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.
Lisa Levine, founder of Maha Rose, a healing studio in Brooklyn, says that when we’re in the midst of anxiety — like now — “the brain contracts, so we’re not able to see beyond the stress.” Tarot cards, she explains, can help you think beyond your current circumstances. “Even pulling one card might show us an aspect of the situation that we’re not able to access ourselves because we’re just too stressed.” (n.b. Levin’s studio currently offers tarot classes online.)
Regularly taking time to relax and recharge or building stress relief into your daily routine helps you keep going as a caregiver over the long term without burning out or harming your health.
To help you find effective ways to relieve stress, we rounded up 15 affordable stress relief products that are perfect for busy caregivers.
A simple, gentle way to relax is to drink a cup of non-caffeinated tea that has herbs that promote relaxation and calm.
These teas are great for anytime, but are especially helpful at night to help you wind down from a stressful day.
This massage ball allows you to roll away muscle knots, relax tight muscles, and increase circulation all over your body – just use your own body weight.
Apply it to the back of your neck, temples, earlobes, or wrists and allow the soothing scent to ease away stress and tension.
That’s why it’s such an effective way to manage stress. It can even be more effective than medication for boosting mood and reducing anxiety.
Warm up this aromatherapy pad in the microwave or chill it in the freezer. Then put it around your neck to reduce pain, tension, and stiffness in your neck, back, and shoulders.
To help you relax, use this relaxing room and pillow mist to surround yourself with the soothing scent of lavender and chamomile.
Plus, smells are a powerful way to affect the body’s nervous system. A research study even showed that lavender essential oil can have a calming effect similar to anti-anxiety medications.
They can be used to loosen tense muscles all over the body and are especially helpful in relieving upper and lower back tension as well as tight hip areas.
They were created by a music therapist who specializes in the use of sound and music to help reduce anxiety, stress and insomnia.
This spiky looking mat and pillow may look intimidating, but it massages pressure points all over the body to relax tight muscles and relieve stress.
Weighted blankets are a simple, non-drug option that have been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety, calm nerves, provide comfort, and promote deep sleep.
This heated massager is a bit of an investment, but after a long day, wouldn’t a heated neck massage be wonderful?
Plus, this massager is cordless so you can easily use it anywhere on your body – back, legs, or wherever you have muscle pain or tension.
From minor challenges to major crises, stress is part of life. And while you can't always control your circumstances, you can control how you respond to them. When stress becomes overwhelming or chronic, it can affect your well-being. That's why it's essential to have effective stress relievers that can calm your mind and body.
There isn't a one-size-fits-all option when it comes to stress relief, however. What works for one person might not work for another.
Improve well-being with Calm StoreAnd what works for you at home might not be an option when you're at work or in the community (dancing around your living room might be helpful but dancing in the grocery store might not be).
So it's important to have a variety of stress relief tools at your disposal. Then, you'll be able to pick a strategy that works best for your current circumstances.
What strategies can relieve stress fast? A number of helpful techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, are fast-acting tools that you can do anywhere, anytime.
Whether you're about to be interviewed for a job or you're feeling overwhelmed by your child's behavior at the playground, it's important to have some stress reduction tools that can lower your stress right now.
Guided imagery is like taking a short vacation in your mind.1 It can involve imagining yourself being in your "happy place"—maybe picturing yourself sitting on a beach, listening to the waves, smelling the ocean, and feeling the warm sand underneath you.
Guided imagery can be done with a recording where you listen to someone walk you through a peaceful scene. Or, once you know how to do it yourself, you can practice guided imagery on your own.
Simply close your eyes for a minute and walk yourself through a peaceful scene. Think about all the sensory experiences you engage in and allow yourself to feel like you're really there. After a few minutes, open your eyes and return to the present moment.
Simply close your eyes for a minute and walk yourself through a peaceful scene. Think about all the sensory experiences you engage in and allow yourself to feel like you're really there. After a few minutes, open your eyes and return to the present moment.
Meditation brings short-term stress relief as well as lasting stress management benefits. There are many different forms of meditation to try–each one is unique and brings its own appeal.2
You might develop a mantra that you repeat in your mind as you take slow deep breaths. Or, you might take a few minutes to practice mindfulness, which involves being in the moment. Simply pay attention to what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.
When you're focused on the here-and-now, you won't be able to ruminate about something that already happened and you can't worry about something in the future. Meditation and mindfulness take practice, but it can make a big difference in your overall stress level as it brings you back to the present.
Progressive muscle relaxation involves relaxing all the muscles in your body, group by group.3 To practice, you can start with a few deep breaths.
With practice, you'll learn to recognize tension and tightness in your muscles and you'll be able to relax more easily. Each time you practice, however, you should experience a feeling of relaxation sweeping through your body.
Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes.4
The best news is that no one around you will know you're doing them. So whether you're in a stressful meeting or you're sitting in a crowded theater, breathing exercises could be key to reducing your stress.5
Breathe in through your nose and watch your belly fill with air. Count slowly to three as you inhale. Hold for one second, and then slowly breathe out through your nose as you count to three again.
Breathe in through your nose and imagine that you're inhaling peaceful, calm air. Imagine that air spreading throughout your body. As you exhale, imagine that you're breathing out stress and tension.