As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that people really only want gifts that will make their lives easier. That’s why I put together this collection of gifts for stressed-out people– a collection of beautiful, functional stress relief gifts that promote mental health and well-being. We live at a moment in history when divisive […]
anxiety relief
The 6 Best Free Meditation Apps of 2023
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 […]
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 […]
How to Stop Rumination (aka Obsessive Thoughts)
Rumination is the phenomenon of continuously, obsessively thinking about negative or unpleasant thoughts in a way that makes it hard to let go. By definition, it is a repetitive thought process that has a negative tone because it is focused on negative experiences, which often get replayed over and over. Many people struggle with excessive […]
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 […]
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 […]
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), […]
The 8 Best Snacks for Flight Anxiety
Let’s be honest: most people are nervous flyers. No one likes turbulence– some of us are just better at coping with it than others. Finding healthy travel snacks for plane rides isn’t exactly hard, but finding snacks that also help fight flight anxiety can be. The best airport snacks for nervous travelers are fruits, nuts, […]
How Weighted Blankets Improve Sleep, Stress, and Anxiety (& The Best Ones to Buy)
The health benefits of sleeping under heavy blankets have been documented throughout history, but the trend has emerged again in the digital age as an antidote to insomnia, stress, anxiety. As it turns out, sleeping under a weighted blanket is a particularly effective treatment for people who find themselves struggling with an inability to “wind […]
Can’t Afford Therapy? These 10 Tips Can Help
So, you need therapy but you can’t afford therapy. It’s a relatable problem. Given the staggering cost of healthcare and the stigma that some still perceive around mental health, there are a number of factors that prevent people from seeking therapy when they really need it. Even for those who have coverage, mental health services […]