If you have a loved one who’s super stressed, it can feel challenging to figure out the right gift to get them. You want something to communicate that you care while — hopefully — offering some stress relief or making their life a little more joyful.
Let us help take the guesswork out of holidaygift-giving. Below, we’ve compiled some of our favorite picks for stressed folks. You’re sure to find something that your loved one will appreciate, with choices that are practical, fun and just plain sweet.
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The screaming goat is a perfect vibe match for anyone feeling stressed out: His hilarious shriek uncannily sums up the emotions of everyday life and can be a surprisingly effective stress reliever.
This goofy gift is such a hit that Amazon reviewers have given it 31,000 5-star ratings.
Target also has one with a Christmas theme this year, if you’d like a jollier twist.
“Feelings wheels” can help adults and kids alike better understand their emotions, according to experts.
Keeping a cute feelings wheel pillow in your space is a great way to check in with yourself in your daily life. I own one myself and really appreciate having it around — a pillow version of the wheel adds a comfy, cozy vibe!
You can nab a pillowcase alone or grab the pillowcase with an included pillow for a ready-to-go gift.
Promising reviews: “Great item! So soft and helps my husband better identify his emotions.” — Sign in with Apple user
“Beautiful gift that was so well received. Compliments and appreciation to Crystal, the maker of this high-quality, unique pillow. I am about to order another as a gift.” — Toby Adelman
This soothing yet invigorating jasmine and damask rose candle is like a “bouquet that is ever blooming,” reviewers say. Called the “euphoria” candle, its fragrance pairs warm florals with a bit of spice for a calming, heavenly feel. You won’t even have to burn it to get the effect: Reviewers say the scent nicely fills up a room regardless.
Flamingo Estate‘s heirloom tomato candle is another cult favorite, delivering a summery, earthy fragrance that’s sure to perk you up during a dreary winter.
Promising review: “Absolutely love this candle! It’s intoxicating and so calming. Makes my cabin smell so cozy!” — Paul E.
Your loved one can learn to make their own plushie and enjoy the stress-relieving benefits of crocheting at the same time. Experts say the craft can help promote well-being, increase calmness and self-esteem, manage grief and more.
This brave lion plushie kit comes with everything a beginner needs to get started and learn crocheting. The Woobles, the viral brand behind the product, also offers tons of kits for intermediate and advanced crocheters.
Promising review: “This was my second wooble, and because of the excellent instruction I have gotten a lot more consistent with my stitches. The instructions were easy to follow, and the process was cathartic and extremely satisfying.” — T.L.
These soft fleece cargo pants are made to enhance busy lives while keeping their wearers cozy and comfy. With both side pockets and roomy, deep cargo pockets — a rare find for women’s clothing — there’s plenty of space for stashing essentials and anything else you pick up as the day goes on.
Plus, the fleece is so comfy that your loved one will likely feel encouraged to curl up and relax in these after a long day.
The pants’ elastic cuffs add a tailored look, and the elastic waistband helps with fit between sizes.
Grab the pants in three colors and sizes XXS-XL.
Promising review: “Great pants for cold weather, comfortable, soft. Love these.” — Olga
Adults who love Lego bricks and similar toys can make and remake their own unique drinkware with this cool and actually functional “build-on brick” mug, channeling the joy they got from making their own brick creations as kids.
Available in nine base colors, the mug comes with toy bricks that you can build onto the sides and the handle. (You can also utilize bricks you already own.)
The mug is free of the chemical bisphenol A, aka BPA, and can hold both cold and hot beverages, though it should not be put into the dishwasher.
Promising review: “I bought this … [for] my husband and he loved it for his birthday. … The quality of it looks amazing. It’s worth the money and it’s super fun for anybody who loves to build.” — Jasmine Sada
Squash stress with these tiny “mochi” animal toys, whose squishy bodies are bouncy bliss. This gift option comes with 20 mini toys (so you can split them between different stockings), including rabbits, a starfish, cats, a cloud and even a snail.
I was gifted some by a friend and love rolling them between my fingers at my desk and marveling at how cute they are. They get a surprising amount of compliments, and I’ve ended up cherishing them!
If your overwhelmed loved one could use a bit of simple luxury, this Serenelife warmer is sure to be appreciated. The bucket makes towels deliciously warm so you can wrap yourself in a cozy sheath after a shower or bath. One reviewer said they bought the towel warmer for their children, who never asked for it or wanted one before, and now their kids cannot shower without it.
