Calm Store have a huge kids’ section, designed to help with anxiety relief, emotional regulation, learning and having fun! Kids’ products include fidget toys, sensory & focus tools, putty, weighted blankets, social/emotional learning products, chew pendants, and quiet activities and games.
With that, below is a roundup of helpful tools and products that can help reduce stress and find some relief. Keep reading for the six best stress relief products available, curated by CNET editors.
It's no secret that a massage is a sure way to help relieve stress and tension. But getting a massage right now is not exactly easy, since many spas are closed. Even if a spa in your area is open, you might want to avoid an in-person massage right now, as being in close proximity with someone outside of your household poses a risk of contracting the virus.
But if you want a similar effect that you can do at home on your own, a massage gun can come in handy. Many massage guns are fairly expensive and can run upward of $300, but this one from Sportneer gives you a quality product that holds up to its more expensive counterparts for $130. In fact, it earned a spot on CNET's Massage Gun Best List as the best value massage gun. It comes with six different attachments and quieter than some others on the market.
Many people swear by the benefits of aromatherapy for a better sense of calm and well-being. Whether you think they can actually provide health benefits or not, they can definitely make any space, like your bathroom or bedroom, feel like a spa.
Essential oil diffusers release calming scents, like lavender, into the air and some diffusers even have light therapy features. You can check out CNET's guide for purchasing one here and our topic picks. One good option is this diffuser from Maxcio, which can be controlled through a smartphone and with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands.
Massage guns are great for targeting specific pain points or soreness, but the best tool for releasing tension in larger areas of the body is a foam roller. Sure, using a foam roller can help with muscle soreness from workouts, but it is also great for relieving soreness and tension from life in general.
Whenever I have a long day and feel the tension build up in my neck and upper back, I usually turn to my foam roller to help relieve the tension. It's great to do before you stretch or do yoga -- I find that my flexibility is much better post-foam rolling and my body just feels better overall.
The OTPT Soft Roller is a great roller for general stress and tension relief for two reasons: first, it's soft, so it doesn't feel hard or too intense if you don't foam roll a lot. Second, it's long, so you can actually lie on it (which is one of my fave ways to release tension in my back). I also find that a longer roller is easier to use in general since you can roll out both legs at the same time comfortably.
Acupressure mats work similarly to acupuncture, which is an ancient practice of inserting the end of a thin needle into your body to relieve pain, reduce stress and provide other health benefits. While there is mixed evidence on whether or not it works, many people report that they find relief from the practice, which dates back to ancient history with roots in traditional Chinese medicine.
An acupressure mat is an affordable solution if you can't make it to acupuncture right now or don't want to have actual needles inserted into your skin. This acupressure mat from ProsourceFit is designed so you can lie on it in a reclining chair, couch or bed. It also comes with a pillow which is ideal for helping with neck pain or tension. Some small studies have shown that it's effective for helping with chronic neck and lower back pain. Even if most of the evidence surrounding these mats is anecdotal, it may be worth a shot if nothing else has helped you with pain or tension.
Many people are getting back in touch with their creative side and spending extra downtime on crafty projects, art and DIY endeavors. But if you don't already have a creative hobby, it can be intimidating to start one, since many require a certain skillset (e.g., knitting, sewing, baking) that can take time to learn.
Coloring is one activity that requires practically no skill and it's inexpensive. Plus, coloring is strangely satisfying if you haven't done it since you were a kid. You may feel silly at first but once you start you will see just how relaxing it is to do something that requires your full attention and keeps your hands busy -- which is important if you're trying to block out work or technology distractions.
There's something about reading that helps me relax more than any other activity, even watching Netflix. When I read, it's one of the few times I'm detached from my phone or computer. And reading requires you to fully focus on the words on the page -- unlike watching TV where it's easy to multitask while a show is on.
Sometimes the sheer amount of books out there makes it hard to decide what you want to read next. I actually find a lot of great recommendations on book Instagram accounts, but if you are looking for someone to curate books for you every month, a book subscription service is great.
Book of the Month lets you choose from five books each month, usually the options are books that are currently popular, but you get diverse options. The price is $15, which is less than what you would pay for most new picks at sticker price. If you don't want a new book every month, you can skip months and the credits roll over, which is nice if you are a slow reader or don't like the options for that month.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Our advice is expert-vetted and based on independent research, analysis and hands-on testing from our team of Certified Sleep Coaches. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
The Sona app provides music to reduce anxiety, which can help you get a good night's sleep. It worked for me.
