Anxie-tea

      Most people experience anxiety in some form or fashion at least once in their lives. It may come in the form of having to take a test, performing in front of others, preparing for an interview, or having to be around that special someone without them knowing your true feelings. These are all too common situations that promote stress inducing symptoms, however, there are other times when this stress becomes overwhelming and debilitating in daily life. When these feelings start to become overwhelming, one can develop Generalized Anxiety Disorder. According to the DSM-V, the criteria for GAD a person that may suffer from is as follows:

•    They must have excessive anxiety and worry more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities

•    The individual finds it difficult to control the worry

•    The anxiety and worry are accompanied with at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms (In children, only one symptom is necessary for a diagnosis of GAD):

·         Edginess or restlessness

·         Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual

·         Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank

·         Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others)

·         Increased muscle aches or soreness

·         Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep)

If you or someone you know is exhibiting these symptoms, please do not be afraid to talk with a therapist or doctor to get the care that is needed. There are medications and other more intense treatments used to help people who suffer from this condition, however, there are very simple things that one can use in their everyday routine to help keep their anxiety at bay.

    Before incorporating anything into your routine, please talk with your therapist or doctor to make sure this is right for you. Even if you do not suffer from GAD, a nice, hot cup of tea is always a wonderful way to wind down after a long day. It is a beautiful feat to find a tea to help you achieve this zealous state of Zen and I will talk about one of my favorites. The first is green/white tea. According to https://tea-culture.net/best-teas-for-anxiety-and-stress-relief-herbal-teas-backed-by-science/, green tea ‘has a chemical in traditional tea called theanine that has well studied relaxative and anti-anxiety effects that help combat the excitatory effects of the caffeine’. This is why it is so relaxing. It is also low calorie and very delicious. You can drink green tea cold or hot and it tastes of flavors of fruits and others herbs very well to make delicious custom blends. This is a healthy and satisfying alternative to decompress when needed. If green is not your cup of tea, there are many to choose from.  You can follow the link above to learn more about the amazing stress relieving properties of tea and how they can help you!

Garcsa Brooks

Intern, Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc