Whether you meditate for stress, sleep, or anxiety, these excellent free meditation apps offer a wide variety of soothing recordings to keep you calm, centered, and focused. A good meditation sets the tone for everything from a productive, inspired workday to a restorative night’s sleep. It also increases feelings of social connectedness and increases grey […]
Anxiety Hacks
11 Anxiety Hacks Every Nervous Person Should Know
Whether you’re in need of some serious stress relief or you’re worried about the state of the world, the below anxiety hacks are not just helpful, but they’re also practical. For a longer, more detailed version of our favorite hacks for functional anxiety relief (including more extensive links to peer-reviewed scientific research,) please consult our […]
The ‘Psychic Sponge’ Effect: How To Be Less Sensitive To Other People’s Emotions
Empaths who are highly sensitive to other people’s emotions are often exhausted by the so-called “psychic sponge” effect. When you’re a very sympathetic person that’s acutely aware of other people’s emotions and “vibes”, moreover, they call that being a “psychic sponge.” For people who identify with this level of heightened emotional awareness, navigating life can […]
The 11 Safest, Most Effective Herbal Remedies For Insomnia
“People say, ‘I’m going to sleep now,’ as if it were nothing,” George Carlin once said. “But it’s really a bizarre activity. ‘For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I’m going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun returns, I will resume my life.’” […]
Why Citrus Fruits Induce a Feeling of Calm
Citrus fruits are nature’s little bundles of zen, providing ideal aromatherapy for anxiety, for a number of reasons. Research from the U.S. National Library of Medicine shows that lemon and sweet orange oil, among other citrus scents, have a positive effect on physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. This is partially because the smell of citrus […]
Mustard Baths: A Surprising Stress Hack for Relieving Tension + Sleeplessness
Here’s a hot new-but-old health trend you probably never could have predicted: mustard baths. Mustard baths are a rich and alkalizing way to eliminate acid waste and balance the body’s pH, with a storied history of use in Ayurvedic medicine– and Western research is just now emerging to support these claims. The combination of mustard […]
5 Wonderfully Calming Qi Gong Videos For Relaxation & Energy
In an era when most of us have a heightened awareness of the negative effects of overstimulation, the slow, methodical mind-body practice of Qi Gong has become increasingly appealing. Everyone wants to feel calm and centered in their minds and bodies, right? So why not look into the time-honored healing practices of the ancients to […]
How to Use a Gua Sha Tool To Release Facial Tension
I love doing a DIY gua sha facial whenever my skin/face/upper body is feeling stressed. It’s a lovely relaxing ritual that eases facial tension and restores a beautiful glow to tired, over-worked skin. Plus, the slow, methodical movements require you to slow down, which produces a sort of meditative healing effect. Gua sha is a […]
9 Free Guided Meditation Videos for Stress
In need of a good guided meditation? It’s hard to find quality apps and videos that aren’t locked behind a paywall. Fortunately, however, these free guided meditation videos on YouTube come from trusted sources who can effectively lead experienced meditators (and anxious newcomers) to experience calmness and relaxation through meditation. Below, after watching hundreds of […]
4 Mental Health Bath Recipes For Improving Wellbeing (& Why We All Need Hydrotherapy)
Baths are an ancient healing practice in almost every culture around the world, from the hothouses of Scandanavia and banyas of Russia to mud baths in Ecuador, hot springs in New Zealand, and ancient Indigenous parajes of the American Southwest. The therapeutic use of water to soothe mental and physical ailments (also known as hydrotherapy), […]