It’s Mental Health Awareness month—focus on self-care with these relaxing products
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May is Mental Health Awareness month, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by upgrading your self-care routine. That could mean a DIY home spa day, trying a new form of exercise or experimenting with a relaxing activity like meditating or coloring.
While there are plenty of ways to unwind, treating yourself to an item designed specifically with relaxation in mind can make it easier to destress. Here are our favorite products to help you indulge in some long-overdue TLC.
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1. A journal to promote happiness
For less stress and more serenity, try gratitude journaling. Some experts believe that regularly expressing gratitude can make people happier, leading to a host of positive side effects such as better sleep, less stress and improved overall wellness. Our sleep writer tried gratitude journaling for a month, and after just one week found she felt happier when falling asleep, stayed asleep longer and embraced each new day with a more positive outlook.
There aren’t any hard and fast rules for gratitude journaling, so it may be helpful to use a guided journal when first starting out, which gives users prompts to share their gratitude, follow mindfulness exercises and repeat positive affirmations.The Five-Minute Gratitude Journal is a well-reviewed option for beginners with a 4.7-star rating and more than 3,000 reviews on Amazon.
Once the habit of gratitude journaling becomes more automatic and you’re able to write without prompts, you may find a blank notebook works better. This lined journal from Paperage is a popular option that comes in a variety of colors to suit any style.
Get the Five-Minute Gratitude Journal from Amazon starting at $9
Get the Paperage Lined Journal Notebook from Amazon starting at $10
2. A meditation app to practice mindfulness
To unwind before bed without putting pen to paper, give meditation a go. An app can be instrumental in guiding you through each session, especially if you find it difficult to sit still and quiet your mind. The best meditation app is Headspace, which offers a basics course for first-timers and guided meditations of varying lengths, as well as other soothing activities like articles on how to be more present and nighttime breathing exercises to lull yourself to sleep.
Get the Headspace app for $13 a month or $70 a year
3. A yoga app to get you flowing
One way to feel less stressed is to move more, and yoga is especially beneficial for your mental health and building cognitive skills. Alo Moves, which we named best yoga app, offers a variety of yoga classes and other low-impact workouts such as pilates and barre. The classes are fun and the instructors are positive and informative—great for beginning yogis and athletes of all levels.
Get the Alo Moves app for $20 a month or $200 a year
4. Bath bombs to make a soak more decadent
Upgrade your nightly bath routine with a fizzy bath bomb. We think LifeAround2Angels makes the best bath bombs—they smell nice but aren't overpowering, come in mood-boosting color palettes and leave your skin feeling moisturized after a leisurely soak. You can get a pack of 12 on Amazon for less than $30, so you won’t have to spend a fortune to make your tub feel luxurious.
Get the LifeAround2Angels bath bombs 12-pack from Amazon for $27
5. A foot spa for tending to your tootsies
Whether you’re on your feet all or spend too much time at a desk, a compact, portable foot spa can take you to another level of relaxation. The Ivation Foot Spa Massager won top marks of the best foot spas we’ve tested, thanks to its functionality that can suit multiple preferences. It has adjustable heating, massage rollers, jets and a timer, which can be adjusted independently via the spa’s control panel. Our tester thought the foot massage settings were especially comfortable, making it a great way to unwind or prep your feet for a pedicure.
Get the Ivation Foot Spa Massager from Amazon for $100
6. A Buddha board to let stress evaporate
Art therapy is much touted for its mental health benefits. And though you won’t actually be painting with color, using a Buddha Board is a meditative way to see your stress evaporate—literally. Simply dip the included brush into the tray of water and paint or write how you feel, then watch your strokes disappear as the board dries. With 4.7 stars and more than 6,700 reviews on Amazon, this board is a beloved way to let go of stress.
Get the Original Buddha Board from Amazon for $38
7. A candle to set a chill mood
If you’re looking to create a more soothing home environment, opt for candles that emit calming scents, such as lavender or chamomile. This Serenity and Calm candle from Chesapeake Bay smells like lavender and thyme and is enhanced with bergamot, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils, along with a hint of orange blossom. With 4.5 stars and more than 46,000 reviews on Amazon, reviewers say this candle smells pleasant and helps soothe them during meditation, bubble baths, journaling and more.
Get the Chesapeake Bay Serenity and Calm 12.5-ounce candle from Amazon for $17
8. Epsom salt to soak away your worries
Epsom salt baths are believed to help reduce stress and promote sleep. The technical name for Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and many believe that just soaking in Epsom salts can allow your body to reap the same benefits of ingesting magnesium. One such benefit is increased production of melatonin, a hormone your body produces to ensure you sleep peacefully through the night.
One popular option is Dr Teal’s. This Epsom salt soaking solution enhanced with lavender has a 4.8-star rating with more than 7,100 reviews on Amazon. Reviewers say the salts smell delightful, dissolve quickly and provide a relaxing experience.
Get Dr Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution, 3 pounds from Amazon for $5
9. A weighted blanket for extra bedtime comfort
If you struggle with stress or anxiety, you’ve probably already considered a weighted blanket. These bead-fill covers often start at 10 pounds and can weigh up to 30 and provide something called “deep touch pressure,” or a gentle squeeze not unlike being hugged or held by another person. Our testers found that sleeping under a weighted blanket at night helped them fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep through the night.
We think the Gravity blanket is the best weighted blanket you can get. Its luxurious feel made our testers want to keep using this velvety blanket for years to come, and the high quality design makes us think it will hold up that long. Additionally, the removable cover is machine-washable, making it easy to keep this blanket clean.
Get the Gravity blanket from Amazon starting at $215
10. A coloring book to creatively destress
Adult coloring books have become popular in recent years as a creative and engaging way to ease the mind. The Secret Garden coloring book is a well-reviewed option with 4.7 stars and more than 14,300 reviews on Amazon. Its illustrations include butterflies, frogs and ladybugs, and reviewers say they love filling the pages of this book with color while unwinding after a busy day.
Get Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book from Amazon for $10
11. An electronic foot massager to pamper your feet
After a long day on your feet, a foot massage can make a world of difference. We’ve tested quite a few of these devices at Reviewed and think the Renpho RF-FM059R is the best foot massager you can get. You can customize your experience with a 15- or 30-minute massage, three knead and air intensity settings and an optional heat setting for added comfort. Our tester found all of the massage settings to be enjoyable and would satisfy a range of users.
Get the Renpho RF-FM059R foot massager from Amazon for $140
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: 11 self-care products to try this Mental Health Awareness month
