Shopping during the holidays is no easy feat, especially if you brave crowded malls to handpick items. Online shopping is so readily available and easy, making it a much less stressful experience. Regardless of how you do your holiday shopping, it is fun to do, especially if your entire mission is to show people how much you love them. 

Gone are the days of just giving gifts to give them. Thoughtful, personal, and practical gifts are much more appreciated by the receiver. And the great thing about a gift that fits in these categories is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many useful or meaningful gifts that are budget-friendly. You may or may not have some of these gifts in mind for certain loved ones, but we’re here to help in case you don’t. You’ll find plenty of inspiration for others, or yourself, by exploring the following list of healthy gift ideas. 

Mental Health Gifts

A Subscription To Mindfulness Apps

If you know that someone struggles with their mental health, consider giving them an entire year of pick-me-ups. There are many apps that offer various services, including meditation, breath work, workouts, and morning motivation. The person you give it to may indulge in a one-minute deep breathing break, or a three-hour procrastinating-fighting playlist. For the person that loves breathing exercises, there are specific breath work apps that can help you harness the power of breath!

A Weighted Blanket

If you or someone you know needs a snuggly gift that boosts mental health, the weighted blanket is an excellent gift. Weighted blankets work to activate the parasympathetic nervous system by applying pressure therapy. That can help the body enter the rest-and-digest state, which helps in relieving anxiety, stress, and sleep issues. There are many weighted blankets on the market, so you may want to choose the one based on the material you or the gift receiver will enjoy.

Online Art Therapy Classes

Art therapy can have powerful mental health benefits because it provides a creative outlet for you to express your feelings and emotions. Research suggests that artistic expression is a great stress reliever and powerful way to reduce anxiety and self-worth. Give your most creative friend a subscription for an online class library, which includes various art therapy courses. If the online subscription doesn’t sound good, consider gifting some art classes at a local studio. 

Calming Gifts That Promote Recovery

Percussive Massage Gun

The great thing about percussive massage guns is that they are readily available at varying costs. You can spend anywhere from $30 to $500+ on these massage guns, just so you are aware of the range. Make sure to read reviews and see which attachments or shapes are best for your body. They provide just the right amount of pressure to help relieve muscle tension and have excellent battery lives. Consider getting a small travel-size one for someone who travels a lot.

Acupuncture Mat

This is the perfect gift for anyone who is always on their feet. An acupuncture mat is slightly cushioned with plastic spikes that target acupressure points in your feet. You can also lay on the mat on your back to help improve circulation and provide pain relief. It is foldable and easy to bring on the go if you want!

At-Home Spa Day Gifts

A Cozy Bathrobe

Treat yourself or a loved one to a five-star bathrobe that is incredibly cozy. These are perfect for at-home spa days, or just relaxing on leisurely mornings. You can even go the extra mile and have the robe embroidered with the recipient’s initials. 

A Heating Pad

Anyone who experiences regular muscle pain will appreciate this gift. A heating pad works to relax the muscles and provide relief from joint stiffness. Heat invites more blood to the area of application, which is integral for the recovery process. It can also be a great gift for anyone who experiences menstrual cramps. 

Bath Bombs

There is no reason that you need to soak in plain warm water when so many bath additions are available. Bath bombs are beautifully scented, they color the water, and help your skin feel so much better than it did before the bath. Consider getting a bath bomb set so that there are various options to choose from.

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Most adults have had the experience of being wide awake at 3 a.m. after waking up at night. The inability to go back to sleep is frustrating, to say the least, but also exhausting. Whether you wake up because your bladder beckons or a nightmare scares you awake, you don’t want to experience difficulty when you go to drift off again. 

The mind becomes flooded with thoughts, worries, or things you forgot to do during the day. You lose sleep as a result and the underlying question is: Will I be able to fall back asleep? Waking up from restful sleep is very common and most people can fall back asleep. According to sleep surveys, though, one-fifth of American adults experience difficulty falling back asleep after waking up at night. 

There are numerous reasons why a person wakes up from their slumber. Caffeinated beverages, too much alcohol before bed, the need to pee, and a few others are common causes. Instead of tossing and turning after waking up at night, experiment with the following strategies that help you fall back asleep.

Meditation

Meditation helps to calm the mind, so it stands to reason that it can help you fall back asleep when the mind is racing. By engaging in meditation, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, encourage slower breathing, and lower the heart rate. According to one study, participants who practice mindful awareness saw a significant improvement in sleep. A simple exercise of following your breath and letting your thoughts come and go can help you sleep better and fall back asleep after waking up. 

