Thanks to countless articles and books about “what successful people do before 5:00 a.m.,” what successful people do on Sundays,” and “the qualities of successful people,” I have this specific, silly vision of what the day-to-day life of a successful person looks like. Ms. Successful-In-My-Head wakes up at the butt crack of dawn, makes her bed up so neatly you could bounce a nickel on it, and then proceeds to go running to the soothing swells of Beethoven. This is all before her daily egg white omelet breakfast meeting with God at around 5:30 a.m. This woman has vision boards and daily affirmations on her mirror. She doesn’t eat after 7:00 p.m., reads a book every week and always has a spare dress for the impromptu cocktail event. This one-dimensional character that has developed in my head over time is subject to change. The most recent amendment to her perfect habits has to do with a hot beverage: Ms. Successful-In-My-Head is a tea drinker. While the “morning person” aspect of my personality is still a work-in-progress, I intend to start drinking tea right away — and often. Here are the reasons why:
1. It’s a Healthier Option (for me, at least) than Coffee
Sure, coffee is thought to burn fat, increase intelligence, and contain essential nutrients. But I have to be honest. My morning beverage is more coffee-flavored cream than it is cream-flavored coffee. That being said, you can factor out most of coffee’s natural nutritional value for me and any other pseudo coffee lovers out there. On the other hand, tea tastes really good with moderate amounts of natural sweeteners, like agave nectar and honey. Other than hydration and aromatherapy, teas also offer a wide variety of homeopathic properties, including: relief for abdominal gas and bloating; curbing nausea, vomiting, or upset stomach; calming and sedative effects for insomnia; antioxidant properties; liver cleansing; digestive support; and some of the best plant-based vitamin-C for an immune system boost.
2. The Shakes are Fewer
I don’t know if it’s because I tend to get anxious or because I have weak nerves, but coffee can cause some unwelcome side effects that resemble panic. Fresh coffee can be a Godsend when I’m preparing for a presentation during the latter hours of the night, but that second cup before class is more of a Tasmanian devil in my veins. I sweat coffee odor seeps through my pores, my hands shake and my digestive system ushers any consumed food straight through my system in record time (Sorry if this grosses you out. I did confirm that I’m not the only one who experiences this before posting online). That’s way too much internal drama for me. I like caffeinated tea because it is more diluted than coffee and promotes healthy patterns with sleepy time formulas and soothing ingredients like lavender. Also, removing coffee as a last resort encourages me to manage my time and make sleep a priority. Ariana Huffington style.
3. it’s Hip, it’s Cool, it’s Young…
I thought drinking tea was an antiquated thing. When I went to college and saw everyone making and ordering hot tea, I thought perhaps Urban Outfitters was recycling yet another trend. I thought people were reviving the popularity of tea drinking around the same time teenagers started buying record players again and started using the word “mint” as an adjective. But, no, everyone drinks tea. It serves a variety of purposes for college students, especially. Any student or former student knows that the college experience can completely overthrow any semblance of healthy habits regarding sleep, nutrition and stress. Teas alone cannot remedy these imbalances, but they can offer support for the immune system, therapy for high-stress times (mid-terms and finals, anyone?), and help with correcting a crazy sleep schedule.
4. There are Levels to Tea
Who doesn’t love being an enthusiast? The greatest interests in life are the ones that allow you to progress. People, namely me, love activities like collecting currencies and searching Star Wars wikis because there is always more to collect and more to know. I remember the first time I caught a cold while living with my cousin. She brought me a box the size of a small briefcase, full of tea bags of every color, size and purpose. From blueberry tea that aided weight loss to peach-ginger tea that required an infuser to make. I was so impressed with the advanced quality of her collection, as well as stimulated by the variety. She made me the best cup of tea I’d ever had. I’m a southern girl, so I’m accustomed to good sweet tea (ingredients: Lipton tea, water, and sugar, sugar, sugar). However, hanging out with friends who shop at Teavana and, out of boredom, drinking all of the samples opened my eyes to the endless experiences tea can bring to the senses. The cousin I mentioned earlier has several different types of sugar and tea-making mechanisms I never knew existed. There are so many fun models of infusers out there that they look like yellow submarines, lollipops, and popular images from Lord of the Rings and Dr. Who.
5. Tea Can Take You all over the World
Drinking tea can open the senses up to a unique cultural experience even when you are sitting in a plain living room. Most people know that if you engage in afternoon tea, you are following a popular British tradition. But tea originated in Southeast Asia, with its roots in certain cultural principles and immaculate practices regarding the development of tea plants. Teas are composed of spices and herbs that are cultivated in locales across the globe by people whose experiences are starkly different than those of us in the United States. I travel internationally every now and then, but I have not the resources or time to touch ground everywhere that I desire to go. One of the ways I travel, for the time being, is through books. I can imagine what these stories might look and feel like, but a tea with accents from China, India, Mozambique or Argentina can provide insight on what these stories may taste and smell like.
