Forget copper bracelets—here’s what actually helps you chill out, straight from the research, plus the popular fakes you can skip.
Modern life is a pressure cooker, and everyone from your therapist to TikTok’s latest wellness guru seems to have “the” answer for stress. Maybe you’ve considered everything from light lamps to lavender oil, or even toyed with crystals and detox pads out of sheer desperation. But which at-home stress relievers are truly legit, and which ones belong in the back of your junk drawer?
We dug into the science so you don’t have to—breaking down what these treatments are, how to use them, what they cost, and whether real medical research says they’re worth your time (and sanity). Spoiler: Most of the good stuff costs less than a dinner out, and you can start tonight.
So before you drop $60 on moon-charged crystals, check out these 10 science-backed options first.
1. Mindfulness Meditation / Guided Meditation
What: Mindfulness or meditation practices guided by audio or video to help you anchor your thoughts and calm your mind.
How: Find a quiet place and settle in with your favorite app or a guided YouTube session. Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and follow the prompts as you tune in to your body and let intrusive thoughts drift by. Sessions can run anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, and consistency is key—making meditation a regular habit (daily or several times a week) is where the magic happens.
What it helps: Trains focus, increases emotional control, improves mood, and builds long-term resilience against stress.
Good for: General stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, emotional overwhelm.
Cost: Free–$15/month (apps like Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, or YouTube).
Backed by medical research: Supported by hundreds of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses for stress, anxiety, and even chronic pain.
Sources: JAMA: Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress NCCIH: Mindfulness Meditation
2. Yoga (Stretching Routines or Yoga Flows)
What: Combines physical movement, conscious breathwork, and mindfulness, all in one.
How: Roll out a mat or just use your living room carpet. Try a gentle flow or restorative class for 10–30 minutes. You’ll stretch, hold poses, and focus on slow breathing—letting tight muscles unwind and your mind zone out of the daily chaos. Even just following a basic beginner video can melt away tension (and you don’t need to be flexible or spiritual).
What it helps: Reduces cortisol (your stress hormone), boosts mood, improves sleep, and helps with muscle stiffness.
Good for: General stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, physical tension.
Cost: Free–$20/month (YouTube, apps, or online classes).
Backed by medical research: Supported by extensive clinical research and high-quality studies.
Sources: Harvard Health: Yoga for anxiety and depression, JAMA: Yoga for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
What: A step-by-step process of tensing and relaxing each muscle group to ease physical and mental stress.
How: Lie down and start at your toes. Tense each muscle group for about five seconds—really squeeze—then slowly release and focus on the sensation of relaxation. Move up your body (feet, calves, thighs, hands, arms, shoulders, face). A session takes 10–20 minutes and is amazing before bed or when you feel tension peaking.
What it helps: Releases built-up tension, soothes headaches, and improves sleep quality.
Good for: Physical stress, muscle tightness, anxiety, insomnia.
Cost: Free (guided scripts and videos online).
Backed by medical research: Supported by decades of research and used in therapy and hospital settings.
Sources: PMC: Effectiveness of PMR, American Psychological Association: PMR
4. Breathwork (Deep or Controlled Breathing Exercises)
What: Conscious control of breathing patterns to activate your body’s natural relaxation response.
How: Practice for 5–10 minutes a day. Try “box breathing” (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) or deep belly breathing. You can do it lying down or sitting, eyes closed or open, whenever you’re stressed—on the couch, at your desk, or even during a Zoom call (your secret’s safe).
What it helps: Reduces adrenaline, slows heart rate, calms racing thoughts, and helps you reset fast.
Good for: Anxiety attacks, panic, chronic stress, emotional regulation.
Cost: Free–$15/month (apps like Calm, Wim Hof, YouTube).
Backed by medical research: Clinical trials support reductions in anxiety, blood pressure, and perceived stress.
Sources:Harvard Health: The benefits of deep breathing, Frontiers in Psychology: Effects of Breathing Techniques
5. Light Therapy (Bright Light or Colored Lamps)
What: Exposure to bright or specific colored lights, typically using special lamps, to boost mood and energy.
How: Place a lamp near your workspace or breakfast table. Sit in front of it for 15–30 minutes each morning (preferably right after waking up). Avoid staring directly at the light—just let it illuminate your face and eyes as you go about your morning routine, read, or scroll your phone. This routine can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle and lift winter blues.
What it helps: Lifts mood, boosts energy, helps reset your circadian rhythm, and regulates sleep.
Good for: Seasonal depression (SAD), fatigue, mood swings, low energy.
Cost: $20–$100 (light therapy lamps for SAD or color-changing LED bulbs).
Backed by medical research: Well-proven for SAD with numerous randomized controlled trials.
Sources: Mayo Clinic: Light therapy, American Psychiatric Association: Practice Guideline for Depression
6. Sound Therapy (Music or Binaural Beats)
What: Uses calming music, ambient sounds, or specific frequencies (binaural beats) to create a sense of relaxation.
How: Put on headphones or play from a speaker. Choose a playlist with soothing music, nature sounds, or binaural beats. Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and focus on the layers of sound for 15–30 minutes—let it wash over you, ideally as a break or before sleep.
What it helps: Calms the mind, reduces muscle tension, helps you fall asleep faster.
Good for: General stress, anxiety, trouble sleeping, overthinking.
Cost: Free–$10/month (streaming services like Spotify, YouTube, or binaural beats apps).
Backed by medical research: Multiple clinical studies show that music therapy reduces anxiety, stress, and even pain; binaural beats have mixed but promising results.
Sources: Cochrane Review: Music interventions for psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients, Frontiers in Psychiatry: Effects of Binaural Beats on Anxiety
7. Aromatherapy (Essential Oils)
What: Uses the scent of essential oils (like lavender or eucalyptus) for relaxation and stress relief.
How: Add a few drops of oil to a diffuser, a warm bath, or even sprinkle on your pillow. Inhale deeply for several minutes, or soak in an aromatic bath. Try it before bed or whenever you need to switch off a buzzing brain.
What it helps: Eases mental stress, helps with sleep, soothes headaches and tension.
Good for: Anxiety, headaches, insomnia.
Cost: $10–$40 (starter kits of oils and a diffuser).
Backed by medical research: Modest but positive evidence for reducing mild anxiety and improving sleep. Not a replacement for clinical treatment.
Sources: Systematic Review: Aromatherapy for Anxiety and Depression, NIH: Aromatherapy
8. Art Therapy (Drawing, Painting, Coloring)
What: Making art—drawing, painting, doodling, or adult coloring—as an outlet for self-expression and emotional release.
How: Set aside 20–30 minutes, pick up pencils or paints, and let yourself create without judging the result. Focus on the feeling of the colors and shapes, not perfection. This is about process, not product, so embrace your inner kid and get messy.
What it helps: Helps process emotions, provides a mindful distraction, and fosters self-expression.
Good for: Emotional overload, anxiety, trauma, or just zoning out.
Cost: $5–$30 (basic art supplies or coloring books).
Backed by medical research: Studies support art therapy for reducing stress, anxiety, and trauma as a complementary practice.
Sources: Systematic Review: Art Therapy for Anxiety, American Art Therapy Association
9. Journaling (Expressive Writing)
What: Writing thoughts and feelings down—by hand or digitally—to process and release mental clutter.
How: Spend 10–20 minutes writing about what’s on your mind. Don’t censor yourself—this isn’t for Instagram. Dump your worries, write about your day, or make a gratitude list. Some people like prompts, but freewriting works just as well. Repeat a few times a week, or daily during high-stress periods.
What it helps: Clarifies thoughts, releases bottled-up feelings, and supports problem-solving.
Good for: Overthinking, emotional stress, confusion, processing big life events.
Cost: Free–$10 (notebook or digital app).
Backed by medical research: Expressive writing has been shown in multiple studies to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes.
Sources: APA: The Health Benefits of Journaling, JAMA: Writing About Stressful Events
10. Home Spa Treatments (Warm Bath, Self-Massage)
What: Using heat, water, and touch for physical relaxation.
How: Run a warm bath with Epsom salts, add essential oils if you want, and soak for 20–30 minutes. For extra stress relief, try a self-massage—focus on shoulders, neck, or feet, using your hands or a simple tool. Put on soothing music, dim the lights, and make it a ritual, not a rushed chore.
What it helps: Relaxes muscles, eases pain, calms nerves, and promotes restful sleep.
Good for: Physical tension, burnout, insomnia.
Cost: Free–$30 (bath salts, massage oils, or massage tools).
Backed by medical research: Heat therapy and self-massage have clinical support for reducing muscle tension and improving relaxation.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic: Benefits of Warm Baths, NIH: Massage Therapy for Health Purposes
Five Stress Treatments That Only Feel Like They Work
These are the remedies you’ll see all over TikTok and in your local crystal shop—but research says they’re more about vibes than results.
Homeopathic Remedies for Stress
What: Pills or drops with highly diluted substances (so diluted there’s essentially nothing left).
Why it doesn’t work: Repeated clinical reviews show no benefit over placebo for stress or anxiety.
Sources: NHS: Homeopathy, Cochrane Review on Homeopathy
“Detox” Foot Pads or Detoxifying Baths
What: Pads, soaks, or baths that promise to “draw out toxins” through your skin or feet.
Why it doesn’t work: No scientific evidence that toxins are removed; any relaxation comes from the bath itself.
Sources: Mayo Clinic: Detox foot pads, Harvard Health: Detox diets
Magnet Therapy
What: Wearing magnetic jewelry or using magnet devices for stress relief.
Why it doesn’t work: No measurable effect on stress, mood, or pain beyond placebo in multiple studies.
Sources: NIH: Magnet Therapy, Mayo Clinic: Magnetic therapy
Copper Bracelets or Jewelry for “Calming Energy”
What: Claims that copper or certain metals can calm you.
Why it doesn’t work: Zero evidence for mood, anxiety, or pain; any benefit is pure aesthetics.
Sources: NHS: Copper bracelets
“Energy Healing” Devices (Crystals, Reiki Wands, etc.)
What: Objects like crystals or “energy wands” meant to “balance your energy” and relieve stress.
Why it doesn’t work: No clinical benefit beyond placebo; rituals may feel relaxing, but it’s not about the energy fields.
Sources: Cochrane Review: Energy therapy for anxiety, NCCIH: Reiki
Just because something is “only” a placebo doesn’t mean it can’t make you feel better—at least for a while. The placebo effect is a real, well-documented phenomenon: when you believe a treatment will help, your brain can release chemicals that ease pain or calm anxiety, even if the treatment itself is biologically inactive. Sometimes, the ritual of self-care—whether it’s a crystal or a copper bracelet—can genuinely help you relax, simply because your mind expects it to. Placebo can be powerful, but for lasting stress relief, it pays to pick what’s proven. Your brain—and your wallet—will thank you.