It’s intuitive to use, offering a built-in timer with options for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes of applied heat, as well as an automatic shut-off feature. Designed to be compact and lightweight, the warmer fits easily in small spaces and won’t be too heavy to move around if needed.
Promising review: “My husband was delighted to get this for Christmas and has used it every day since. He loves it and says it is so luxurious to step out of the shower and have a warm towel, robe and undies. Yes. Undies. He puts those in there also. I wanted to get this last year and didn’t so am glad I decided to get it for him this year! This was his favorite gift.” — Bliss Pastry
If you’ve ever wished that you could wear your weighted blanket wherever you go, you’re in luck: This cult-favorite weighted hoodie from Thera is designed for exactly that purpose.
I own one myself and consider it portable sensory bliss; the jacket’s deep pressure melts away my tension and feels like a secure, cozy cocoon. Designed to calm the nervous system and reduce cortisol, the weighted hoodie works great for stressful days at the office, traveling and more.
Plus, the hoodie looks more or less like a regular jacket, so it won’t raise eyebrows while you wear it.
Each hoodie weighs 10 pounds (besides the adult XS size, which weighs 8 pounds, and the kid version, which weighs 5 pounds).
You can currently grab it in eight colors, in a plush or regular version, and in adult and kid styles.
Promising review: “I love this hoodie. I suffer from multiple mental health issues after I was unexpectedly and tragically widowed in January 2019. I’m still trying to cope with the death of my husband, and when the stress is too much, I love this hoodie for the calming, hugging, and weighted feeling.
“I’ve noticed that I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders, and by wearing this hoodie for a while, I notice the weight kind of forces your shoulders down, making them relax. On nights when I just miss Jason too much, the weight feels like a gentle hug. It allows me to calm and ground myself when the weight of the world is just too much. Thank you for such a wonderful product.” — Kariann M.
Kristen Adaway, a former HuffPost shopping writer, previously sang the praises of this 20-ounce mini Crock-Pot, which is portable and can reheat leftovers with its detachable cord.
“I can confirm the hype is definitely deserved,” Adaway wrote. “I’ve found it to be incredibly useful for reheating leftover delivery dishes or cooked meals without having to use my stove or oven. The sweet spot for how long it takes to heat most of my meals is between 30 minutes and an hour.”
The warmer is billed as spill-free, and the removable lid and inner food storage container are dishwasher-safe to make the owner’s life as easy as possible. You can grab it in four colors.
“Shark Tank” featured brand Bombas is famous for its buttery-soft socks, but the Sunday Slippers are among its coziest hidden gems.
Deemed the brand’s most supportive slippers, the ultrasoft slip-ons are made with fluffy, plush fleece and a cushiony memory foam footbed that’ll make tired feet sing. They’re impressively sturdy, too, with rubber outsoles that’ll withstand chores and taking out the trash.
Available in men’s and women’s versions, the slippers are designed to slip on and stay on, with a slightly raised back heel that keeps feet secure yet comfy.
You can grab them in multiple colors, in men’s sizes 7-13 and in women’s sizes 6-11.
Help your overwhelmed, coffee-guzzling loved one stay hydrated with this two-in-one Splitflask tumbler that’s low-key ingenious. It lets you store two drinks side by side in the same container, freeing up hands and reducing clutter for folks often on the go. It’s also billed as leakproof. (I own one that I have knocked over many times without a spill.)
Made with stainless steel, the tumbler can hold both hot and cold drinks, and it is dishwasher-safe and BPA-free. Plus, the tumbler’s assortment of colors adds a little extra fun.
Clip the on-page coupon for 10% off, applied at checkout.
Promising reviews: “Many times I’m leaving the house with my hot coffee mug and a bottle of water. This definitely has changed my life. The insulation is pretty good, keeping hot, hot and cold, cold.” — Annie O.
“I had my eye on this cup for a while and I finally took the plunge and excited I did! I love having multiple drinks but can usually only carry one and I love to put them in my bag. I’m a mom of 4 kids and my hands need to be free. I used it this morning for hot coffee and cold ice water and the coffee stayed hot for about 6-7 hours and the it held the ice for about 8 (I dumped it out to replace the drink so it could have went longer!). You also have to factor in I kept opening and closing to drink my coffee and I add cold milk. I would say that’s pretty amazing! Now I have two cold drinks in it (strawberry margarita and regular margarita ha ha). I soft tossed it to my bed because I was doing laundry and my hands were full and no leakage at all! I love this cup and I’ve already told a few people about it!” — Tiffany G.
