Things are crazy right now. 2020 hasn't exactly gone how any of us could have expected so far. We've definitely had our fair share of challenges and stress here at Soov. So in this article we'll share some of our favorite drinks to calm down and chill out with. Before we get started though, there are some drinks and ingredients we'd recommend avoiding if you're trying to relax. First is too much sugar. Overdoing it on sugar can have a negative impact on your mood and make you feel irritable. Next is caffeine. Some people swear by coffee being relaxing but caffeine can make you jittery, restless, and hurt your sleep. Coffee isn't the only source of caffeine, there is a decent amount of caffeine in black tea and a smaller amount in green tea. The amount in green tea is pretty small though so if you are not extra caffeine sensitive it shouldn't have much effect on you. Finally, alcohol can be relaxing in small doses but be careful not to overdo it. 2020 has definitely made it tempting to drink a lot, but doing so will likely leave you feeling worse than before when the effects of the alcohol wear off. Now for the list of our favorite calming drinks:
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile might be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear calming drink. That's because it enjoys a great reputation for helping you chill out and sleep well. Chamomile has many other benefits on top of that making it a great, healthy way to relax. Many of the "sleep time" or "relaxation" tea blends you see in stores feature chamomile.
Lavender oil, flowers, or tea, can all calm you down. Even just from the smell.
Lavender Tea
Just the smell of lavender is enough to calm you down so even just getting some of the oils or flowers to smell is a good relaxation technique. Lavender tea is believed to carry many of the same benefits as chamomile like reducing stress and helping you sleep.Mint Tea
Spearmint and peppermint contain menthol which can relax your muscles. That includes your digestive muscles, calming your stomach down too. Mint combines nicely with lavender for an easy-to-make calming tea at home. Just take one fourth of a cup of lavender petals and one cup of mint, add them to a saucepan with four cups of water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for fifteen minutes. Strain out the lavender and mint and you've got tea.
Berry Smoothie
Some of the highest concentrations of antioxidants come from berries. These antioxidants may help you focus and boost your mood. Try freezing blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and blending them with some frozen bananas and water. There you go, an easy smoothie that tastes awesome.
Spinach is rich in magnesium which can improve your mood.
Veggie Smoothie
These smoothies might not taste as good as the berry ones but it's worth it for their magnesium content. Kale, spinach, swiss chard are all high in magnesium which can help if you're feeling blue. Here's a recipe for a kale and spinach smoothie that's definitely worth trying.
Lemon Water
Lemon water to start the day has become trendy with a lot of people swearing by it's many different benefits. One benefit that is proven though is lemons are a good source of vitamin C. Being low on vitamin C can have an impact on your mood and make you feel depressed or angry.Water
If you're feeling a little moody or having trouble concentrating, one of the first things you should think to yourself is if you've had enough water today. If the answers no, than some regular old water can do wonders for making you feel better. Dehydration is no fun.