If you’re feeling stressed out and anxious at the moment, well, I regret to inform you that a cup of even the most calming teas ever will not actually take away your very justified feelings of existential terror. But, as part of a post-election self-care plan, even the teeny-tiniest moments of peace and calm are as good as gold right now. And making a steaming cup of soothing tea is one quick, simple, lovely-smelling little way to relax, for a hot minute anyway.
Making tea for yourself can be soothing in a few ways. You might appreciate the ritualistic nature of brewing a mug of your favorite blend. Maybe it’s feeling the warmth of the hot mug in your hands while you give your thumbs a break from scrolling. Or inhaling the relaxing scents of herbs and flowers that transport you somewhere else for, like, a millisecond. Perhaps you’re opting for a nonalcoholic beverage if a brutal post-election-night hangover doesn’t sound like…your cup of tea. Or maybe your tea of choice is really just functioning as a liquid vehicle for six to eight tablespoons of sugar (or honey).
Here are the relaxing and calming teas that SELF staffers and contributors chill out with—on the regular, or whenever in need of some simple self-soothing, like right now. Take a deep breath and brew yourself a big mug of your “chill the eff out” tea of choice.
All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
-
Pinterest
Target1 Harney & Sons Mint Tea
I love this mint tea for anytime I’m sick, feeling generally icky after a greasy meal, or just want to sink off into sleep (this is basically my Sleepytime tea). I also feel like this blend tastes a little more potent and fresh than some of the other mint tea sachets you’ll find at bodegas and grocery stores. As an added bonus, every Harney & Sons tin is beautiful and reusable, great for storing assorted teas bags and knickknacks when you’re done with it. —Lori Keong, senior commerce editor
$6 at Target
-
Pinterest
Amazon2 Numi Organic Turmeric Three Roots Tea
I like lots of different varieties of turmeric tea, but this one is my absolute favorite because of how nourishing it feels. The earthy turmeric is enhanced by strong notes of warm ginger and sweet licorice, plus the subtlest hint of rose. It’s a beautiful, complex flavor profile that I never get sick of. —Carolyn Todd, senior health writer
$20 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Target3 Bigelow Vanilla Chai Black Tea
My favorite type of tea is vanilla chai! I love how it smells spicy and sweet at the same time. I’m always excited to drink a glass at the start and end of my day, especially during the cooler months. I don’t have a favorite brand—I just buy whatever. This one is inexpensive and widely available. —SELF contributor Jessica Jones, M.S., RDN, CDE
$3 at Target
-
Pinterest
Target4 Tazo Refresh Mint Tea
I drink Tazo Refresh Mint Tea, which is a peppermint tea with spearmint and tarragon. It’s very calming and refreshing, like a breath of fresh air. I just put a little sugar in it, and sometimes a little squeeze of lemon. —Amber Venerable, visuals director
$4 at Target
-
Pinterest
The Mixtape Shop5 Kilogram Tea Organic Ginger Plum Iced Tea
You’re technically supposed to enjoy this ginger plum tea chilled, but I like to brew a tablespoon of it with hot water while winding down after dinner. It brews a deep red and reminds me of hibiscus, so it has a very summery feel to it, but is still a good palate cleanser on cooler evenings. It’s intensely flavorful with a tart finish that I love. —L.K.
$9 at The Mixtape Shop
Most Popular
- 5 Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression You Should Definitely Pay Attention To
By Maggie O’Neill
- 42 Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts for Guys
By Sarah Madaus
- Just Some Fun Sex Toys You and Your Partner Will Love
By Gabrielle Kassel
-
Pinterest
Target6 Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger Tea
When it comes to stomaching 2020, ginger tea is my go-to. Stress and anxiety absolutely wreck my G.I. tract, and ginger always helps. That said, ginger tea has a warm, almost spicy flavor and aroma that just feels comforting to me. And since it’s caffeine-free, I can pound it all day and still sleep at night. —SELF contributor K. Aleisha Fetters, M.S., CSCS
$6 at Target
-
Pinterest
Amazon7 Wissotzky Nana Tea
Nana is a type of mint native to the Arab and Northern African regions, making it a part of Sephardic Jewish culture for centuries. There’s something special about the taste that sets it apart from your standard mint tea—it’s slightly sweeter and, at least in my opinion, instantly comforting. I drink it when I’m in the mood to get cozy, for an afternoon pick-me-up, after a big meal, or when I’m feeling under the weather. Essentially, it’s great for everything. You can get Nana tea in a bunch of varieties today—combined with black tea if you’d like some caffeine, blended with lemon if you want something more mellow…the list goes on. I will surely be having several cups of this a day during election month (yes, month). —Hannah D. Pasternak, senior editor, emerging platforms
$8 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Amazon8 Yogi Egyptian Licorice Tea
When I’m craving both hot tea and something sweet—which is often the case when I’m extra stressed out—this is the tea I reach for. The licorice is so rich and sweet that, even plain, this tastes like it’s got a little sugar in it. It’s complemented perfectly by a warming, slightly spicy blend of cinnamon, orange peel, ginger, cardamom, clove, and a tiny bit of black pepper. Sometimes I’ll add a teaspoon of molasses or silan (date syrup) to up the sweetness. —C.T.
