Most people I know talk about having tea to awaken their senses, earlier in the day to wake-up from the slumber and during the day to regain their mental acuity. However, with me things are rather different. Think of me as an overworked, almost always engaged mind. I have this habit of digging so deep into the work that often I start blinking too infrequently and, as a result, my eyes get dry and irritated. This is why, for me, taking a few sips of tea is about interrupting my self-righteous habits that tend to exhaust me. This is not therapeutic for me. This is more of lifestyle management. Simple thing like ordering the tea or pouring it in my cup and sitting back to catch a break really helps to disengage the slightly over-stimulated sense, helping me regain that sense of calmness.

I could never understand why post-lunch tea, and I mean the one that follows immediately, is so important for some people. Upon asking, answers have emerged along the lines of it keeps away the need for a sweet dish and helps to calm the stomach that might revolt again if the lunch wasn’t fulfilling. My digestive system is wired differently. For me, having tea during the build-up to lunch at work actually helps to take-away the subtle acidity and helps to build-up the hunger. Seems like another instance of how & why I am genetically tuned to be the opposite of all regular stuff!

I keep hearing how Tea Helps to break the vicious pattern of daytime sleepiness and those bouts of at-the-desk lethargy but somehow this does not work for me. Yes, when I happen to catch an afternoon siesta during the weekends, I might need a cup of tea to feel refreshed but this does not take away the laziness. In fact, I must have absolutely no-sugar tea with something chocolaty to feel better. I might still feel a bit dizzy after a big cup of tea but then, I will feel more relaxed after having consumed it. I am not talking about chamomile tea or herbal teas that are especially formulated to help people relax or get slightly dozy after a hard day at work – this is regular tea, our regular chai served in a humble cup without any fanciful stuff.

This must be the oddest Anxiety management trick in the book but let me share it with you. During meetings, when things are not moving in your favor – which is usually the case with me, a big, handful of cup of tea can help. How? Not drinking it, but just gripping the cup! You might have read about my clenching method anxiety control discussions that will sound weird to the carefree soul but for the overworked minds like me, they will make a lot of sense. Now back to the meeting table where gripping a reasonably hot mug of coffee or a biggish cup of tea helps you channel away and isolate your anxiety and you tend to be better with words, thoughts and expressions.

[Read DIY Anxiety Control with Hand Grippers].

Everyone used to say that having a few sips along the meal does no big harm to your body and it helps to keep the food moving, down the throat, through the intestinal tunnels. I realized rather soon that this was not the case with me. For me, having tea is seldom about keeping the bites moving. This is more about constantly soothing my throat that has a rather high incidence of being irritated with anything and everything that is a bit sour or bitter or cold. Smallest explorations with sauces and chutneys can ring the wrong bell. Tea is more of a damage-controller here!