Calming tea has a long tradition in many cultures. It is not for nothing that the following applies: wait and drink tea – especially when you are stressed, inner restless and tense. We’ll show you which herbal teas help calm you down.
When things go haywire in everyday life, it’s important to take time for conscious breaks. A cup of tea can help you take a break from hectic times, stress and restlessness: just the ritual of making tea can provide a little breather. If you then pour yourself a calming tea, the herbs and their active ingredients in the tea also contribute to
-
inner restlessness,
-
Stress,
- Nervousness,
- Sleep problems
- and other nervous stress
to alleviate.
Below we will introduce you to three different herbs for calming tea in more detail.
Calming lavender tea
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Some appreciate the bright purple plant because of its intense scent, others because of its healing effects: Lavender is even an approved medicine that is used in particular for inner restlessness, nervous exhaustion, difficulty falling asleep and also in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Dried lavender flowers are therefore suitable for a calming tea.
You can read more about how lavender tea works in this article:
If you want to use lavender from your garden to brew calming tea, it is important to differentiate between real lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and the ornamental plant. Only real lavender has the calming effect.
Preparation:
- For one cup (approx. 250 milliliters) of lavender tea, you need about two teaspoons of dried flowers.
- Because of volatile essential oils, you shouldn’t let the water boil. A water temperature of around 80 degrees is sufficient.
- Depending on how intense you want your tea to taste, you can let it steep for three to ten minutes.
Tip: To reduce stress in everyday life, you can also use essential oil or make lavender oil yourself. Simply massage your temples with it and enjoy the effect.
Melissa as a calming tea
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / DianaERios)
Lemon balm is considered one of the oldest medicinal herbs. Lemon balm in particular is common here. It is still popular today for making calming tea, among other things. The herb not only has a calming effect on restlessness and sleep disorders, but is also recommended against headaches, colds, gastrointestinal and menstrual problems. The health-promoting properties of lemon balm are due not only to essential oils but also to the bitter and tannins it contains.
If you grow lemon balm in your own garden and want to use it to make calming tea, you should definitely harvest it before it blooms.
Preparation:
- For 250 milliliters of lemon balm tea you need two teaspoons of dried lemon balm.
- You can also use fresh lemon balm – just use a little more.
- Because of the volatile essential oils, it’s best not to let the water boil.
- Let the tea steep for about ten minutes. You can safely drink several cups a day.
Attention: If you are taking thyroid hormones, you should not drink lemon balm tea as interactions can occur.
Tea made from St. John’s wort to calm you down
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St. John’s wort is a medicinal plant with a whole range of uses. It is said to help with depressive moods, anxiety, mood swings and sleep disorders. This is ensured, among other things, by the active ingredient Hyperforin.
A calming tea made from St. John’s wort is said to have a slightly relaxing effect, help with mental exhaustion, but can also relieve nervous gastrointestinal complaints and restlessness.
The plant blooms from June to September. During this time you can collect and dry them. You can use both the leaves and flowers for calming tea.
Preparation:
- For one cup (about 250 milliliters) of St. John’s wort tea, you need two teaspoons of the fresh or dried plant.
- Pour boiling water over the herbs and let them steep for ten minutes.
- You can drink two to three cups daily.
Like most antidepressants, St. John’s wort requires time to fully develop its effects. It is therefore recommended to drink a cup of St. John’s wort tea up to three times a day for two to five months. If you suffer from severe depressive moods, you should not rely solely on St. John’s wort, but also seek professional help.
Since the tea only contains small amounts of the active ingredient, you can also use St. John’s wort extract and other ready-made St. John’s wort preparations. However, since higher dosages may cause interactions with other medications (especially the pill), you should speak to your doctor before taking it.
Pregnant women and children should generally avoid using St. John’s wort.
Buying instructions and other calming teas
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / Free Photos)
There are many other herbal teas that can help calm you down:
- Valerian (root)
- Linden blossom tea
- Peppermint tea
- Lemongrass tea
- Hawthorn tea
- Chamomile tea
Every person reacts individually and preferences are different. So it’s best to try out different calming teas and watch yourself and your body closely.
Another option is to combine calming herbs with mood-enhancing ones. These include, for example:
- Lemon verbena
- Rosemary tea
- Marigold tea
No matter what you choose: we recommend loose organic tea. For organically produced teas, all parts of the plants that contain active ingredients are used and no synthetic flavorings or other additives are used.
Whether you prefer to use dried or fresh herbs for your calming tea is entirely up to your taste. As a rule of thumb, when using fresh herbs, simply use twice the amounts stated in the article.
You can collect many herbs yourself, but you can also get them from your pharmacy or supermarket. Make sure that your tea comes from organic farming and is marked with the Fairtrade seal so that the workers on the plantations also earn something from it. In addition, according to Öko-Test, conventional teas are still increasingly contaminated with harmful substances.
Read more on Utopia:
- The bitter truth about tea
- Distress and eustress: These types of stress exist
- Restlessness: Effective remedies to help against it
English version available: Calming Tea: Varieties to Help with Stress and Anxiety
Edited by Annika Reketat
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