If 2020 felt like the same year on repeat, 2021 was the year we started to shake off the cobwebs and sharpen our arsenal of mental health tools. After the initial shock of the pandemic, we quickly realized how important it was to find comfort and joy in the smallest of things, despite anoverall feeling of languishing.
While they’re not a cure-all, the Verywell Mind team rounded up the things that helped us get through a particularly grueling time and continue to lift our spirits. From wearable fidget spinners to meditation apps, here are the things that have kept us going.
Anxiety Rings
Impulse & Modern
There is no magic accessory that can suddenly relievethe anxiety we’ve compiled in recent years. That said, theseanxiety ringsfrom small business Impulse & Modern aim to “bring about a peaceful state of mind and good karma.”
The spinning motion of theRotating Planet Spinning Anxiety Adjustable Ringis not just mesmerizing to look at but increases focus and channels nervous or excess energy away frombody-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB)like nail-biting or chewing, which have been found common in those with ADHD or a family history of BFRB.Plus, they come in a variety of stunning designs and features that deliver on function without compromising style.
A pretty piece of jewelry that doubles as a discreet fidget spinner? Sold.
FightCamp
Thebenefits of exercisefor our well-being are extensive.And with the abundance of fitness apps that have come about as a result of the pandemic, we’ve naturally found and stuck to a few that deliver an ideal blend of both physical and mental exercise.FightCampis one that combines boxing, plyometrics, and body-weight exercises into one high-intensity interval training session that works your full body and mind.
Through Punch Trackers and quick wraps that come with any of the membership options, you can track real-time progress, including your punch counts and punch rate, while an expert FightCamp trainer motivates you on screen. They also have carefully curated music stations to help you find your groove, though you can even punch to the beat of your own tunes.
Each workout is tough but easy enough to follow, and I always end up feeling like I’ve relieved some stress in addition to working up a sweat.
Shine
Shine App
We’ve particularly been loving the “Daily Check-in” feature, which serves up a meme, a thought, and a meditation that aligns with their theme for the day (i.e., “Calm Body, Calm Mind”). You then have the option of checking in on your mood or yourgratitude(*some features may only be available in the premium version) through a series of simulated text messages that almost sound like pep talks from your closest friend.
But what really seals the experience are the “takeaways” that follow after the meditation. Often, at the end of meditations, we might be left wondering how to apply them throughout the course of the day. The “takeaways” put the meditation into perspective and help you reflect on what you’ve practiced so you can apply what you’ve learned throughout the rest of the day.
The Benefits of Meditation for Stress Management
Google Keep
For whatever productivity we could muster despitepandemic brain fog, this Google Suite-owned note-taking service has been a lifesaver. While our team has been fortunate to be able to work from home for almost two years, separating work tasks from our rest-of-life tasks wasn’t easy for all of us.
Google Keep’s appealing interface made it all the more satisfying to create lists for the things we needed to do (think: groceries, projects to complete), the things we wanted to do (shows to watch, artists to check out), and the things we simply needed to keep track of (wish lists, dog duties, etc.).
Our favorite part is being able to color-categorize each list and see them all at a glance on one screen. You can also add to or edit them while at home on desktop and pick up where you left off on the go where the changes will sync to the mobile app. Crossing things off our lists during a time where days seemed to blend together made that feeling of accomplishment all the more impactful. Research shows that the simple act of creating these checklists frees up mental space.
Opal
Opal.so
The shift to remote working and schooling has undoubtedly affectedscreen time habits. In fact, a 2021 report from mobile data and analytics firm App Annie shows that global consumers are now spending an average of 4.2 hours per day using apps on their smartphones, an increase of 30% from just two years prior.
While we juggledthe need to stay connected virtuallywith our friends and family and the need tostep away from our devicesfor our mental health,Opalhelped strike the perfect balance. Opal is a wellness app that successfully blocks any apps for designated periods of time. With the help of a digital mindfulness assistant, you can set timers for distracting apps like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok and set goals to track your progress.
You can go in and take a break from your set boundaries if you really want to, but it requires writing an explanation for doing so, likechecking Instagram for 10 minutes to respond to a message.This step makes you think twice about your reason for going into the app during your adjusted time frame and instead brings your focus back to whatever you’re working on.
I’ve ultimately saved hours daily, and I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with wasting time on their phone.
How to Do a Digital Detox
The Verywell Mind Podcast
The episodes deliver insightful strategies and tips for handling hard-hitting topics that anyone can relate to—like “How to Change the Soundtracks in Your Head” or “Stop the Toxic Positivity”—at a time where we need it most.
Aside from the Friday Fix shows, which offer timely bite-sized nuggets of wisdom, longer episodes feature unexpected high-profile guests—fromfitness trainer Jillian Michaelstoactor and author Justin Baldoni—who offer a glimpse into their secrets for staying “mentally strong.” Since its inception last September, the podcast has allowed us to navigate the ongoing difficult events and the emotions that came with them.
Spitballers
They say laughter is the best medicine, and podcasts likeSpitballersare proof.
It provided lots of comic relief when I was going through a rough time personally. As someone who uses humor as a coping mechanism, it was just what I needed. Plus, it’s pretty mindless, so I can listen to it throughout the workday without being distracted.
Teladoc
Although we recently dubbed Teladoc as thebest therapy service for psychiatry, we’ve seen positive experiences with their talk therapy alone.
After an easy signup process, you get tochoose which therapist you want to work withbased on their profile and your needs. From there, you can schedule three dates/times from their calendar that work best with your schedule and chat with your therapist over video or phone. The best part is that many health plans and employers (including ours) provide Teladoc as part of their benefits, which has been a win-win for our wallets and our well-being.
4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Redden SA, Leppink EW, Grant JE.Body focused repetitive behavior disorders: significance of family history.Compr Psychiatry. 2016;66:187-192. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.02.003Tsai C-L, Wang C-H, Pan C-Y, Chen F-C, Huang T-H, Chou F-Y.Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise.Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00262Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF.Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):667-683. doi:10.1037/a0024192App Annie.Winning the attention war: consumers in nine major markets now spend more than four hours a day in apps.
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Redden SA, Leppink EW, Grant JE.Body focused repetitive behavior disorders: significance of family history.Compr Psychiatry. 2016;66:187-192. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.02.003Tsai C-L, Wang C-H, Pan C-Y, Chen F-C, Huang T-H, Chou F-Y.Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise.Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00262Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF.Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):667-683. doi:10.1037/a0024192App Annie.Winning the attention war: consumers in nine major markets now spend more than four hours a day in apps.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Redden SA, Leppink EW, Grant JE.Body focused repetitive behavior disorders: significance of family history.Compr Psychiatry. 2016;66:187-192. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.02.003Tsai C-L, Wang C-H, Pan C-Y, Chen F-C, Huang T-H, Chou F-Y.Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise.Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00262Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF.Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):667-683. doi:10.1037/a0024192App Annie.Winning the attention war: consumers in nine major markets now spend more than four hours a day in apps.
Redden SA, Leppink EW, Grant JE.Body focused repetitive behavior disorders: significance of family history.Compr Psychiatry. 2016;66:187-192. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.02.003
Tsai C-L, Wang C-H, Pan C-Y, Chen F-C, Huang T-H, Chou F-Y.Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise.Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00262
Masicampo EJ, Baumeister RF.Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals.J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):667-683. doi:10.1037/a0024192
App Annie.Winning the attention war: consumers in nine major markets now spend more than four hours a day in apps.
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