At my last desk job, I dedicated an entire drawer to tea and tea-making paraphernalia. In fact, I consider tea an essential office supply, right alongside pens and staplers. Here are five kinds of tea that are helpful to have on hand, from morning and afternoon pick-me-ups to preparing for a meeting, de-stressing, and soothing the stomach after lunch.
I've included a few readymade tea bag brands, but you can also create your own looseleaf blends. Mountain Rose Herbs is a good source for organic teas, herbs, and supplies.
Morning alertness: Alternatives to coffee include black and green tea and guayusa, an Ecuadorian plant with a caffeine level between that of coffee and green tea. I've found that guayusa boosts mental focus without causing jitters.
• Try it: Runa Guayusa Tea
Throat care: Have a big presentation to give, or is your voice feeling taxed after a long meeting? Teas made from mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm, marshmallow, and licorice root can calm and soothe the throat.
• Try it: Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat
Stress relief: Everyone has to find his or her own best way to relieve tension, but for me a cup of tea, alongside deep breaths, is essential. I like sipping and smelling tea with lavender, which has calming effects.
• Try it: Yogi Honey Lavender Stress Relief
Digestion: Indigestion can be especially uncomfortable at work. Be sure to see a healthcare professional if it's a chronic problem, but for occasional gas or bloating after a big lunch, carminative herbs like fennel, ginger, and mint can help.
• Try it: Gaia Herbs Gas & Bloating Tea
Afternoon energy: Feeling an afternoon energy slump? Green tea is mildly stimulating and research has shown that it freshens breath and helps fight tooth decay — perfect for after lunch!
• Try it: Eden Organic Sencha
What kinds of tea do you like to drink during the workday?
Related: Eating at the Office: What's in Your Snack Drawer?
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(Image: Emily Ho)
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I like to keep around 3 kinds, a black tea (Darjeeling or Earl Grey), a green tea (plain or something with ginger in it) and an herbal one for days where I'm feeling a little under the weather.
Uh...I have a whole cabinet + 3 boxes full of tea at work (I'm just a little crazy about my teas). My current favorite is David's Tea "Super Ginger" (organic ginger + peppercorns, it tastes like a really spicy ginger cookie..perfect for afternoon break) and the one thing I will never be without at the office: my Breville variable temp kettle.
Good idea. I looooove the throat coat.
I drink green tea in the morning and licorice mint in the afternoon. Occasionally I'll have a decaf Chai but since I like milk and sugar in it I have that less often.
I drink ginger tea in the afternoons. It's also good for post-lunch digestion.
After discovering this at a recent conference, this is my current favorite: http://www.tazo.com/tazo-wild-sweet-orange-filterbag-tea/000151598,default,pd.html?start=5&q=sweet%20orange&navid=search
I dedicate a corner of a credenza to tea! I always have jasmine green tea, earl grey, genmai cha, blackcurrant, and mint teas. I also cycle in echinacea tea during cold season, HerbaTussin or Throat Coat if I get a cold, plus whatever random new taste I am trying out.
Thankfully my office keeps stocked on many different kinds of tea, so there is always something available. A lot of times I will drink tea to keep warm because it's always so cold in our office. My favorites right now are green tea with mint and chai tea. I have my own ceramic mug with lid to keep it warm. In fact, I was just about to go make some when I saw this post.
I have most of a cabinet dedicated to tea at home, but for some reason I only keep Guayaki yerba mate at work. I think I'll rectify that tomorrow.
I keep the Yogi Cold Season - best tea when you are feeling icky from a cold or anything else; Allegro Happy Tummy - peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, and some others - super tasty and effective; and a Bigelow Decaf Earl Gray - just a cheap box to have on hand if I want some EG.
My collection is ever-changing but a few remain in my daily routine. Always some form of green tea mid-morning- especially like green with lemon, always peppermint post lunch and dinner and anything else between times. Love nettle at the moment...and the Pukka mixed fennel one..and Yogi tea women's balance.
I have over a dozen types of tea at my desk but if I had to go for utilitarian I'd go with two: Twinning's Ginger Lemon Herbal Tea for when i feel queasy, and Peppermint Herbal Tea to ease digestion. These I always have on hand, whether it's at home or at work.
I have quite a stash: 3 large tins of Adagio's loose leaf teas (one flavored, one oolong, one plain black tea that is very strong), a box of TJ's Vanilla and Cinnamon black teabags, a tin of Tazo's Earl Grey, a box of Chai packets (doesn't really count, and I should give it to someone bc of the dairy content), and a tin of Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage. I need to stick one herbal in the line-up, or maybe something with ginger for after lunch. I don't drink coffee really, so the strong black tea (Golden Monkey black tea) is necessary for the morning, several cups, and then after lunch it's over to oolong.
Though, my jar of oolong tea looks a little suspicious (it looks like well, weed, and my idiot coworker likes to ask me about my 'weed' tea), so I keep it out of sight.
Oh man.
I've always got a variety - black, green and white teas plus a rotation of Celestial Seasonings herbal/fruit teas. I LOVE the Sweet Orange tea someone else mentioned, but it's an indulgence. Tea hoarding makes me happy.
Great list. I'm going to look into that honey lavender tea. Sounds delish!
I have recently been into mixing my own herbal blends. My favorite comes from Alana of The Homemade Pantry fame and involves a lot of hibiscus, with a little spearmint and rose hips. It's tart and invigorating.
I don't drink caffeine, but my two regular morning teas are both Bigelows: Lemon Lift decaf & Constant Comment decaf.
My rest of the day teas (all decaf or herbal) include: green tea; hibiscus blueberry (when I'm having sweets cravings); peppermint (for breath freshening &/or upset stomach); and nettle tea, my absolute favorite. Has a lovely green flavor, almost spinachy, and is very good for you, is a mild natural antihistimine and helps boost your iron levels.
I do this too :) I keep teas for digestion, pick-me-ups and relaxation - but also one for the pure pleasure of the the taste - mine is vanilla chai by Pukka brand.
And coffee and chocolate too :p
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I love this! I too have a drawer full of tea at work. It has evolved quite a bit over the years as I've gone through different stages. My current morning go-to is a loose-leaf coconut black tea which is amazing with milk and a little agave nectar. My afternoon tea is currently a green lavender mint tea - the mint is a nice pick-me-up. I look forward to trying a couple of the teas in this article.
Eden Organic Sencha is the-hands-down-best bagged green tea I have ever had! (Disregard the dollar store looking box, this stuff is legit).