Make Your Own Cuppa Calm Tea Blend

Have you ever been introduced to something so wonderful, you just can’t shut up about it? My sweet, thoughtful, brilliant friend made me this tea blend for work-induced stress, and my life was changed. I had what I now realize was stress pain in my shoulder blades for over a year and just chalked it up to bad desk posture. I’m no stranger to teas, but none of them have had an effect like this one.

I followed her directions, had my first cup before bed, and woke up the next morning without the tight, twisting pain that had become my norm. I was shocked and immediately asked her if I could share her tea blend with you all- and because she is all kinds of amazing, she agreed!

How to Safely Incorporate Herbal Teas into Your Self Care Routine

Before getting into the “how”, we need to review safety. Yup, safety. Tea, like coffee and alcohol, will obviously have an effect on your body. Tea just has the added herbal benefits that make it slightly better for you than wine 😉

Like all herbal supplements or aids, do your research first and keep an eye on how it affects you personally. Because St. John’s Wort is particularly effective for treating anxiety and mild to moderate depression (do NOT use if you have severe depression), please consult with a doctor if you are on any medications (specifically SSRIs or MAOs) that could be affected and ease into incorporating this into your self-care routine with just 1 cup a week building up to no more than 1 cup/day.

This tea blend is a simple, 2 part mix of lavender and St. John’s Wort. Besides smelling awesome, there’s a reason why lavender is used in every variation of sleep-inducing product. Lavender helps promote calm, deep sleep by lowering the stress hormone, cortisol. It also reduces inflammation, which can help with the stress pain build up in your neck, back, and shoulders. Paired with the mood-boosting properties of St. John’s Wort, it’ll help your body and mind relax.

Cuppa Calm Tea Blend

2 parts culinary lavender*, 1 part St. John’s Wort
Use 1 T of Cuppa Calm tea blend per 8 oz. water

Bring cold, filtered water to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add your tea strainer and let simmer for 15 minutes. Throw on a face mask, relax, and enjoy.

*Note on picking lavender- culinary lavender is specifically food grade lavender. If you just search “dried lavender”, you might get a craft-grade meant to go in soaps. I’ve searched every natural, local, and large supermarket and have had the best (ok, only) luck on Amazon. If you’re lucky enough to live where you can grow your own lavender, you can use fresh lavender buds or dried lavender flowers as long as the plant is free from pesticides.

St. John’s Wort can be picked up at a local naturopath store or likewise online.

This tea is the one part of my self-care routine I actually keep up with as I continue working on undoing the damage my last job did on my shoulder. This was my first time making my own blend, but now I’m dying to experiment with more. I’m curious if you’ve made your own blends! What are your favorites?