Avoid Clock Watching

Unless you want to feel more anxious about not sleeping, don’t look at the clock when trying to fall back asleep. If you continue to look at the clock, you only increase your anxiety, when that effort could be spent falling back asleep. Sleep experts say that you should not get worked up about waking up at night and sleeping poorly. The anxiety around waking up can perpetuate the problem, leading to more restless nights of sleep. Obsessing over the time causes you to calculate how long you have until you have to wake up. This can make you anxious, which increases blood pressure, making it difficult to fall asleep. Don’t let the clock tempt you! Resist the urge!

Use Deep Breathing

If stress continues to keep you up after waking up at night, considering combating stress using deep breathing. When done correctly, deep breathing can promote relaxation and slow the heart rate to ease you in to sleep. Lie down on your back in your bed and put your hands on your stomach. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your abdomen rise. Try to breathe in for a six-second count and then release the breath out of your mouth for the same amount of time. Deep breathing in this way allows the diaphragm to relax the body and mind, according to sleep specialists. 

Distract The Mind With A Quiet Activity

Distracting the mind is a helpful way to fall back asleep. Instead of focusing you attention on falling asleep, engage in a non-stimulating activity like listening to music, guided meditation, or counting. A great distraction exercise to quiet the mind is counting backward from 300 in threes. It’s complicated and will keep your mind occupied, so much so that you may feel anything but stress. Just make sure to do the activity with the lights off, as turning lights on may cause your brain to feel more awake. 

Use A Weighted Blanket

If you experience anxiety after waking up at night, especially if a nightmare is the culprit, a weighted blanket may help lull you back to sleep. Weighted blankets apply gentle pressure to the body, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The more you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the easier time you’ll have falling asleep. Additionally, the more active that system is during sleep, the more your body is able to recover. 

Cooling The Body

If you wake up from night sweats or you simply wake up from a warm environment, it will be difficult to fall back asleep without cooling the body down. Ideally, you should keep your sleeping environment at a temperature near 65 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. Sleeping in the right environment can help you avoid uncomfortable nighttime disturbances. Cool the body down by wiping the body off with a cool towel before you go back to bed. You can also take a drink of cold water. Lastly, consider placing an ice pack on the back of your neck, which will help cool the body and relieve potential neck pain or headaches. 

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What are some classic holiday gift ideas? Most people have exhausted socks or ties for dads, beard products for brothers, fuzzy scarves for mom, and makeup for sisters. It’s time to think outside the box and head in a healthier direction. Let’s forget about repeat gifts and attempt to give gifts that improve the lives of others. 

Often times, the best gift is something that the person will use, or something that will support a healthier lifestyle. Living as healthy as possible is more important than ever before, given the current coronavirus pandemic. Whether you decide on resistance bands for at-home workouts or homemade face scrubs to clear up skin, choose something that focuses on improving the person’s overall wellness. Our wellness team got together and assembled a list of eight healthy gift ideas to give this holiday season.

Homemade Or Customized Face Masks

Since face masks have become an essential accessory nowadays, why not get creative with them? There are many online tutorials that detail how to make simple masks. You can choose the fabric, paint or get creative with custom embroidery, or make fun patterns. Just make sure that the masks are two to three layers for optimum protection. Click here to view the best face mask materials. 

Portable Air Cleaner

This is an item that is also fitting with the times in which we’re living. A portable air cleaner helps remove pollutants and certain viruses from the air in your home, making the air you breathe better for you and others. This is a great gift for apartment dwellers, who may be worried about harmful aerosols. One will cost $100+ so it is an investment, but it’s worth it.

Protein Shaker Bottle

These are relatively affordable and extremely useful. Shaker bottles work for mixing protein powder in a liquid, electrolyte powder in a liquid, or a pre-workout supplement in a liquid. Essentially, these are great for any powder that mixes in with a liquid. The little metal ball breaks up the powder when you shake it to avoid clumping. You can even get a bottle that has a separate storage compartment for the powder, so you don’t have to mix it in the liquid right away.

DIY Skin Care Products

If you are trying to conserve money this holiday season, opt for homemade skin care products for the ones you love. You can whip up a DIY body butter, face mask, moisturizer, lip balm, or whatever you think people will like. Give the gift of non-toxic skin care products that actually improve the health of the skin instead of contaminating it with chemical store bought products.

