It’s official. We’re in a recession. It would be an understatement to say that things are pretty stressful right now. Instead of heading directly to your neighborhood bar or investing in a bottle of hard alcohol, why not try brewing a pot of tea? It’s healthier for you and less likely to get you checked into the Betty Ford Clinic.
Behold, the top seven reasons to drink tea during a recession:1. After a long day of looking for jobs that don’t exist you could probably use something to help you unwind. Step away from that shot glass. While an alcoholic beverage will help you forget your problems (along with everything else depending on how much you consume) it can also lead to a rude awakening the next day.  How are you going to find gainful employment when you are hung over? Where is your left shoe? Why does thinking hurt so much?
Alcohol is a depressant that only temporarily reduces the effects of stress, meaning that by the time you sober up you’ll be even more bummed out.

By all means, enjoy a drink here and there, just don’t expect it to significantly reduce stress. Try some tea instead – like Art of Tea’s Lotus Flower, which according to Asian Medicine has been attributed to relaxation. If lotus flowers really aren’t your thing try Immortal Nectar, a puerh tea known to decrease physical stress and lower cholesterol while delivering a slight sherry-like fragrance (for those of you who still may be craving the sweet smell of booze.)

Also, a warm bath can help to heal stressed muscles.  Believe it or not you can make a tea bath, white tea is known to increase the collagen in the skin.

2. During a recession, the blues go hand in hand with stress. Green tea contains L-Theanine, a unique amino acid that can ease anxiety and depression.  According to worldwidehealthcenter.net, research on human volunteers has demonstrated that the amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Not to shabby.
3. What better time to focus on your health? As your stress levels rise you become more susceptible to cold and flu. In a 1998 New York Times article, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found that “people under long-term stress – lasting at least a month and stemming from a significant problem like being fired from a job after years of service – are more likely to catch cold when exposed to a virus than people under milder stress.”
According to teausa.org, the website of The Tea Association of the USA, Inc., The Tea Council of the USA, and the Specialty Tea Institute, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University recently published data indicating that tea contains a component that can help the body ward off infection and disease.  They also found that drinking tea might help to strengthen the immune system.

Add some of Art of Tea’s Tibetan Goji Berries to your tea or enjoy them alone – the plum and cherry flavored berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet, and India protect the liver, boost immune function, and promote longevity.

4.Tea is a relatively affordable way to indulge your senses. Take for instance Art of Tea’s Halo, “a white tea wrapped in a bulb shape which blossoms a rainbow ring of jasmine and amaranth flowers crafted with blueberry and peach essence.”  If you think the description is poetic take a look at the picture. Now imagine how it would taste.
5.Tea has been said to help decrease obesity, which is often stress related and is almost certainly related to the consumption of fast food.  Fast food options may be tempting to both your wallet and your stomach given the tough economic times but resist the urge. Stay healthy by eating healthy and brew a cup of tea while you’re at it.
6.Stress not only affects you physically and mentally but cosmetically too. On a purely superficial note it has to be said that the recession is not kind to one’s appearance.  Many of you may be plagued by telltale bags under your eyes or deepening worry lines accompanied by disappearing laugh lines, but really, who has time to worry about looks when there are larger problems at hand? Art of Tea’s Healer’s Tea is based on an herbal combination from the Tang Dynasty. This combination was used in circles of the elite as a choice health tonic and elixir for abundant radiance, many call this effect the “Glow”. Did you hear that? ABUNDANT RADIANCE. Who doesn’t want some abundant radiance? You can brag to your friends that in your free time you imbibe the same tea as China’s elite, making you rich in spirit, if not in your bank account.

7. A recession is a good time to focus on what really matters. Have some friends over for tea – good company is priceless and cheaper than going out.
Also remember, we are what we believe. If you promote positive self-affirmations you will resonate and attract positivity – add more joy and wellness and that positivity will spread like wildfire. Remember, we make our life happen rather than life happening to us. Turn over a new leaf and sip-by-sip we will make our future shine in ‘09.
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Lisa Przystup is a freelance writer based in Boston.  Her work has appeared in Desert Living Magazine in Phoenix, Boston Magazine, as well as Massachusetts-based papers The Milford Daily News and The MetroWest Daily News . She can often found on her couch drinking tea to quell her neurosis and anxiety over qualms in the world today.  She can be reached at lprzystup@gmail.com.