How does one stir tea?
If you like cream with your tea, I suggest that you pour the cream into your cup first, then pour the hot tea onto it. This way, you really do not need to stir the mixture. Also, the cold cream acts as a buffer against the scalding hot tea if you are using one of those delicate china pieces. On the other hand, if you need to stir your tea, make sure that you do not make any sound (clinking) while doing so. Also, using the figure-8 movement is great in lightly swishing your tea.