Reviewers Swear By This Weighted Hoodie To Ease Anxiety

The written works of sex therapist Emily Nagoski have been recommended to us before with enthusiastic endorsement from other mental health experts. Now, her book “Burnout,” which was written alongside her twin sister Amelia Nagoski, comes suggested by Kim Bielak, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Southern California.

“Nagoski’s book is primarily written for women or woman-identifying folx, but it’s a great place to start to learn more about both the science behind the stress cycle, as well as some of the cultural aspects that can contribute to burnout,” Bielak said about this research-centric work that’s all about learning how to make vital space in your life to do the things we enjoy. It also has an accompanying workbook that features engaging exercises, guides and more so readers can apply Nagoski’s advice in real time.

Bielak often suggests to her clients who are experiencing burnout to invest in a daily meditation app like Headspace. This platform can be easily accessed on your phone to offer mental health support in the palm of your hand. It features a variety of resources from guided meditations to sleep tracks to mindful eating programs and much more.

“Having a daily mindfulness practice can help teach us how to more effectively slow down, work with stress, and take a break, even when it feels impossible,” Bielak said.

Meaghan Rice, a nationally board-certified counselor with the online therapy platform Talkspace, suggested the international bestseller “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. According to Rice, this book teaches us how to break apart good habits into bite size chunks, including breaking away from patterns that are causing our burnout in the first place.

“The easier we make good habits, the more likely they are to stick and the higher the capacity to drown out the bad habits that keep us feeling completely overwhelmed,” she said.

Another relaxing-inducing item that comes at the suggestion of Bielak is a weighted blanket, a popular lounge essential that can offer anxiety relief. This bamboo blanket by popular bedding brand, Luna, is the perfect option for hot sleepers thanks to its 100% lyocell construction that promotes airflow and is antimicrobial and cool to the touch. This silky soft blanket is available in sizes full through king, in weights of 10 to 25 pounds and over 32 colors and patterns. You can also shop a highly rated Amazon-exclusive version if you can’t find the color, size or weight that you’re looking for.

Bielak, along with others, stress the importance of taking time to hydrate and that having “a good quality water bottle” can help with this. “Make self care like drinking water a bit more enjoyable,” Bielak said.

When it comes to making hydration actually fun, we endorse the famed Owala FreeSip water bottle, an adored drinking vessel for a few reasons: It’s fully leakproof, easy to clean, keeps contents cold or hot thanks to the double-wall insulated design and features dual drinking options: straw or swig. It comes in four sizes ranging from 16- to 40-ounces and tons of cool color combinations.

“If I can help a client make a ritual for transitioning from work to home (like changing into pajamas signals no more work), give them a way to actually turn off, or make self care a bit more enjoyable, then we have a chance at making more of the lifestyle changes preventing and recovering from burnout requires,” Bielak said.

Based on her suggestion of getting “a nice pair of pajamas” we knew of one such luxe option that came to mind. Eberjey is known for their high-end, dream-like sleepwear and this pajama set is made with one of the brand’s most sumptuous and well-known fabrics: an impeccably soft tencel. They are cooling, breathable and available in sizes for both men and women.

If you’re curious about a more affordable option, we are big fans of a viral pair from Target that many claim are similar to Eberjey’s luxury version. I can personally attest to their soft, cooling and wildly comfortable feel, though their availability is generally pretty spotty due to their popularity so I suggest hopping on your specific size and favorite color when you can.

Bisma Anwar, a licensed therapist with Talkspace, told HuffPost about the potential benefits of diffusers, stating that essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus can have calming effects and can create a soothing environment.

We found this highly rated aromatherapy diffuser and humidifier combo which can be used with or without water. It offers up to eight hours of misting time and can be toggled between eight different ambient light settings to be used as a nightlight or create the ideal atmosphere for meditation.

We also found an all natural eucalyptus essential oil that is skin-safe and compatible with any diffuser.

Jolie Silva, a New York City-based psychologist, said that Jon Kabat-Zinn’s national bestselling “Wherever You Go There You Are” can help readers find their true selves and ways to live a mindful life. Kabat-Zinn, who is known for his work as a scientist and meditation teacher, has spent a great deal of effort bringing meditation as therapy to the clinical mainstream. In his book, he lays out an easy-to-follow map of how you can practice meditation in your own life as a way to manage and reduce stress, even for those that are completely new to the concept.

Nearly all of the experts we spoke to stressed the importance of exercise and body movement of some kind to manage burnout.

“When dealing with burnout, in addition to stress we’re also often dealing with boundary issues,” Bielak said. “Exercise is a great way to not only balance and release stress in the system, but it can also have the added benefit of creating a natural boundary to help us step away from work and other obligations in order to carve out space for ourselves.”

Silva, suggested yoga in particular and said that if you can’t afford an in-person yoga membership, YouTube has so many great options that suit the needs of all levels.

To get you going on your personal yoga practice, we suggest this highly rated mat that’s extra thick and cushioned so you feel comfortable and supported throughout your yoga flow.

“This book emphasizes the importance of putting ourselves first before we embark on the world,” Rice said of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself.”

She said that there’s a written meditation inside the book, as well as an audio meditation, that gives readers the opportunity to let go of the old emotional conditions that keep us stuck and contribute to burnout.

“After you let them go, you can redesign how you want the new version of you to look like. It is incredibly empowering to feel in control of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors,” she said.

Freely available on the New York Behavioral Health website are these downloadable sheets that can help establish new goals and revise the old ones that are no longer serving you.

