Tea Special
coffee
Life after
Lessons in anxiety: from switching coffee
to matcha tea. By Lisa Harrison
Y
ou’re sat at your desk having your morning coffee and
thinking, am I coping well? Can I actually do this? That voice
gets louder in your head as your chest tightens; the walls
feel closer and you’re not sure the people around you even
like you.
Well, maybe you weren’t, but that’s how I found myself feeling on a
regular basis. I’ve got a stressful job (which I love) and I struggled with
anxiety occasionally...until it started getting more frequent and difficult to
deal with a year ago.
I was drinking one or two cups of coffee per day and had no idea it was
affecting me negatively until I ruled it out of my diet. It never seemed to
make me feel more awake, but I didn’t realise my nervous system was so
overworked that feeling more awake just wasn’t possible.
A herbalist suggested I stop drinking coffee altogether. Within
three days my mind was clear, my energy was consistent, and I was
emotionally calmer. I hadn’t seen how out of sync I was until that point.
Coffee stimulates the nervous system, so my body would think it was
experiencing an attack. My mind would go crazy, and once it had worn
off, my muscles would ache as if I’d spent three hours running. I still get
anxious, and coffee wasn’t the only factor, but limiting unnecessary
attacks was huge for me.
I had no interest in any caffeine after that, but I was doing some
research and read that matcha is supposed to be good for insomnia.
I decided to give it a go and felt the difference, especially for that
afternoon energy lull. Matcha releases the caffeine slowly, so it keeps your
energy levels consistent - you don’t get the peaks and troughs in your day.
I also found matcha helps with the aching muscles I get from anxiety in
general. Now, if I get anxiety I know it’s for a reason, so I can quickly figure
out the cause (it’s usually due to low sugar levels when I haven’t eaten for
a while). Knowing my body better helps with the mental side of controlling
anxiety. Instead of spending my time feeling trapped, I can just work on
what my body needs at that time.
If you’re like me, you might find it helps to get to know your body’s
patterns. There’s usually a lot going on that you don’t even know about.
Notice the effect that foods have on your body and when they have that
effect. A lot of anxiety is down to diet, so if it’s been affecting you for a while
try going to a nutritionist. That made a massive difference to me; now I
have the tools to manage a spike. You never know, something as simple as
switching from coffee to matcha might give you the boost you need.Lisa Harrison is the co-founder of a wellness teas start-up called Remedy
Roots (remedyroots.com)