Theanine and Tea
https://www.drvitaminsolutions.com/p...arian-Capsules

"... L-Theanine... is an amino acid found in green tea that helps produce calming effects in the brain by increasing levels of serotonin, dopamine and GABA. It also promotes cognitive function and may slow brain aging."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18681988
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21040626

I drink tea everyday and can say that it boosts my mood and makes me feel more relaxed and focused.

Sensory Deprivation Tank Podcast (summary)
http://optimalperformance.com/how-na...t-concussions/

The Seals on the show emphasized how important sleep is. They admitted that sleep is the most important factor in a person's health. After years of poor sleep, it finally caught up to them and their bodies shut down. Now, after years of good sleep, there bodies are functioning at a much higher level.

This is a tank where basically there's as little stimulation as possible. It allows the brain to process as little information as possible. The temperature of the water matches your skin temperature, there's no sound, and there's no light. Apparently, gravity is not even processed in the brain during a session in a tank. During a session, which lasts 1 to 2 hours, the brain either goes into extreme relaxation or into a super focused mode. During the focused mode, the individual is supposed to work on a problem area (memory, math, etc.) and build new pathways.

The Navy Seals that promote this said that only 1/200 individuals they saw do this didn't find benefit. Most reported that they slept better, averaging 8 or 9 hours of sleep instead of 3-4. Many also reported going off pain meds, including an individual who went off his after a day in the tank after being on meds for years. They found that the results were best sooner than later into recovery, but individuals still found significant benefit years after their last concussion.

I don't remember much about this, but the Seals did get into touch with a brain tech company to measure responses in the brain. They didn't elaborate much, but it did sound like the therapy supported the anecdotal evidence.

Also emphasized was the importance of deep breathing, which can be done with out a float tank. And conditioning the brain (think Pavlov) out of a stress response and into a relaxation response with the deep breathing and something like eucalyptus, lavendar, or lemon balm oil, is highly effective.

Lastly, your brain processes things like light, noise, and EMF's (phone radiation). Limiting (or removing) these should help you get deep sleep, which releases healing compounds in the body.

As these deprivation tanks become more popular, more research will be done. There is not a lot out there, but anecdotal evidence supports the therapy in reducing stress, pain, anxiety, depression.