For a lot of us, day-to-day life can get us down, whether it’s a mountain of bills, a cornucopia of deadlines, or just generally not feeling well. Unfortunately, not everybody can afford to go to a therapist regularly, which is why stress relief and mindfulness are important.
To that end, this list looks at a few things you can do yourself without having to break the bank. With some things coming in at less than $25, you can find something on this list to help relieve your stress, at least until your next therapy appointment.
An anxiety journal
The Anxiety Journal
Rodale Books
amazon.com
$19.49
According to WebMD, Journaling provides a variety of mental health benefits. As somebody who deals with an anxiety disorder, I can tell that it’s not always something you can overcome by yourself. This is why the Anxiety Journal is such a good idea: it has many different tips, guides, and outlooks on anxiety that can help you refocus your mind away from stress.
Of course, if that’s a bit too froofy for you, then consider either the Zen as F*ck book or the Let That Sh*t Go journal, both of which are great for kicking your anxiety’s butt!
Self care cards
52 Stress Less & Self Care Cards
Allura & Arcia
amazon.com
$13.95
Verywellmind also points out the benefits of journaling, especially when it comes to reorienting your perspective. The problem is, not everybody has the motivation to necessarily get started, which is why self-care cards are a nice pre-packaged set of cards and perspectives to get you going. These 52 cards with different stress-relief exercises are a great way to shake things up when the usual doesn’t work.
I’ll also suggest these mindful messages Cards because the truth is we sometimes let negative thoughts overwhelm us, so having some positive affirmation we can carry around with us is very important. Finally, these stress-less cards are great for general stress relief, especially since they contain yoga exercises and are a great alternative to a pre-made routine.
Ocean wave projector
Ocean Wave Projector
Ohuhu
amazon.com
$22.99
A recent study show promise in using blue light to accelerate destressing and relaxation, and a great way to do that is using something like the ocean wave projector. You can just sit back, relax and let the blue light just wash over you and help you get to a de-stressed situation quicker.
Alternatively, this jellyfish aquarium lamp is kind of mesmerizing to watch (don’t worry, it’s synthetic jellyfish!)
Stress relief toys for kids
Toyly 24 pack Sensory Toys Set
Toyly 24 Pack Sensory Toys Set,
Toyly
amazon.com
$25.99
Many folks don’t realize that kids also have to deal with a lot of stress, and it’s often hard for them to express that stress or anxiety, which is why stress and sensory relief toys can be super important. For example, this 24 set of stress relief has everything from spinners, to cubes, to squeezy things, to whatever they like! Another good example is this set of squish toys that are equally adorable, educational, and stress relieving. Also, liquid tumblers like this set or this set can help keep the mind off stressful situations.
According to Strees.org, these types of fidget toys can significantly help reduce stress. Even more so, there’s no reason these toys can’t also work for adults in a pinch.
Stress relief toys for adults
G-WACK Stress Relief Desk Toys
G-WACK Stress Relief Desk Toys
G-WACK
amazon.com
$19.99
Of course, if you would prefer something made specifically for adults, there are some options there too.
For example, this desk sculpture toy is simple but allows you to spend hours working out your stress in a creative way. Or, there’s this desktop punching bag which is honestly quite adorable and a great way to take out your frustrations without physically breaking things. If that one looks too flimsy for you, this one is a bit heavier duty.
Finally, this shape-shifting box can probably help occupy your mind and remove you from stressful situations until you return to your bearings.
Mindfulness stress balls
Candescent Stress Balls
Candescent
amazon.com
$10.99
Squeezing stuff to relieve stress is a time-honored tradition that probably goes back ages, and what I like about mindfulness stress balls is that they take the squeezing part and add a bunch of positive messages to them.
I also think these ones with empowering messages are probably even better, especially since they’re durable and have a variety of motivational messages to keep your positivity going.
Fidget pens
If squeezing stuff isn’t really up your alley, then maybe fidget pens will work better, like this fidget pen that can bend and has a few different magnetic balls and a spring to play around with.
Alternatively, if you’re generally a more creative person, the magnetic building block pen is a cool little thing that can help you get near-immediate relief on the fly.
This Bob Ross stress-relief set
Bob Ross: Happy Little Puzzles
RP Minis
amazon.com
$7.46
For me, Bob Ross is the epitome of chill, relaxation, and just letting stuff go. While there aren’t any studies on Bob Ross’ ability to relieve stress, I’m pretty sure most people would agree that watching him paint is therapeutic.
That’s why this set is just perfect; it has two 180-piece puzzles of his paintings to put together, as well as a flipbook with his words of wisdom. You can definitely start feeling better after realizing that sometimes things are just “A happy little accident.”
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