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8 The Most Thoughtful Gifts For Stressed Students To Help Them Relax And Unwind

Studying at college, for many students, is a critical period where they will enter adulthood. So, it's not surprising that they face many problems that provoke stress and anxiety during this time. Below you find the best gift ideas to help your stressed student restore a feeling of calmness. 

The best gifts for stressed students are the ones that will help them reduce stress, soothe anxiety, and improve well-being. In particular, a white noise machine, good massager, herbal tea, and interesting online courses are practical gifts for students who need to de-stress.

It’s time to take care of your stressed student. Browse our gift guide to find the perfect gift to support them. I hope you will love the ideas I've recommended here! 

Online Courses To Boost Mood And Productivity

woman working at a laptop

You'll probably disagree that online courses are exactly that gift that stressed students need.

But give me a chance to convince you that online courses from our list can help your favorite student recognize their inner strength, improve well-being, and boost study performance.

And isn't that what you want for your dear one?

Taking online classes requires students' additional time and effort, but it provides them many benefits in the long run. One of the best things about online courses is that they offer more flexibility, which's significant for busy students. 

Moreover, most courses are free, so you don't need to spend anything to give your dear student a thoughtful and useful gift. Check our list and choose some interesting online courses to recommend to your stressed student.

Here are a few best helpful online courses to boost productivity, reduce stress, and increase happiness.

 

 

  • The Science of Well-Being (Coursera) - in this course, Yale professor Laurie Santos uncovers popular misconceptions about happiness (a small spoiler: good grades don't make students happy). Learners also discover how to implement useful strategies that help improve well-being and increase joy.

Well, how do you like our list? I also encourage you to browse popular online learning platforms and find the best course that will perfectly suit your favorite student's needs. 

Help Prepare For A Difficult Test

two persons sitting

Not unexpected that one of the most common stressors among students, regardless of the year in school, is academics.

Increased class workload, challenging tasks, and low grades - are just a few problems students face during the study.

Well, you can make your favorite student's life a bit easier by helping to prepare for a tough test. 

Don't worry, because you don't need to be an expert in a subject to help your dear student successfully pass the exam. You just need to be a listener while your favorite student will take on the role of teacher. Isn't this much simpler than you thought?!

Trying to explain the studying material in your own words to someone else, as if you are the teacher, is one of the most powerful learning techniques. Studies show that students who learn new information by using this method have better memory and recall abilities.

And these definitely will come in handy for your favorite student during the exam.

Show your support and become a study partner for your dear student for a while. After all, it's an excellent way to help them prepare for exams in a non-stressed atmosphere.

Give Your Time

sand clock

One of the most thoughtful things you can do for your always stressed student is to give your time. It's, indeed, one of the better ways to show your care and support.

After all, it's important for everyone who goes through a tough time to have a special person who will always offer a helping hand or be the shoulder to cry on.

In the busy rhythm of daily life, it may seem that it's so hard to find free time to spend with someone who needs it. But it's simpler than you think. Even a few minutes can make a difference for your favorite student who needs a little bit of relaxation.

You can invite your dear one to a cup of coffee, organize once in a while a movie or board games nights, offer a lift to college, or pick them up after the night work shift, or just make a call to ask how it's going. 

Such small, thoughtful gestures undoubtedly will help your favorite student restore a sorely needed feeling of calmness.

White Noise Machine For Better Sleep

Everyone knows that healthy sleep is a vital part of physical and mental health. But not everyone has a good sleep.

Often college students notice that they aren't sleeping well, and it's negatively affected their well-being. A white noise machine, in this case, sounds like a thoughtful and useful gift idea for your favorite student.

A white noise machine helps to drown out other sounds around, so it's less likely that some noise will disturb your dear one while he/she is trying to fall asleep.

Such a useful device will especially come in handy for students who live in a dormitory and, in addition to outside noise, can suffer from noisy roommates and loud parties.

Thanks to a good white noise machine, any annoying noise can't interrupt a blissful night’s sleep of your favorite student. A sound machine is undoubtedly a great gift that will help your dear one sleep better, feel refreshed every morning, and always be ready to tackle the day.

