Tea Time as Self Care

Ah, tea parties. There is perhaps nothing more quintessential to the experience of being a lolita than dressing up and attending high tea. As fun as extravagant events are, sometimes it’s nice to carve out a little time before yourself with a cup of tea. And since Biblioteca’s theme for the month is “self care”, I thought I’d dive into the art of enjoying tea at home.

Make the time for tea time. 

Though I like both coffee and tea, I really like starting my day with a cup of tea. There’s something nice about devoting a few minutes of my morning to something that’s just for me. If your mornings aren’t that leisurely, trying for an afternoon or before bed cup of time (non-caffeinated, of course). 

Make it into a ritual. 

If you want to really make tea into an opportunity for self care, turn it into a sacred space. You can do this in whatever way feels best for you. That could mean you use a special tea set. It could mean that  you put aside your phone to just enjoy the moment. Maybe it also involves specially prepared snacks or treats. Try out different things and see what works best. 

Make it something you like doing. 

If your stove top kettle makes a mess every time you use it or loose leaf tea ends up all over your counters, change it up! Get tea and accouterments that you like using. 

Don’t fret if it doesn’t work out. 

I’m not going to pretend like I get to do this everyday. My on the go tea infuser is a testament to how many times I’ve run out the door with my tea brewing in my hand. However, having this aspirational little part of my day helps everything else fall in place. If I know that I want to have time for tea, I make sure I set my alarm a little earlier, or make my lunch the night before. 

If all this sounds a little abstract, here’s what my tea ritual looks like. 

1. Locate the tools I want to use. My French press from Le Hibou Philosophe didn’t start it’s life as a tea pot, but it works just fine now! When I use this as a tea pot, I also like using the matching tea cup.
2. Pick my tea. I love buying tea, so at any given moment I have a dozen or so teas in my stash. In the mornings, I like caffeinated tea. Today, I’ll be having “Why Talk When We Can Pine” from The Ripped Bodice, an indie romance bookstore in Culver City that also sells teas!
3. Heat my water. I usually do this as I’m getting my lunch or breakfast ready. 
4. Steep the tea. I enjoy my tea, so often let it steep for 5 minutes. Don’t @ me, I like my tea the way I like it. 
5. Prep to taste. Once my tea has steeped, I make my cup as I like it. With herbal or bitter teas, I like adding local honey (mine comes from Bill’s Bees).
6. Sit and enjoy. I try to make this moment be all about tea (or breakfast). I put my phone down, I don’t look at my computer. I spend a few minutes just enjoying the tea I’ve made. This tea pot makes more than one cup, so I try to give myself about 10 minutes to enjoy whatever I can drink. 

Hopefully this inspires you to make a little time in your day for some intentional self care!