Taylor Leamey writes about all things wellness, specializing in mental health, sleep and nutrition coverage. She has invested hundreds of hours into studying and researching sleep and holds a Certified Sleep Science Coach certification from the Spencer Institute. Not to mention the years she spent studying mental health fundamentals while earning her bachelor's degrees in both Psychology and Sociology. She is also a Certified Stress Management Coach.
Family-run business for stress reliefI've always had difficulty turning off my brain at night. For instance, I've written this intro in my head at least a dozen times while staring at my ceiling before falling asleep. It's not a secret; I'm an anxious person.
Enter the concept of sleep apps. Most people have used at least one. They're handy tools that help you let go and focus on sleep. I've tried plenty, and most work well enough, but they're not something I keep using after the initial excitement wears off.
Over the last few weeks, I've been testing Sona, an app that uses music from Grammy-winning producers to help you manage stress and get some sleep. It won the CES Innovation Award in 2022. Follow me through a journey of what I liked, what I could do without and what I recommend.
Sona is based on the idea that music can help reduce anxiety and that it can improve your mental health. The app is designed to increase alpha and theta brain waves, which naturally occur when we're deeply relaxed or sleeping. Sona has in-house research in partnership with Nielsen Neuroscience to test the app's effectiveness in reducing stress. That research concluded that Sona's music has a restorative or meditative effect on participants.
Sounds great. But we need to dig deeper to be sure this research was actually backed by science, as the app claims.
The concept of music therapy isn't new. There's a vast catalog of research showing how music can help decrease anxiety. Independent studies demonstrate that music can increase alpha waves and reduce beta waves because it helps relax and distract from negative feelings. Music also decreases cortisol in the brain, which is the stress hormone. When we're feeling anxious, cortisol levels increase. Listening to music can help keep them in check.
Since music is a proven way to calm the nervous system, help you fall asleep faster and increase the quality of your sleep, the premise of this app holds water. Now let's talk about what it was like using the Sona app.
Since music is a proven way to calm the nervous system, help you fall asleep faster and increase the quality of your sleep, the premise of this app holds water. Now let's talk about what it was like using the Sona app.
Overall, I liked how simple the app is. When you open it, you'll be prompted to take a short questionnaire that helps determine how often you should use the app to ease your anxiety or help you sleep. My "listening dosage" was 15 minutes, four times each week. Once you have that recommendation, the app automatically sets your sessions to that time. However, you can extend it if so desired.
Sona has a free version and a premium subscription that costs $4.99 per month or $29.99 each year. That's quite low compared to Headspace at $12.99 per month and Calm at $14.99 per month, though it's worth noting that those meditation apps have more offerings than Sona.
I used Sona primarily when I was going to sleep, as well as while reading before bed and working. I let the songs play the first few nights, listening to whatever was next in the queue. All of them are low-tempo, acoustic and piano compositions. All the components, from the melody to the rhythm, are meant to help you relax.
The songs were all nice to listen to, though I quickly found that I had a preference for certain types of relaxing music and that some types were a little distracting. Thankfully, you have the option to skip, pause and repeat songs. To that end, one of the best features is the favorite button. The app was the most relaxing when I could play the songs I enjoyed.
One of the strongest aspects of this app is how everything is designed to help ease anxiety. It felt like a seamless experience. When you open the app and start the music, you'll get an inhale-exhale prompt that sets the tone. The background of the music screen is calm water waves.
What's more, the songs flow continuously, so you won't have the jarring element of your playlist jumping from one extreme to another. With Sona, each song fades in and out, which I found perfect for drifting off to sleep.
I was pleasantly surprised by Sona's ability to help me relax and sleep. It's a basic app with a large music catalog that allows you to favorite, skip and loop. The music was impressive and pleasant. There were a few instances of the music randomly pausing in the middle of my sessions, but it wasn't a regular problem.
Sona is less robust than other apps, especially if you want a meditation-heavy experience. Sona offers breathing prompts, but it's not focused on guiding breathing. It's primarily a music app for decreasing anxiety and increasing sleep.
While you don't need headphones to listen, using them while trying to sleep did help me focus only on the music.