Any hot drinks in general (hot milk, hot chocolate, tea, hot lemon water etc.) has a soothing and calming effect in your mind and body. It’s like when you take a hot bath or shower, but for your insides. It has a warming effect and can help you de-tense your muscles.

Green tea especially is great for stress. It contains flavonoids which support brain health and is low in caffeine so it isn’t going to heighten any emotions. Chamomile tea is a go-to destress drink due to its muscle relaxing properties. Matcha is another option for a stress-relieving tea, it’s a green tea powder which is rich in L-theanine (a non-protein amino acid) that has stress-relieving properties.

Dark chocolate is a sweet treat that releases hormones that promote happiness without containing too much sugar, so you can feel like you’ve had a little something sweet without a sugar rush. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants which reduce stress hormones and magnesium which regulates stress hormones. Magnesiums supplements are often suggested for people who struggle to sleep due to stress.

Be aware however that not all chocolates labelled as dark chocolate contain the healthiest of ingredients. A good quality dark chocolate only contains cocoa butter, cocoa mass/bean and cane sugar. For maximum benefit choose an 80% dark chocolate, but if that’s too bitter you can also go for 70%.

Fatty fish contain high levels of omega-3 which has numerous amounts of health benefits such as preventing heart disease, easing depression, regulating adrenaline and cortisol. All of which help reduce stress levels. Some good examples of fatty fish are tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel and halibut. Alternatives to fish which also have high levels of omega-3 are chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts (as well as some other nuts too).

Like I described in the ‘fish’ section, nuts contain healthy fatty acids and B-vitamins. Both of which are stress reducing. Almonds, pistachios and walnuts are thought to lower blood pressure levels. Nuts are also high in magnesium – promoting anxiety management and due to their high levels of protein, nuts can prevent mid-day mood/energy crashes.

Nuts are also a great snack to have on the go, they are easy to incorporate into your daily life and meals and they have numerous other health benefits besides just stress reduction.

Many fruits have good levels of vitamin C in them, however citrus fruits and berries have the highest levels and it’s high levels of vitamin C that can have stress reducing effects.

High levels of vitamin C can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as regulate blood pressure and high cortisol – especially after a period of high stress. They also include fibres that are known to reduce stress.

Discover why these popular fruits are good for you