Fidget Spinner To buy: $15; amazon.com There's a reason these little handheld devices are so popular. In a previous interview with Health, Pilar Trelles, MD, a psychiatrist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, explained that flicking a fidget spinner is a good rapid stress management technique (RSMT), and can help people with anxiety or ADHD expend nervous energy. This one—a bestseller on Amazon—claims to be quieter than other models, so you can use it in discreet settings, like at work or on the train. Worry Monster Doll To buy: $40; etsy.com This handmade doll is marketed for kids, but frazzled adults will appreciate it too. The concept: You write an anxious thought on a piece of paper and put it in the doll's mouth. Many people find the simple act of writing down a stressful thought to be calming. And physically putting it somewhere else serves as a reminder not to dwell on it. Adult Coloring Book To buy: $6; amazon.com This irreverent adult coloring book pokes fun at the not-so-helpful advice to simply "calm down." In addition to beautiful designs, each page is filled with tongue-in-cheek quotes ("Suck it up, Buttercup") that provide a much-needed dose of humor. Herbivore Calm Bath Salts To buy: $18; dermstore.com Sometimes the best way to end a stressful day is with a hot bath. These calming bath salts contain natural oils like vanilla and ylang ylang to help your friend relax and unwind, plus Himalayan sea salt to exfoliate the skin. Tufted Corduroy Floor Pillow To buy: $39; urbanoutfitters.com Know someone who likes to meditate? These corduroy floor pillows (available in five on-trend colors) will upgrade their next meditation session. They're perfectly soft, but not too squishy. In other words, ideal for sitting while you clear your head. Calming Bear To buy: $5; etsy.com Shaking these cute, glitter-filled bears is a good way to help expel nervous energy, especially in anxiety-inducing situations like flying on an airplane (they weight just two ounces, and are easy to stow in your carry-on). The handmade bears are available in five different colors, and made to order. Abcosport Therapy Grip Balls To buy: $12; walmart.com Like fidget spinners, a squishy stress ball can help someone with anxiety by relieving tension, or simply by keeping her hands busy while she watches TV, so she doesn't resort to a nervous habit, such as picking at her cuticles, or biting her nails. This budget-friendly pack of three balls will come in handy when one inevitably goes missing. Chill Pill To buy: $15; etsy.com Gift a stressed-out friend one of these plush crochet "chill pill" toys, which can also be ordered on a keychain. Each handmade toy comes with a typewritten "prescription" that can be customized. Bird Chirp Sound Box To buy: $64; uncommongoods.com Is there anything more calming than the sound of birds chirping? City dwellers in particular will appreciate this motion-sensitive soundscape machine that brings relaxing nature sounds into your living room. Bonus: the sleek, minimalist device will look good on a bookshelf. Calligraphy Starter Kit To buy: $30; anthropologie.com A hobby like calligraphy can be a calming distraction for someone with anxiety. Help inspire a new passion with this beautiful starter kit of essential supplies. It includes an instructional booklet with different projects, practice sheets, an alphabet guide, a pointed steel nib, a nib holder, a vial of blank ink, and more. WEI Lotus Blossom Thirst Relief Sheet Mask To buy: $60 for six; dermstore.com The next best thing to a day at a spa, these hydrating face masks contain white lotus extract, hyaluronic acid, and reishi mushroom extract to target fine lines and wrinkles, and erase the signs of stress for a fresh and glowy complexion. Source
