We tend to think we can multitask, but it turns out humans can only switch very quickly from one single task to another — this means multitasking is not actually a real thing. Instead of trying to drink your tea while doing a million other things, set aside time to specifically drink tea and try to savor that one single moment.

Do you drink sugary teas? 

Those delicious sugary tea drinks might taste wonderful, but leave you feeling groggy, full, and downright lethargic in the long run. Stick to plain herbal teas to offset the caffeine and sugar rush and help reset your body so you can relax better throughout the evening and night.

Relaxing with Tea Starts at Teabloom

Give yourself permission to find your favorite routine for relaxing with tea. It can be as simple as mindfully making a cup or adding it to your daily meditation. Whatever you decide, Teabloom is here for you.

The best tea moments are built around delicious teas steeped with incredible teaware. Teabloom’s teas are sourced from family-owned farms and made in small batches to preserve quality and quantity. Their handcrafted teaware is made from sustainable materials that keep your tea toxin-free for the best flavor and healthy benefits. 

Complete your relaxing tea ritual with Teabloom today.

www.Teabloom.com