$23 at Amazon
Most Popular
- 5 Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression You Should Definitely Pay Attention To
By Maggie O’Neill
- 42 Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts for Guys
By Sarah Madaus
- Just Some Fun Sex Toys You and Your Partner Will Love
By Gabrielle Kassel
-
Pinterest
Amazon9 Matcha Love Organic Green Tea Powder
I will say that my morning matcha ritual really just brings peace into my day right from the beginning, so that is my most consistent ritual. Matcha Love is my favorite matcha, and I have the bowl and the whisk and the whole thing. For me, it’s the ritual of making it, the comforting foamy (plant-based) milk, and the warm beverage in the morning. —SELF contributor Shauna Harrison, Ph.D.
$13 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Amazon10 Stash White Peach Oolong Tea
I am one of those people who drink tea all day long because I just really love having a warm cup of something with me at all times. It might be my adult version of a security blanket, TBH. Later in the day I opt for herbal or white teas. White peach is my favorite. I like Stash (bagged), and my favorite tea place in Baltimore sells a white peach (loose leaf) I lived off while in grad school and I usually keep that on hand. —S.H.
$5 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Amazon11 Bigelow Earl Grey Black Tea
I often end up buying this brand of Earl Grey—just because it is super available and easy to find. Somehow, in residency, I accidentally bought a multiple hundreds pack of it off Amazon. I was basically drinking it for the entirety of all of those hard few years, and my friends would come get it from my office. That was just really comforting; it helped us decompress, and helped us survive. I drink tea with milk, always, and now my dog Winnie has taken to wanting milk at the same time. It has become, at least in the fall-winter months, a ritual for my dog and I to have tea and milk to calm ourselves before bed (or in the morning before work). If watching how excited my dog gets about milk is not anxiety-reducing in itself, I don’t know what is! —SELF contributor Jessica A. Gold, M.D., M.S.
$16 at Amazon
Most Popular
- 5 Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression You Should Definitely Pay Attention To
By Maggie O’Neill
- 42 Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts for Guys
By Sarah Madaus
- Just Some Fun Sex Toys You and Your Partner Will Love
By Gabrielle Kassel
-
Pinterest
Amazon12 365 Everyday Value Organic Peppermint Tea
I’m the type of person who usually enjoys switching between tea and coffee, but lately I’ve been really into the calm Whole Foods’s 365 Everyday Value Organic Peppermint Tea provides. Aside from the allure of getting a hefty 40 tea bags at under $5 a box, the tea itself is tasty to drink on its own, or with a little lemon juice and a few teaspoons of honey. When it’s time to reach for my second mug, I usually throw in a second bag on top of the first with piping hot water to really savor the flavor. —Tiffany Dodson, associate market editor
$4 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Brooklyn Tea13 Brooklyn Tea Kyoto Cherry Rose Sencha
I love Brooklyn Tea’s Kyoto Cherry Rose Sencha. The smell of cherry and rose is so soothing, and the green tea provides a natural boost of energy. I enjoy it warm with a little bit of honey or maple syrup. Sometimes I’ll make a large batch and boil with ginger. —SELF columnist Wendy Lopez, M.S., R.D., CDE
$18 at Brooklyn Tea
-
Pinterest
Amazon14 House of Rooibos Organic Rooibos Tea
Rooibos is a tea that I grew up drinking, so it has a soft spot for me. It’s great if you want something light, herbal, and not too overpowering: It brews an orange-red, and there’s a really nice aromatic sweetness to it that reminds me of a warm dessert. —L.K.
$15 at Amazon
Most Popular
- 5 Less Obvious Signs of Seasonal Depression You Should Definitely Pay Attention To
By Maggie O’Neill
- 42 Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts for Guys
By Sarah Madaus
- Just Some Fun Sex Toys You and Your Partner Will Love
By Gabrielle Kassel
-
Pinterest
15 Pukka Organic Night Time Tea
This is my go-to bedtime tea, as the name might suggest. It’s a perfectly balanced blend that is subtle and mellow but not boring—the main flavors are oat flower, lavender, and chamomile, with notes of lime flower, valerian root, licorice root, and green Rama tulsi leaf. So relaxing to sip on. —C.T.
$15 at Amazon
-
Pinterest
Amazon16 Harney & Sons Paris Tea
For nights when you want a soother that makes you feel a little fancy (pinkies up), I’d suggest Harney & Sons’ Paris blend tea. It is a black tea—so if you don’t like to sip caffeinated beverages after a certain hour, maybe skip this for an herbal blend—but still absolutely exceptional: It’s slightly fruity (thanks to the bergamot in it), very fragrant, and tastes amazing with a dash of milk. —L.K.
$10 at Amazon
