Tea for the Tired
How're you doing, friends?
It's been a long season of strain, of collective grief, and it makes sense to be tired when we're all under so much senseless strain. During these challenging times, I've been overcome with the beauty of life and community, but I've also been feeling weary and I know, after lots of experience, that this weariness is a waymarker on the path, letting me know that I can make choices on which direction I head next.
So as I was thinking of the ways I'll be tending to my weariness, I wanted to put together a few simple recipes to support your practice if you're feeling tired and worn down, too. In addition to recipes, I've also offered some practical ideas to support your path of rest.
Do herbs replace good mental health services? No, so make sure you're reaching out to your support network if your weariness is transforming into something more pernicious. You can find a number of mental health resources at the end of this post if you're looking for a place to start.
How to Prepare Your Tea
In general, standard dosage guidelines for herbal tea is 1 heaping teaspoon of dried herbs per 8 ounces or 1 cup of water.
All of these teas can be taken throughout the day up to 3 to 4 cups within a 24 hour period. If you like, you can take a moment to enjoy the sensory experience of tea from the sound of water being poured over tea leaves to the aromatic scent of the steam rising from your brew to the warmth of the cup in your hands. Sensory beauty is one of the ways that we can help transform weariness into restorative rest.
While I had tea in mind when creating these recipes, as tea is the type of remedy I love the most when I'm exhausted, they can all be easily adapted into the type of remedy that works best for your needs, including herbal baths, extracts, steams, and herbal oils.
image via @justindocanto
Gentle Buzz
For those struggling with social burnout, a tea to help settle the nervous system and help us feel connection without overwhelm.
2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
1 part Milky Oat (Avena sativa)
The practical: Get offline and get together in-person. Get yourself to third spaces, whether libraries or coffee houses, parks or club meet-ups. It doesn't have to be a big event or anything fancy or expensive, but there is healing in meeting up and existing in the same place with one another.
image via @j_harris_391
Lush Cloud
For those needing a soft place to land and looking to restore their sleep cycles after a period of stress.
2 parts Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)
The practical: Reconnect with your places of rest and your places of sleep. Let your bed be a screen free zone and make sure your favorite place to sit and get cozy is free of whatever keeps you from sitting there (laundry, too many pillows, general mess, etc. but if it is a cat, maybe get another chair?). Drink plenty of water during the day, get outside and in the fresh air, and in-between cups of tea, practice some gentle movement.
image via @babettelandmesser
Wellspring
For those whose creativity feels dulled by chronic stress, a tea blend to help refill the well of inspiration.
4 parts Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
1 part Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
½ part Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
The practical: If you've been chasing inspiration, try letting inspiration come to you instead. Choose a time and everyday show up in the same place, with your tools of creativity with you, and invite inspiration in (say it out loud if you like, light a candle, create an atmosphere to draw inspiration in - I like to set out a bowl of water to represent a well full of inspiration). Stay put for five minutes, then leave, telling inspiration you'll be back again the next day. This time is not for creating or trying to come up with ideas, but for letting inspiration know where you're at, showing up there, and letting inspiration arrive (and inspiration will eventually do just that).
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I hope you found a tea or plant ally to connect with, friend. If you’re looking for more inspiration, you might like my post all about the hope-cultivating plant that is Linden (Tilia x europaea). For something of a more magickal persuasion, a few years back I wrote about gentle magick for when you feel lost and even a love letter if you’re more in the mood for poetry.
This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎
