The Best Tools, Books, and Problem-Solving Accessories to Support Your Mental Health

Best Guided Journal: Papier Wellness Journal

We’ve written extensively about our deep love for Papier’s journals. But we think the brand’s guided journals are actually pretty underrated. Its Wellness Journal strikes the perfect balance of being structured and actionable, without being overwhelming. It has 12 weeks’ worth of daily pages where you can reflect on how you’re feeling mentally and measure your energy levels, along with slots to jot down gratitude lists and habits that are working for you. The pages are undated so you can pick it up whenever you’d like. Don’t forget to customize your cover.

Best Red Light Therapy: Omnilux Contour Face Mask

While you might know about red light therapy for its skincare benefits (like minimizing wrinkles, brightening your skin tone, and healing breakouts), our Senior Editor swears by this Omnilux Mask for helping with her winter blues. She notes that the bright light is a joy-inducing way to start off dark winter mornings, plus the warming sensation doesn’t hurt either. This one got bonus points for its flexible, yet lightweight design.

Best Guided Meditations: The CHANI App

While astrologer Chani Nicholas and her app are known for their modern takes on everyday astrology, we mainly love the app for its guided meditations. Equally motivating and relaxing, we turn to them in stressful moments or to set a positive tone on even the busiest of days.

Best SAD Lamp: Verilux HappyLight

We’ve tested these extensively and Skimm’rs can’t stop buying them. Verilux’s HappyLights are compact, design-forward, sleek, and actually improve our moods during the winter months. The only downside is that you have to keep them plugged in at all times and there aren’t cordless options, but for us, it’s worth it. These lights are extra-bright and our editors noticed a difference in mood and energy levels when incorporating them into their routines consistently.

Best Migraine Cap: TheraIce Migraine Relief Cap

We’ve been longtime fans of this Migraine Relief Cap from TheraICE. Because the band is so thick, it’ll comfortably fit across your entire head, while covering your eyes. Our editors who struggle with migraines love its cooling sensory effect, and it’ll block out every bit of irritating light (IYKYK). It also comes in clutch during panic attacks to help us calm down.

Best Fidget Toy: Speks

No joke, Speks is back and winning for a third year in a row. These adult-friendly toys are discreet and quiet. Rubenstein and our team unanimously love them for fidgeting on meeting-heavy days and during therapy sessions. You’ll get three silicone-coated magnets, and you can pick from four different shapes and styles.

Best Bong: NWTN Deco Gravity Bong

We love this one because if you have it sitting out on a bar cart or shelf, no one would ever guess it’s for recreational activities because of how design-forward and chic it is. It looks like a decanter and it’s made of a colorful borosilicate glass. It has four removable components that are easy to clean. Just use a mixture of sea salt and 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Best THC Seltzer: Brēz

Brēz’s THC tonics are genuinely refreshing and give us a steady, yet relaxed buzz without the hangover. We’ve found in our testing that the 5mg of THC is the perfect amount to feel something (but not too much). The original (our favorite) is made with lemon elderflower, which is light and refreshing.

Best Meditation App: Headspace

Rubenstein notes that she recommends Headspace to her patients often, and our editors have been dedicated Headspace users for years. It’s perfect for those looking for a guided meditation app that’s simple and easy to follow. Our favorite feature on the app is its daily schedule, which precurates meditations to do throughout the day based on your needs. They have meditations for just about every situation, from leaving home and processing anger to building self-confidence and befriending your body. There’s even a section dedicated to sleep, which includes bedtime stories for kids. Your insurance might cover it too.

Best Acupressure Mat: WTHN

Rubenstein loves an acupressure mat for releasing tension, decompressing after a long day, or just giving your body a reset. If you’ve never used an acupressure mat to help with anxiety or energy levels, now is your time. The mat has slightly spikey, textured nodes that’ll release tension and stiffness, while providing some circulation. Our editor likes to use hers as a grounding, sensory cue during bouts of anxiety, or after long days in front of her computer. Pro top: Place the mat underneath your feet while you work for some added energy. Don’t forget to use your FSA/HSA funds at checkout.

Best Sleep Gummies: Lemme Sleep 

Our insomniac Senior Editor swears by these because they pack a surprising punch. She usually only needs to take one (half the recommended dose) to feel really tired, really fast, so they come in handy when you’re desperate to get to sleep ASAP. They’re vegan, which is a rarity in gummies, and are made with a slew of plant-based ingredients — in addition to the standard magnesium, melatonin, and L-theanine, there’s also herbs like lavender, chamomile, and elderberry. She raves about the taste. It’s so good that it feels like she’s having a dessert. An important note: these sometimes make her feel groggy in the morning, and it takes a couple hours to feel clear-headed again.

Best Weighted Blanket: Lola Blanket

After seeing this pretty much all over her social media feeds, our editor finally put the Lola Blanket to the test over the holiday season and has been a loyalist ever since. The brand is inspired by the founders’ mother (who made her own special blanket for chemotherapy treatment). The result? A plush, cozy faux fur blanket that’s naturally heavy for relaxation. Whether you’re looking to calm racing thoughts before bed or want a solid option for your couch, we can confirm that this giftable blanket is worth its hefty price tag. That said, be on the lookout for promo codes as the brand is always running some kind of sale. Rubenstein told us she has multiple and it’s “the kind of thing that instantly makes wherever you are feel more cozy and calm.”

