Anxietea

By Eve Barrette

Art by Haven Arms

Every morning my rituals poison the air in my vicinity, stifling. Before the sun has risen, I've downed a coffee, I've smoked a cigarette while I wait for the train to give my fingers something to do. Redbull after my first class because it's 2 pm. Stare at my screen until I can feel my eyeballs when I blink. A joint after to ease my nerves.

Semesters delve deeper, the days come and go, seasons changing, and midterms approach. You’ll barely notice that your hair has grown past your collarbone and that you haven’t slept in weeks. We spend so much time throwing things in our bodies that we are likely to ignore the negative effects they come with. During COVID, my most essential rituals stemmed from growing and making my own herbal blends with plants from my parents' little New York balcony garden. Those are my credentials, and here are some tips on how you can reset your body with just a tea :) 

Finding the motivation to keep going can be challenging within our cyclical lives. Give yourself the time your body needs to catch up and drink tea for a much-needed boost.

If you need a dopamine hit or a natural caffeine:

• ★Amber Assam loose leaf mixes grown in India boost immunity and improve brain health. This is your caffeine!

• Rose petals, just from looking at them, I get a dopamine hit, but it doesn’t hurt that it assists with digestion and reduces anxiety. Some studies say it can be as effective as aspirin/ibuprofen!

• ★Cardamom gives an added spice undertone to the tea that is unlike any other.

• Cinnamon’s good for the soul and your blood sugar levels, but don’t consume more than one teaspoon daily

• ★Schisandra berry helps the body and brain be less reactive to stress

• Raspberry concentrate flips a switch in my brain that tells me I’m allowed to enjoy the little things in life and reminds me of warmer months. Indulge in your spring and summer fruits!

  
  

Some days, when what I put in my body isn’t the top priority of the day, I’ll find myself buying the pizza at the corner store or a greasy bodega sandwich to soak up the alcohol in my stomach after a rager. The gunk we put into ourselves can build up, so here’s a recommendation for a tea that will be a toxin flush for your morning after:

• ★Green tea powder, natural compounds within the tea support the liver’s natural cleansing processes and destroy free radicals.

• ★Ginger cuts down on any bloating or nausea and aids digestion

• Coriander leaves decrease blood pressure but we might want to disguise the taste of these ingredients with something punchy.

• Apple essence; boiled slices of apple and let simmer until you get a rich and dense flavor!

• Lemon zest because I said so. No description this time, just trust me.

  
  

With all of these teas, I strongly recommend unprocessed honey instead of sugar, the health benefits are worth it. While the drinks themselves have many positives, having a ritual gives me the much-needed time to slow down and process where I am in my life and how I am getting through this phase. Sometimes, drinking a Monster at 2 am or eating greasy food is inevitable towards putting one foot in front of the other. But remember, the things you welcome into your body reflect what you think you deserve in this lifetime. Everyone deserves something more than carbonation and cigarette ash occupying their bloodstream.