I Tried Everything from Virtual Sound Baths to Stress Baking to Unwind—Here’s What Worked

Spending all day staring at a computer screen—literally all day, now that even our socially distanced hangouts involve Zoom happy hours and Portal calls—means my eyes tend to be achy by the evening. I’ve tried blue light glasses and adjusting my screen’s brightness, but when I heard people rave about how refreshed they felt after using the Ostrichpillow, I decided to give it a shot, trying its cheaper—but equally hilarious-looking—eye mask, the Loop. It twists around your head, covering your eyes while forming an X over your face, like you’re a rejected superhero from Ben Stiller’s Mystery Men. But then it’s on, and the microbead-filled straps feel like a gentle hug, applying light pressure on your eyes and temples while blocking out all light. It left my lids feeling refreshed post-nap, but I still found myself ping-ponging “what ifs” as I struggled to clear my mind, which is why I decided to take things to the next level.

How Calm I Felt Afterward (from zero chill to a totally-zen 10): 6

After learning that yoga brand Alo was offering online sound bath classes, I decided to sign up for a free, two-week trial. Sound baths use a variety of instruments—though most often, crystal singing bowls and gongs—to guide you through meditation. After multiple studies (including a review of 400 articles on the topic) found that sound meditation helped reduce anger, fatigue, anxiety and depression, I was ready to give it a shot.

Alo’s workout platform, Alo Moves, offers a few courses on the topic, which you watch at your own pace. I chose “Healing for Anxiety,” fully prepared to have an ASMR-like reaction. But I didn’t. The bowls provided a mellow humming, and while I typically roll my eyes at commands to imagine your fears “floating away like clouds,” I was so relaxed I didn’t mind it.

For my second class, I decided to combine it with the Loop eye mask, though I quickly had to remove it, because every time I found myself obsessing over unanswered emails, I’d grab a notepad and add it to my to-do list. It’s the only way, I’ve found, to actually clear my head.

How Calm I Felt Afterward: 7

More bathing! This time in the form of meandering walks amid nature, based on the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, The idea is that is you take in the forest through your senses, really being aware of your surroundings. There’s a park near my house that’s still open, with plenty of trails to hike, so I went for it. I focused on the sounds of birds chirping, the dampness of the spring air, the sight of a…baby alligator eying me from mere feet away. No, really. (Look closely at the photo above for proof.) Growing up in Florida, I’ve learned that they tend not to bother you unless you bother them, making them about half as jarring as someone smacking their lip gloss into a microphone.

Even with the alligator sighting, I felt more at ease than I had all day, which makes sense, considering that a 2014 study found that forest bathing resulted in a lowered heart rate and a reduction in feelings of depression and anxiety. It quickly became a daily practice—though I haven’t seen that alligator since.

How Calm I Felt After the Alligator Sighting: 5

How Calm I Felt on Other Walks: 8

During five weeks of sheltering in place, I’ve baked two loaves of banana bread, two trays of brownies and 24 cupcakes, many of which have been frosted to look like whatever I’m simultaneously binge-watching, be it Sesame Street or Tiger King. I can’t help it. There's a reason for that, it turns out.

“Baking is super absorbing, so it's very difficult to have anxiety,” clinical psychologist Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill told Delish. “It chases bad thoughts away because you have to focus on making sure that you measure your flour.” She didn’t say whether there are increased benefits to carefully frosting Joe Exotic’s dark brown goatee, but given how rewarding it felt to #nailit, I swear it does.

How Calm I Felt Afterward: 9.5

We’ve all heard that certain scents can be mood-boosters, and when I heard PureWow readers are obsessed with Vitruvi’s diffuser and essential oils, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Immediately, I understood the fanfare: The stone diffuser’s much sleeker than many of the other models I’ve seen, looking more like a sculptural piece of art than a bulky gadget. And it’s easy to set up, requiring you to pour water into the canister, add 10 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil, plug it in and turn it on.

I tested out the Retreat scent—a blend of grapefruit, palma rosa and eucalyptus—while writing and editing stories, since it’s supposed to be transporting and restorative. There was a subtle citrus scent, gentle enough to never overwhelm the space. Did I feel like I was on vacation as I worked? Not exactly. Did it make fact-checking and making copy edits a little more pleasant? Definitely.

How Calm I Felt Afterward: 7

Before my daughter was born, I swore I’d knit her a blanket. She’s closing in on a year and a half old, and at night, she can snuggle with…a 16-inch square. (It was supposed to be 42 inches by 58 inches…whoops.) So I decided to start fresh, choosing the most basic, beginner knitting project I could online—a snood, which is not a Seussian character, it turns out, but a scarf in choker form. It came with detailed instructions, but I still found myself pulling up YouTube to remember the basics of casting on stitches. I’d watch, pause the video, rewind and watch each step again. All I wanted to do was fast-forward to the part where I was a knitting pro, so I could revel in the confidence boost and lowered cortisol levels that devotees experience.

Still, I’m sticking with it, and I’m pleased to say that in 2022, when we’re all allowed outdoors again, I should have a very nice string of yarn to wear around my neck. Here’s to hoping bolo ties make as strong of a comeback as tie-dye is right now.

How Calm I Felt Afterward: 4