Does tea help you relax?

[eswnl]

I have noticed sometimes that drinking tea can make me more relaxed. Does this happen to anyone else?

[hesson81]

for me yes, I have been drinking a Yogi tea that claims it will "help maintain healthy blood pressure". It does relax me very much, also helps me sleep to, If I have one before sleep I seem to get to sleep easier.

[northstar]

hi eswnl, caffinated tea is not really reccomended for people with anxiety as it is a stimulant and can put you on edge rather than helping you to chill out. if you are a big tea or coffee drinker then the relaxed feeling you get is possibly just your body's caffine craving being satisfied. the same thing happens with smokers who claim that smoking helps relax them, in fact it's just a craving being satisfied rather than real relaxation!

that said, if you've found tea works for you then fire ahread with it :) but i wouldn't recommend that you drink too much of it. how many cups a day are you having?

herbal teas (like the yogi tea mentioned by hesson81) are much better to drink as they will not put you on edge and some of them have a relaxing effect on the body :)

[eswnl]

hi eswnl, caffinated tea is not really reccomended for people with anxiety as it is a stimulant and can put you on edge rather than helping you to chill out. if you are a big tea or coffee drinker then the relaxed feeling you get is possibly just your body's caffine craving being satisfied. the same thing happens with smokers who claim that smoking helps relax them, in fact it's just a craving being satisfied rather than real relaxation!

that said, if you've found tea works for you then fire ahread with it :) but i wouldn't recommend that you drink too much of it. how many cups a day are you having?

herbal teas (like the yogi tea mentioned by hesson81) are much better to drink as they will not put you on edge and some of them have a relaxing effect on the body :)

Does tea have caffine then?

[northstar]

it does indeed! a strong cup of tea has just as much caffeine in it as a cup of coffee. other things that contain caffeine are coka cola and chocolate so it's best to keep them to a minimum - they also have sugar in them which is another no no if you're suffering with anxiety.

take a look at this post for other things that may help: http://www.anxietyforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4087

[rhubarb83]

tea is nice, calming i guess. if it helps you, drink plenty of it...i like tea with lemon, sugar etc

[northstar]

tea is nice, calming i guess. if it helps you, drink plenty of it...i like tea with lemon, sugar etc

lol rhubarb you might want to read the other posts i wrote about tea above! stay well away from it!

[BM]

Doesn't tea have a relaxant in it, L-Theanine? (which is an amino acid by the way)

[northstar]

l-thenaine is found in green tea i think, not in your ordinary cup of tea which is to be avoided (especially if you put sugar in it). green tea for some people does have a relaxing effect but it is recommended to take it only in moderation as it does contain caffeine as well.

[snakeeyes148]

I am in favor of having tea to relax but not a simple tea.
You could go for green, ice and specially treated teas. They are good for body and mind likewise.

[coops025]

Redbush tea is perfect for Anxiety :)

No caffine and full of antioxidants.

[xreleve]

it really depends on the tea. some teas are actually caffeine-free.

[Robbed]

Does tea have caffine then?

This is not such a simple question to answer, as there are actually quite a few different beverages referred to as 'tea'. Both common black tea and green tea contain both caffiene and theophylline (a related compound with similar effects to caffeine). So you might want to consume these in moderation. But other teas, such as chamomile tea, contain no caffeine. In fact, chamomile tea is said to have a relaxing effect. I can't personally vouch for it. But it might be something worth trying.

[RequiemOfDemise]

I drink Chamomile Tea every night, 1 to 2 cups, it keeps my anxiety at bay and the panic attacks to a minimum. Plus the thought of it 'helping' helps the thinking patterns of self worry. It is a relaxant itself.