To make your creativity flow freely at your desk, you don’t need “smart drugs” so fashionable in the ultra-competitive business world. Some teas and infusions are true nootropics and do not have any other than healthful effects.
Creativity is not only the territory of writers, journalists or artists. In fact, it is the most sought after quality in job advertisements. So much so that for some jobs, the candidate who showed creativity in solving a problem is preferred to the one who came with several academic titles.
The good news is that creativity is not a gift from God, a talent enjoyed by some exceptional beings. We are all creative. If you too! The ability to solve problems in an original way is present in the businessman, the scientist, the housewife who deals with a hundred tasks at the same time or the worker who must fix a fault in the plumbing.
And why do we feel that we are not creative enough at work, in study, in daily life and even in the intimacy of human relationships? Because we are lazy, it is more comfortable to get carried away by the inertia of the daily routine rather than change something. Thinking means some mental effort, and to avoid it we often copy ideas or methods from others.
But if you sit down to think, you will see how ideas will flow at full speed. Sure, the brain is a muscle that also needs exercise.
Of course, there are certain routines that help to achieve a creative state , such as drawing, listening to happy classical music (like Vivaldi) and also those of us who love tea know that some of them and certain infusions improve brain function, opening the doors for your innovative ideas flow freely. All foods, medicines, drinks or situations that improve mental function are called Nootropics (from the Latin nous: mind and tropes : direction).
So there is no need to resort to the so-called “smart drugs” so fashionable in the ultra-competitive business world. Some teas and infusions are true nootropics and do not have any other than healthful effects.
The best teas to boost your concentration and creativity
1-Green tea:
If you are a writer and you are suffering from one of the dreaded blocks, you are looking for inspiration for a design or piece of art, or you are a student with an essay to hand in, you can stop staring at your blank page!
The high levels of catechins and polyphenols found in green tea help stimulate the brain and improve focus and cognitive function.
The health benefits of green tea go beyond boosting brain function and creativity. The richness of antioxidants found in green tea could have beneficial effects on the brain by helping to prevent stress-related aging and reducing the risk of cognitive decline in later life.
If you prefer, you can start the moment of work with the small ritual of preparing green tea correctly , according to the experts, and concentrate on that task. Once you have it in your cup and on your work table, it’s time to let the ideas…flow.
2-Ginger tea:
The neuroprotective effect of ginger root has been known for decades and has been used in the treatment of various cognitive disorders. It is currently known that in animals it enhances the function of recognizing new objects . The exact chemical mechanism by which ginger has this effect is not known, but it is known that it acts at the level of neurons in the hippocampus, an area of the brain linked to the generation of ideas and the affirmation of memory.
So a green tea with ginger can be your perfect formula to improve your performance and start that task that you have been putting off.
3- Black tea:
It is the tea that has the highest concentration of caffeine , a well-known natural alkaloid, the same one that coffee contains. Black tea alone or in its best-known blends ( chai tea and Earl Gray ) improves attention, mental clarity and relaxation to allow concentration on new ideas or learning.
These mental states can be measured with electroencephalograms, even with patients performing certain activities. In a study, the brain waves of student volunteers were studied after drinking a cup of black tea.
A significant increase in alpha, theta and beta waves was found up to 2 hours after drinking the tea. The increase in theta waves peaked between 30 minutes and one hour (with individual variations) may be indicative of the significant increase in cognitive function experienced by the students, specifically alertness and attention.
A perfect combination of ingredients to boost your creativity could be Chai Tea , which in addition to containing two nootropics such as black tea and ginger, is so rich in any of its recipes that you won’t wait to sit down to work with a cup on it. hand.
4- Yerba Mate Chai:
High school and university students in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil know it well: mate is the ideal companion to sit alone or in a group at a table full of books or notes. He’s a partner sometimes from morning until the wee hours of the morning and in the days leading up to the exam running out of yerba mate can feel like a catastrophe.
From popular culture to the gourmet table, Yerba Mate has evolved a lot, and traditional brands already sell it with the addition of the typical herbs of each area: lemon, orange, lemon verbena, etc.
Whether preparing an infusion in a cup or with the traditional mate, you probably won’t find a better partner to become an inexhaustible source of ideas. The memory and concentration stimulating properties of Yerba Mate are enhanced with the black tea and ginger from the chai… what more could you ask for?