“This action oriented guide helps you to identify the negative impact of burnout and set goals to reduce it, or set goals on changing your job (or whatever else) is causing the burnout,” Silva said.

Most folks use ice rollers to reduce puffiness on their face and around their eyes. But for Sara Tick, a licensed marriage and family therapist in South Carolina, ice rollers play a different role in her self-care routine.

“I use it on my pressure points when I feel a panic attack mounting,” she told HuffPost. “I hold it on the back of my neck or on my wrists to help my body calm itself down.”

This is particularly helpful because “ice can be an effective tool for people experiencing panic attacks.” Tick recommended using the roller along your cheekbones while holding your breath and then breathing deeply.

Get one for $12.20.

Tick also enjoys channeling any anxious energy into the pages of an adult coloring book. “By using beautiful colored pencils and staying in the moment while coloring in the tiny, intricate designs, my mind has to stay in the moment and not ruminate on anxious thoughts,” she said.

Get this swear word coloring book for $4.99.

Jamie Steiner, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Brooklyn, New York, said she uses a weighted blanket when she’s experiencing stress or anxiety before bed.

“It’s incredibly helpful when you’re feeling anxious and trying to go to sleep,” she said. “Mine weighs about 20 pounds, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortably heavy or get hot, and the weighted pressure feels comforting and grounding.”

Get the 20-pound weighted blanket from Casper for $189.

Meredith Prescott, a psychotherapist in New York, said she personally uses a massager when stress or anxiety starts to physically take a toll on her.

“I find that the Hypervolt helps loosen up my body by releasing tension and increasing blood circulation to my muscles,” she said. “Working from home at a desk all the time has put tremendous stress on our bodies, requiring us to do more to help our bodies heal.”

Get it for $179.

If you’re the kind of person who finds themselves in a relaxed state while engaging in creative work, then Weand’s suggestion might be exactly what you’re looking for. She said she makes it a priority every day to “just create” in order to relieve stress. And her tool of choice? Gelly Roll pens.

“[Doing this] keeps me grounded and balanced,” she said, noting that these particular pens show up on black paper. “I love using them to tap into creativity through the mindful art of ‘zentangles,'” aka doodling in a pattern.

Get a 12-pack variety box for $26.71, or you can get a pack of 10 assorted colors for $13.28.

In an attempt to eliminate her anxiety, Endale reaches for the Headspace App, which was initially recommended by her own therapist during the heights of the pandemic.

“Headspace has great courses on meditation in general as well as special training on using meditation to manage different things like stress, anxiety, chronic pain, anger, staying balanced and many more,” she said. “They also have all kinds of meditations, wind downs and stories designed to help you fall and stay asleep.”

“I usually will use a wind-down or one of their Sleepcasts (45-minute gentle stories to fall asleep to) when I first climb into bed,” she continued. “During peak anxiety times I use the Nighttime SOS options to help quiet my mind and fall back asleep quickly if I wake up in the middle of the night. I have yet to find anything as effective as the Nighttime SOS meditations to help with my night wakings.”

Alexa Pinsker, an art therapist and licensed counselor in Colorado, also relies on meditation apps. Pinsker said Ten Percent Happier is usually her go-to “because they have specific guided meditations on stress as well as a section for guided sleep meditations. They also have many free talks, courses and guided meditations. During the pandemic, they offered free subscriptions to health care providers, which was awesome.”

Try Headspace for free for 14 days before committing to a paid year-long subscription. You can also try Ten Percent Happier for free.

Whether you’re using one of the mediation apps on this list or trying to quiet your mind with one of your favorite playlists, these sleep headphones could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Pinsker said these headphones were specifically “designed for sleep so they are wireless and extra comfortable.” Drown out all of those stressful thoughts and drift off.

Get them for $19.99.

After dealing with high levels of anxiety during the 2020 election and the pandemic, Andrea Dindinger, a San Francisco-based licensed marriage and family therapist, turned to this bright popsicle jigsaw puzzle. She found that staring at the colors and putting the pieces together was comforting.

“I’d shut down all devices, turn on music and focus my mind on the puzzle,” she said. “I don’t have very much free time, and a 500-piece puzzle is both complicated enough to keep my attention and not so difficult that it takes too long for me to complete. It is the perfect way to soothe the stress of the day both out of my mind and my body.”

Get it for $13.99.

Sticking to a routine or ritual can be super helpful when dealing with anxious energy. For Bethany Nickerson, a licensed clinical social worker in New York, that comes in the form making a cup of hot cinnamon spice tea.

“I love the ritual of making tea and feeling the warm cup in my hands,” she said. “This stuff is amazing and also comes in decaf (sometimes caffeine makes my anxiety worse). I would often take a work break and go to the Harney and Sons store in SoHo, so the taste and smell of this tea reminds me of those relaxing middle of the day breaks.”

Get a set for $7.99.

Brown noise is basically a deeper than what you’ve come to expect from a white noise machine (think sounds like a heavy waterfall or thunder). This may help promote deeper sleep or relaxation.

Dian Grier, a licensed clinical social worker in California, swears by the magic of this brown noise machine from LectoFan.

“I could not live without my brown noise machine,” she said. “The brown noise machine is a much lower pitch and calms me better than the white noise. The one I use is called LectroFan, and it is advertised as white noise, but has the brown noise included. It keeps me asleep because it blocks out any sudden noises, and I am a light sleeper, so the constant low tone helps.”

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.