Best Blackout Curtains: Tokblind Motorized Roller Shades

When our Senior Editor’s partner insisted on getting remote-controlled blackout shades in the bedroom, she thought he was being a typical Tech Guy Boyfriend™. Now she raves about these because they are super easy to install (she knows, because she ate snacks on the bed and watched while he did it), and they work well to block out any light that filters in from the street. Before, she would wake up pretty much immediately when the sun began to rise, and now she can eke out a few extra hours. Plus, they make the bedroom feel cozier and more like a sanctuary from all the chaos of the world outside, which is crucial for creating a sleep-conducive environment. Consider this an incredible Amazon find for all the insomniacs out there.

Best Pillow: The Night Pillow

Yes, we can confirm this is also worth its infinite hype as the “most comfortable pillow in the world.” It’s made of an airy memory foam that’ll mold to the shape of your neck and shoulders to provide substantial support (even if you sleep in unique positions like us). We also found when testing that this pillow stayed consistently cool and it comes with a silk pillowcase to minimize frizz.

Best Sleep Patch: Barriére’s The Big Sleep

Our editor’s fiancé was deeply skeptical of these melatonin patches from Barriére. As a melatonin supplement loyalist, it was hard for him to imagine that anything would work as well. After he and our editor tested over the course of a few months, both were impressed. The patches are compact and easy to travel with, and both found that they fell asleep faster when using. The best part? Both didn’t feel any next-day grogginess like they typically do when taking melatonin supplements. And if you’re looking to try more, we love these patches for managing stress and these for managing energy levels.

Best Books for Navigating Uncertainty: AQ by Liz Tran

Whether you try to plan for life changes months in advance (like us) or run towards it with open arms (kudos to you), there’s always room for getting more comfortable with the unknown. In Liz Tran’s latest book, AQ, she teaches readers about the “agility quotient,” or the emotional muscle for flexibly accepting change. We read her first book The Karma of Success, a Good for You Award winner, after being a longtime follower of the executive coach. What we love about Tran’s perspective is that it’s holistic, practical, and easy to digest (without feeling corporate). If you’re looking for a quick, yet addictive read about how to manage uncertainty, this is one of those books that will make you feel a little more steady.

Best Book for Sparking Joy: In a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade

Anytime the poet releases a new book, we preorder it. Her writing is uplifting, digestible, and so easy to read that it makes for a noteworthy scrolling swap. Her latest book, In a World of Sunrises, includes 365 days worth of writing meant to inspire and uplift. You can read the entire book in a couple of sittings or read one page a day for an entire year.

Best Book for Strengthening Relationships: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

From the author of Wild, this book is the compilation of the advice column Strayed wrote under the pseudonym Sugar at the online publication The Rumpus. It features some of the best tough love advice we’ve ever read with Strayed weaving in tales from her own life that make it instantly relatable. By reading about so many other people’s experiences, it’s taught us to be more empathetic. This is one of our all-time favorite books to gift.

Best Book for Those New to Therapy: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Rubenstein notes that this is one of her favorite books to recommend both for its bingeability and its two-way look at therapy. Whether you’re skeptical of therapy, are dipping your toes in, or are a longtime fan, Lori Gottlieb’s bestselling book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone follows a few of Gottlieb’s heartwarming patients while Gottlieb is navigating the aftermath of her divorce. We were also fascinated by the start of Gottlieb’s career in television and how that connects to her therapeutic work today. This one is equal parts entertaining and educational.

Best Book for Building Resiliency: The Power of Real Optimism by Dr. Deepika Chopra

Dr. Deepika Chopra is a psychologist popularly known as The Optimism Doctor. In her work, she talks about scientifically backed practices known to build resilience, optimism, and empathy. The Power of Real Optimism is her first book, and it teaches readers via evidence-based practices how you can invite curiosity, strength, and softness into your life even in the face of hardship. Don’t think of this book as a guide to looking at things with rose-colored glasses, but instead as a manual to being emotionally aware and in-tune with your emotions. That’s why we love it.

Best Puzzles: Galison

Our team of editors unanimously voted on Galison as the winner for best puzzles. The pieces are durable, smooth, and satisfying to place, and each one is design-forward enough to frame after you finish. We also think they’re a great brand for those new to puzzling, with tons of mini 100-piece and 300-piece options. Use code SKIMM25 for 25% off the brand's punch needle kits (another winner).

Best At-Home Workout App: Ladder

Ladder is a guided app that’ll curate weekly workouts for you, based on your goals and the amount of time you have. The app drops new classes weekly, so it always feels motivating, fresh, and new. What made this app a winner for us is its in-ear coaching, video demonstrations, and pacing capabilities.

Best Multipurpose Subscription: ClassPass

No, this isn’t us leaning into 2016. We still think ClassPass is genuinely one of the best subscriptions out there. From yoga to cycling, Pilates to HIIT workouts, you can find pretty much any type of group fitness class in your area on ClassPass. What sets it apart from others? You can use your credits for wellness and self-care services like massages and pedicures, too. It’s a no brainer for us.

Best Arts and Crafts Hobbies

Our team has so many go-to kits that we couldn’t pick just one. One editor on our team swears by Emily Lex Studio’s watercolor guidebooks because they’re beginner-friendly with predrawn guides and easy instructions. Our Senior Commerce Director loves Galison’s Punch Needle Kits for something tactile to do with her hands instead of mindlessly scrolling. And our Senior Writer loves this paint-by-numbers kit from Paint Anywhere because they’re so cute you’ll want to show off your work when you’re done.

Best Hiking and Walking App: AllTrails

If you live for your afternoon walks, AllTrails’ Plus subscription is a great way to spice them up. It’ll give you access to countless trails all over the world. Whether you’re adventuring on an upcoming trip or want to explore where you live, it’s an easy way to access trails, parks, and other pathways for hikes and runs.