Health Tracking Device

From the FitBit to the Whoop strap, there are endless devices that help people track their health. People can monitor heart rate, sleep patterns, recovery, steps, and calories burned with these devices. If the person plans to get started on a healthier path come the New Year, this is an excellent gift to help them on their wellness journey.

All-Weather Running Shoes

You have to really know the person before you splurge on a pair of all-weather athletic shoes. Do they run? Will they run if it rains? If the person is gung-ho about running no matter the weather, all-weather athletic shoes are great. They’ll keep feet dry n matter the forecast. Most of these shoes also have reflective materials, which are great for evening or nighttime runs.

Weighted Blanket

Do you want the person to feel like they’re being hugged at all times? Give them a weighted blanket. Everyone should get one of these. Several studies found that they help relieve stress, anxiety symptoms, and they work to improve sleep. Everyone could do with better sleep, right? Right. If you don’t think a weighted blanket is a good idea, try a furry blanket that is perfect for cozying up inside during the colder months. 

Manuka Honey

There isn’t a bad thing to say about Manuka honey, except for the price tag. On the other hand, you’re paying for a quality product that has numerous health benefits. According to scientific studies, Manuka honey can soothe sore throats, improve digestion, reduce acne or accelerate wound healing when applied to the skin, and promote oral health. The person you get this for will love you forever. 

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Weighted blankets, often referred to as gravity blankets, are often used in psychiatric therapy clinics to help comfort patients. Word of their benefits has spread far and wide, and now they are incredibly popular for relieving anxiety symptoms, reducing stress, improving sleep, battling depression, or treating various sensory issues.

What Is A Weighted Blanket?

Well, the name gives it away, in that it is blanket that weighs between 5-30 pounds. Filled with poly pellets, polypropylene plastic beads, and discs, weighted blankets mimic deep pressure stimulation, which is a hands-on technique that helps relax the nervous system. Deep pressure stimulation helps to stimulate serotonin and dopamine production, and these hormones help promote relaxation and improved mood.

Who Can Use A Weighted Blanket?

Weighted blankets are harmless when they are used for teens and adults, but they should not be used on children, according to Teresa May-Benson, an occupational therapist with the nonprofit Spiral Foundation in Newton, Massachusetts. Two child deaths have resulted from improper use of weighted blankets. The blanket should not weigh more than 10% of the user’s total bodyweight.

5 Benefits Of Weighted Blankets

They Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can have a large impact on person’s life, from interrupting sleep to having mood swings. Many therapists often recommend the use of weighted blankets for anxiety patients because the deep pressure stimulation reduces autonomic arousal, which is responsible for increased heart rate and other anxiety symptoms. One study, which involved 32 patients with anxiety, found that 33% of them experienced reduced anxiety after using a weighted blanket.

Promotes Melatonin Production

Many people with anxiety or high stress often have trouble sleeping or irregular circadian rhythms. Melatonin is necessary for healthy sleep, and research has shown that sleeping with a weighted blanket triggers melatonin production. Additionally, deep pressure stimulation has been known to improve sleep in patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders, so use a weighted blanket if you want to boost melatonin levels for improved sleep.

Benefits People With Depression

Weighted blankets recreate the feeling of a hug or swaddling, so the comfort of being cocooned can relax people and calm anxiousness. Statistically, babies respond better when they are frequently hugged, cuddled, rocked, and swaddled. People need that comfort and love as they age, though; it doesn’t just go away when you become an adult. The weighted blanket creates the sensation of a warm and comfortable hug, making the person feel as though they are being loved. Research indicates that a weighted blanket can stimulate serotonin production, also known as the feel good hormone. Finally, cortisol levels (the stress hormone) have been known to decrease in people who use weighted blankets.

Aids With Sensory Processing Disorder

The cause of sensory issues is thought to be the result of a brain signal traffic jam, so to speak, and this can lead to anxiety attacks. Interestingly enough, people with anxiety have a lot in common with children who have autism. In both conditions, the individual can experience emotional or behavioral troubles, and placing a weighted blanket on the person can provide a calming effect.

Helps Improve Focus In ADHD Patients

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly experience restlessness, impulsive actions, and lack of focus. While there have been no studies on the use of weighted blankets for ADHD patients, several studies have used weighted vests. The findings indicated that the weighted vests helped improve attention and reduced hyperactive movements. It is thought that the deep pressure stimulation from the weighted blanket can provide a soothing effect to minimize anxiety and hyperactivity, which may be attributed to the increase in serotonin and melatonin.

More research needs to be done on the benefits of weighted blankets, but initial research has shown that it benefits people with insomnia, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, and restless leg syndrome.

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