Weighted Blanket To Soothe Anxiety

Are you wondering how an ordinary blanket can relieve anxiety and stress?

I completely understand your skepticism, but the study snow that weighted blankets have some therapeutic effects. Such a blanket may help your stressed student reduce feelings of anxiety, as well as improve sleep quality. 

Weighted blankets use deep pressure stimulation - a therapeutic technique that is firm but gentle squeezing, hugs, or holding. The pressure of weighted blankets simulates a comforting hug that can help settle the nervous system and bring an overall sense of calm and peace.

All these characteristics make a weighted blanket an excellent stress-relief gift. So, why not give such a thoughtful present to your stressed student? After all, such a gift is a perfect way to show your care and love.

Good Massager To Release The Tension

Did you know that stress negatively affects not only mental health but also causes many physical health problems? 

Unfortunately, ongoing stress produces headaches, neck pain, and muscle tension. A good massager can help your stressed student ease these physical symptoms and bring a little bit of relaxation.

There are many excellent massage tools on the market, from handheld percussion massagers to massage pillows with heat and multifunctional massagers for the back, shoulder & neck. Thanks to such variety, you easily find a good massager that will perfectly suit your favorite student's needs.

A high-quality massager can provide your stressed student a spa-like massage treatment anywhere and anytime. Undoubtedly, an effective massager is a useful gift that will bring your dear one the desired relief.

Fidget Toys to Relieve Stress

funny stress ball

In recent years fidget toys have become a popular way to help focus better, as well as to relieve stress and manage anxiety.

Actually, fidget toys, thanks to their soothing effect, make a great relaxing gift. So, why not help your college student deal with stress in such a funny and entertaining way? 

I prepared a list of items that are really calming and, besides, enjoyable to play with.

Browse our recommendations of the best sensory toys that provide stress relief and help handle a surge of emotions. Surprise your student with one of these helpful and funny toys.

Squeeze balls

Sensory squeeze balls are probably one of the most popular stress-relief toys. Squeeze and smoosh, stretch and pull, toss and bounce them - you can do everything you want to calm down.

Another important feature of these balls - they can be colorful, adorable, and even in different shapes and designs, including eye-catching animals' figures and funny brain-shaped 'balls.'

Putty toy

Believe it or not, but a putty toy has been used as a therapeutic tool for many years. In fact, a putty toy is effective anger management and stress reduction tool. You can twist, stretch, squish, roll, and bounce it to manage anxiety.

Moreover, the sleek, fluffy slime texture of a putty toy gives a satisfying sensory experience and brings a lot of fun playing with it.

Fidget cube

Fidget cubes are another popular toy that helps to clear your mind and improve focus. Indeed, such fidget toys are a great way to keep your hands busy and distract yourself from anxiety or just daily worries.

Besides, most fidget cubes are pretty small, which makes these toys easy to carry around, so you would be able to alleviate stress anywhere and anytime.

Herbal Tea For Pleasant Relaxation

herbal tea

A cup of fragrant hot tea after a hard day helps to distract from daily worries and calm.

And to enhance this relaxing effect, give your favorite student herbal, stress-relief tea.

In fact, some herbal teas help soothe anxiety and bring a feeling of calmness.

Herbal teas are an excellent natural remedy for stress and anxiety. So, a pack of fragrant herbal tea is a perfect way to take care of your stressed student's health and well-being.

Explore stress relief tea collections to find the best one to help your dear one calm down and enjoy the moment. There are many herbal teas for every taste, from peppermint and lemon balm to chamomile and lavender to rose and passionflower.



Health Assessment conducted by the American College Health Association in 2019 showed that more than 75% of college students had experienced a moderate or high level of stress within the last 12 months.

It’s important to remember that long-term stress can seriously interfere with their study, personal life, and health. That is why it's essential to recognize and understand the sources of stress to find ways to manage them successfully.

Please, pay attention to the well-being and needs of your favorite student.

About the Author

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Hi! I'm Yasia, founder of giftideaspace.com. I’m passionate about gift-giving, and I’m here to help you choose perfect gifts for your loved ones. I will always provide you with the best possible gift ideas and explain, based on statistics, scientific studies, and my own experience, why one or another gift is the best option to surprise your recipient.