Always losing … everything? Reduce a major source of stress for a loved one and make locating easily lost objects a little cuter with these colorful Bluetooth Tile trackers. Just clip a tracker onto keys, pet collars or anything else, and then track items up to hundreds of feet away. You can also see past locations once out of Bluetooth range and send sound alerts for added audio assistance.
The trackers are available in multiple colors and pack sizes.
The peace of mind that AirTags provide far surpasses the gadgets’ price. Ideal for folks who already own Apple products, each AirTag can help keep track of your wallet, car, pet, purse or anything else. For those who struggle to locate their valuables or even where they park their car, this tiny thing promises to be life-changing.
Promising review: “I love these airtags and I bought a few more as a gift for my dad! They are such life savers when you can’t find something. The best part is that, not only does it show the location but it also makes a noise so if it is somewhere in the house, it is easy to find it!” — Sahiri Velivala
Remind disconnected loved ones that they’re loved with an electronic picture frame. This modern frame displays interchanging photos and short videos on its high-definition screen, and it comes with touch-screen ability and autorotation.
You, the rest of your family, and your recipient can upload pics to the Frameo app, so it’ll be easy to add new pictures and have everyone pitch in.
You can also adjust the frame’s brightness, activate sleep mode and more through its custom settings.
Promising review: “My dad lives 16 hours away and I always forget to print and send him photos of my kids regularly. This has made it so much fun! He can ‘frame’ the pictures right from his phone when I send them to him or I can even upload pictures to the frame from my phone. He just had to send me an invite. He has said nothing but great things about it and he really loves having the updated pictures weekly. It’s much easier than printing them out and mailing them. Definitely recommended for those with family who don’t live close and like to have pictures of the kids or grandkids. It makes a wonderful gift.” — Stefanie
This half-joke, half-serious 20-ounce coffeepot mug will delight frenzied caffeine lovers to no end. For those of us who wish we could just bring our coffeepots on the go, this is the thing to get — and it will do you one better with a leak-resistant lid. It’s also dishwasher-safe!
Clip the coupon for an added discount at checkout.
Add a little joy to someone’s to-do list with these popular office staples from Hmong American sister duo Unicorn Eclipse. Their brand is stocked with whimsical, nostalgic planner pads, sticky notes and notepads that make tasks a lot less daunting.
Promising reviews: “I love this notepad. Helps you look at your day and stay positive and on track.” — Diana Paine
Does it get any better than a robot vacuum and mop?
This cult-favorite Roomba will help make your loved one’s daily life more manageable by taking vacuuming and mopping off their hands, especially if they’re already overworked or dealing with stress. They can just set the gizmo to clean while they’re out and then return home to a pristine floor, or catch up on any other task (even if it’s just getting some me-time in front of the TV) while the vacuum-mop combo does its thing. It may just feel like a gift straight from heaven.
This model has even more perks than the earlier vacuum version, including the ability to empty itself and a smart mapping feature that allows it to clean more efficiently over time as it learns the contours of your space. It’s designed to clean carpets as well as hard floors, and you can control it by voice by connecting it to an Alexa- or Google Assistant-enabled device. When its 90-minute running time is up, it automatically docks itself to recharge.
This wacky, pint-sized inflatable tube guy is here to cheer your loved one on through whatever they’re dealing with. Its base contains a little fan to help it wave, wiggle and dance whenever they need a smile.
You should note that it requires a 9-volt battery or a power adapter to work.
Promising review: “I bought one of these as a gift for a Christmas stocking exchange and decided to buy an extra for myself. Boy am I glad I did because he is just sooo cool.
“I brought him to work and have him propped up on my desk and turn him on every once in a while. The fan is a bit too loud to let me run it for more than a few seconds at a time at work, but that’s all you need to demonstrate how amazing he is.
“It’s just like the full size ones you see as advertisements, just tiny. It’s everything I hoped it would be and more. If they could figure out how to make the fan quieter I’d leave him on all the time.” — Albert
Sometimes when you’re stressed, you need some reminders to treat yourself to fun. This enviable indoor s’mores-maker is the ticket: It doubles as an electric fondue pot, so anyone can have the time of their life making campfire desserts and dipping all their favorite foods in chocolate, cheese and more.
Promising review: “Purchased this for my girlfriend as a Xmas gift. She loves [s’mores] … but doesn’t want to go to communal fire pit in our apartment building and we don’t have a balcony. This was perfect to use during the recent snow we got. Great gift to use on a cold night with a movie and snowing outside.” — CapnLucho
