The Best Teas To Sip At The End Of A Stressful Day, Expert-Approved

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January 19, 2022 — 23:05 PM

• Nervines/ nerve tonics: “Nerve tonics are usually herbs that are nutritive and nourishing,” says McBride. These are gentle herbs that gradually nourish us over time. After drinking them daily for three to four weeks, you should find that you start to feel more resilient to the inevitable stresses of life. Oatstraw is a good example. Nervines like these can typically be enjoyed any time of day or night.
• Relaxing teas: “These herbs have a more immediately relaxing effect,” McBride explains. Think lemon balm and lavender. These are the herbs that you’d want to brew for in-the-moment stress relief. It’s best to sip these teas at night as you’re winding down from the day—though McBride notes that you don’t want to drink them too close to bed, as all that liquid could wake you up in the middle of the night.

McBride adds that the scent of particularly fragrant herbs like lavender can further add to the relaxing effect.

There hasn’t been much research on how sipping tea can ease stress, though Dana Cohen, M.D., an integrative medicine physician and co-author of Quench, is now seeing more scientific studies on how specific herbs can calm down the body. (More on those below.)

The simple ritual of sitting down with your herbal brew of choice can also be therapeutic. “Slowing down, breathing in the fumes (which by the way is a hydrating act), savoring the aroma and taste… it can be considered a form of meditation,” Cohen tells mindbodygreen. “Whatever herbs are inside the tea are a bonus!”

Best for: Relaxing at the end of a long day.

Chamomile is an herb that has been shown to help support a healthy nervous system in many ways. “When I lived in Germany, I heard people call this plant ‘zutraut’, meaning the herb that can do anything,” says McBride.

Cohen notes that a rigorous (randomized, double-controlled, placebo-controlled) 2013 study on chamomile extract found that the herb can ease various signs of anxiousness when consumed for eight weeks. While she personally doesn’t love the taste, she understands why floral chamomile tea is a popular choice for bedtime.

“Chamomile is calming, relaxing, and soothing,” McBride says. “[It] is one of the great teas to drink after dinner to help you unwind from the day.” Though it does have diuretic qualities, she adds, so you’d be wise to take your last sip a few hours before bed.

Best for: Easing nerves.

If you’re nervous about an upcoming task or about what the future might hold, lemon balm could be the herbal companion for you. In one small clinical trial in 2004, those who took 600 milligrams of lemon balm before being exposed to a psychological stressor were able to maintain a more positive and calm mood than those who took a placebo.

“Lemon balm is a cooling and restorative herb that helps to calm the nerves and enhance your mood. It is known as a stress reliever that uplifts the spirit,” says McBride. She adds that the herb’s cooling qualities can also support healthy digestion.

Cohen adds that lemon balm is an easy herb to cultivate, making it a good pick for a home-grown tea. Like chamomile, it’s best enjoyed in the evenings as some people find that it makes them sleepy.

Best for: A soothing ritual.

Delicate rose petals can make for a refreshing, relaxing tea. “Roses are known for their ability to nourish the heart and lift the spirit. They are soothing, calming, and particularly restorative to the nervous system,” says McBride.

While more research is needed, a 2017 review of rose oil found that its signature smell does seem to promote physiological and psychological relaxation. So if you do brew this tea, be sure to inhale its fragrant smoke as you go.

You can steep petals from any color rose under the rainbow, but McBride says you’ll want to first make sure they don’t have any herbicides or pesticide residue. Organic is best!

Best for: Sipping daily for more resilience.

Oat straw is made from the rough grass that surrounds oats, and McBride says it makes one of her go-to teas. While research on the plant is limited, oat straw’s sweet, mild flavor is a favorite among herbalists. And as a nervine, McBride says its stress-easing effects will become more apparent if you sip it daily.

“You can drink it to help with stress…feeling overscheduled, or just too busy doing life,” she says. The oat plant is also rich in minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Best for: Falling asleep faster.

No surprise here: The luxurious scent of lavender can make bedtime infinitely more relaxing. One 2005 study in the journal Chronobiology International found that smelling lavender oil before bed increased the amount of time young, healthy people spent in deeper sleep stages, while more recent research in 2011 concluded that it improved self-reported sleep quality in a cohort of midlife women.

When enjoyed as a tea, McBride says that “the aroma of lavender relaxes the nervous system and produces a calming and soothing effect on the body.”

Best for: Promoting balance throughout the body.

With deep roots in ancient Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha remains a popular adaptogenic herb today. As an adaptogen, it’s thought to promote balance throughout the body and support our ability to come back to baseline after a stressful event.*

“It contains withanolides, compounds that help activate GABA receptors in the brain to decrease activation of our nervous system and stress response,”* integrative physician Cindy Tsai, M.D. previously told mbg. Like oat straw, ashwagandha tends to be more effective when consumed regularly.

Best for: Supporting a good mood.

Schisandra is another plant with a rich history, and it’s been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Originally thought to “calm the spirit,” Cohen notes that it can be useful for those who are looking for all-around mood support.

Research on humans is limited, but schisandra has been shown to promote a more positive mood and support healthy cognition in mice. It makes for a bright, sweet, sour tea that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

• Chamomile, lavender, and rose
• Lemon balm and chamomile

1. If you’re making an herbal for the first time, use a ratio of 1 teaspoon of leaves to 1 cup of water. This is usually enough plant material to reap the benefits, but not so much that the flavor is overpowering.
2. Place loose herbs and water into a pot and put the lid on it.
3. Bring water and herbs to a boil and then immediately turn off the stove.
4. Let herbs steep for a full 15 minutes to allow their properties to come through.
5. Using a fine-mesh strainer, remove the herbs from the tea and pour the tea into a teacup or pitcher.
6. Add milk, alt-milk, and/or the sweetener of your choice to taste (optional).
7. Turn your tea into a ritual by sipping it with a favorite candle or a good book. “Make it beautiful. Make it pleasing. Make it so you really enjoy it,” says McBride.

Once the last sip is taken, here are a few other tools that can help ease stress daily.