The Best Tea for Anxiety: Herbs for Stress & Tension

Jan 21, 2025

The best tea for Anxiety. The best herbs for to relieve stress and tension.

Life can feel overwhelming sometimes — it happens to the best of us! With all of the demands of family, work, and daily life, many carry the weight of anxiety and stress without really realizing how deeply it affects their health. And while lifestyle and a prayerful life are a must, natural remedies like tea for anxiety made from healing herbs can also assist.

There are so many different options when it comes to herbal tea for anxiety. Whether you’re looking for a excuse to sit down and relax or a way to unwind after a long day, teas are a gentle, natural way to find balance.

Discover the best tea for anxiety with our guide to herbal tea for stress relief. Learn about the top herbs for anxiety tea, including chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, and more, each with unique stress-busting benefits. Find out how to create your own tea for stress and tension or use it alongside other lifestyle changes for daily wellness practices. Start to destress naturally with these powerful herbs!

Why Herbal Tea is Great for Anxiety

Herbal teas offer so much more than just a cozy cuppa. They serve as a wholesome means to quiet the mind and body without having to rely on pharmaceuticals.

While we do believe there is a time and place for prescription medications, they often come with a slew of unwanted side effects or, worse, dependence. If you are already on medications, that doesn’t mean you can’t complement that treatment with herbal tea too. However you will want to make sure the particular herbs do not contraindicate your medications.

Drinking tea for anxiety can support your nervous system, nourish your body, and help you find a moment of peace in an otherwise busy day. What’s more, the simple act of blending, brewing, and sipping tea can really create a moment of stillness — a moment to breathe, pray, reflect, and reset.

Tea for Stress and Anxiety: Herbs to Use

Below you’ll find the best herbs to include in homemade anxiety tea. They each boast unique properties and benefits and would make a valuable addition to any anti-stress blend.

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Tulsi, or holy basil, is one of the better herbs for calming anxiety and supporting stress relief. It’s known to help the body manage cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and improve overall mental clarity (Source). Tulsi is a star ingredient in our favorite store-bought tea for anxiety.

Lemongrass

Bright with a wonderful citrus aroma, lemongrass can boost your mood while it soothes any frazzled nerves. It’s also known to promote restful sleep, making it a great choice for evening cups of tea (Source).

Ginger Root

You may have already used ginger root to calm an upset stomach, but did you know that it may also reduce stress-induced inflammation and improve overall mood? Add it to tea for stress and anxiety to soothe your tummy and your nerves (Source).

Lemon Peel

Lemon peel is zesty and refreshing, and it’s also full of antioxidants and nutrients that may improve your frame of mind. Its bright and lemony flavor makes it a wonderful addition to tea for anxiety (Source).

Peppermint

There’s a reason peppermint tea is such a classic — it relaxes tense muscles, soothes digestion, and helps quiet a restless mind. It’s especially effective for folks with anxiety that shows up as physical tension (Source).

Licorice Root

Licorice root is a naturally sweet herb that may balance stress hormones and support adrenal health. It can also help even out and stabilize energy levels in moments of prolonged stress (Source).

Lemon Balm

Known as the “calming herb,” lemon balm is one of our favorites for reducing anxiety and improving sleep. It’s gentle but still very effective, making it a staple in the best tea for anxiety (Source). I always say, “lemon balm brings calm!”

Oat Straw

Oat straw is a nutrient-rich herb that is ideal for those experiencing chronic stress or burnout. It is known to nourish the nervous system over time, helping to rebuild your body’s resilience (Source).

Chamomile

This gentle flower shows up in nearly every sleep and anxiety tea blend — and for good reason! Chamomile can help ease anxiety, improve sleep, and promote overall relaxation (Source). Not to mention it is excellent for gut health and science is showing more and more how the gut and brain are connected.

Catnip

If you have cats, you’ve likely already given them catnip. Well, contrary to what it does to your kitty, this medicinal herb may be calming for humans! It soothes the nervous system, reduces restlessness, and supports digestive health, making it a wonderful (and unexpected) choice for tea for stress (Source).

Rosemary Leaf

Finally, rosemary leaf is another fantastic herb for mental clarity and reducing mental fatigue. If your stress and worry make it hard for you to focus, rosemary can help bring balance and calm (Source).

Tea for Anxiety Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best tea for anxiety?

The best tea for anxiety often includes calming herbs like chamomile, lemon balm, and peppermint. These herbs may help relax the nervous system, reduce stress, promote a sense of calm, and more. A blend that combines several different herbs with stress-relieving properties will boast even more benefits!

Can I drink anxiety tea every day?

Yes, most herbal anxiety teas are safe to drink daily. They’re often made from natural ingredients with gentle effects. That said, it’s important to pay attention to your body and how it reacts to different herbs. Licorice root, in particular, can affect blood pressure if taken in high amounts. Always consult with your preferred healthcare professional to go over any concerns.

How long does it take for tea for anxiety to work?

It depends on your body, the specific tea you drink, and a handful of other factors, but the calming effects of herbal tea can usually be felt within 20-30 minutes of drinking a cup. For longer-term benefits, consider drinking a few cups a day to help strengthen your body’s resilience to stress!

Destress with Herbal Tea

Anxiety and stress are challenges we all face, but we cannot only use them to our advantage by offering our sufferings up in prayer as a gift to God. We can also take them as a sign to slow down and focus on the important things. Perhaps with a cup of herbal tea. By embracing the simple habit of herbal tea in your daily routine, you can take a gentle and natural step toward finding the peace and calm that allows us to think more of our Creator and less of our problems,

To learn more about how to use these herbs to make homemade tea blends, don’t miss our FREE Tea Blending Workshop! Also make sure to download our free Monograph Journal Pages so that you can learn more about how individual herbs react to individual people.