25 Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas Your Stressed Friends Will Love

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Last Updated on October 20, 2022

Looking for the best mental health gift basket ideas for the perfect pick-me-up? Check out these thoughtful self care gifts that are sure to bring comfort this holiday season!

If there’s anything we’ve learned this year, it’s that self care ISN’T selfish! And with self care comes prioritizing our mental health too. Wherever we’re at in life, we could all use a mental health pick-me-up! That’s why I put together a list of mental health gift basket ideas that are bound to make anyone on your Christmas list feel a little better–no matter what they’re battling!

Mental health gifts are growing increasingly popular as we recognize the importance of taking care of our health in ALL aspects–both physical and mental health. 

So get ready to help yourself and your loved ones with these thoughtful mental health gift basket ideas for self care, anxiety, stress, and more!

This post is all about mental health gift basket ideas.

What kind of mental health gifts should I get my friend, mom, sister, boyfriend, etc.?

We are so lucky to live in an era where much-needed attention toward mental health is on the rise. As a result, there are so many products and services at your fingertips for improving mental health!

I’m talking ONLINE THERAPY (seriously, how convenient is that?! I dreamed of it for years!), journals specifically designed for mental health, mindfulness cards, mood + stress + sleep supplements, and SO much more!

When browsing through these mental health gift basket ideas, consider the type of need your gift recipient has. Have they expressed interest in wanting to talk to someone about their struggles? Maybe an online therapy service would benefit them. Do they like to journal their thoughts? They might find clarity through a mental health journal. 

Several of the categories below (gifts for self care, stress, anxiety, and overall mental wellbeing) can easily overlap and be closely related, so browse through them and find what best applies to your loved ones!

As with any gift, it’s important to consider what the person receiving the gift would most appreciate!

Here are 25 super thoughtful mental health gift basket ideas for stress, anxiety, self care, and more!

Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas for Self Care

1. Therabox Self Care Subscription Box

The Therabox Self Care Subscription Box was curated by therapists, so you KNOW it’s good! 

This is one of the easiest mental health gift basket ideas because it’s already put together for you! Each box contains a research-based therapeutic activity and 6-8 self care goodies designed to decrease stress and help you feel your best.

You can choose between sending a one-time mystery box or a subscription plan for monthly gift boxes. Whichever you choose, your gift recipient will LOVE how thoughtful this is!

{RELATED POST: 30 Day Winter Self Care Challenge to Beat the Winter Blues}

2. Intensive Skin Treatment Candle

This candle is very unique in that it not only functions as a candle, but the wax is also safe to be drizzled onto your skin as a moisturizer! It releases anxiety-relieving lavender, soothing jasmine, and calming Brazilian rosewood. Seriously PERFECT for self care in a variety of ways!

3. Mental Health Journal

Did you know that I offer a printable mental health journal?! It’s 33 pages full of writing prompts and useful exercises for understanding your emotions, reframing negative thoughts, and overcoming unhelpful behaviors.

As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression myself, I knew just how important it was to create a resource that will actually help you create a healthy mindset for yourself, target your triggers, and take action to improve your mental health by at least 1% every day.

This is a must-have for your mental wellness toolbox! Go check it out!

{RELATED POST: 50 Therapeutic Journal Prompts for Emotional Healing}

4. Honest Mama’s Spa Night In Kit

A super perfect gift for mom, sister, or girlfriend to relax and unwind is this Honest Mama’s Spa Night In Kit! This 5 piece set includes soaking salts, body oil, a mud mask, pore serum, and a spa headband. Sooo soothing!

Give the special gal in your life a soothing night to herself by bringing the spa to her!

5. Infrared Heating Pad

There’s your bog-standard heating pad, and then there’s your infrared heating pad. The difference? The heat penetrates much deeper than a traditional heating pad for more evenly distributed heat and longer-lasting relief for all types of pain. 

This is especially ideal for lower back pain, but it wraps around with a Velcro and can be applied anywhere you need it! Aside from pain, many people find heating pads to be incredibly comforting.

6. Aromatherapy shower steamers

These shower tablets come in soothing scents like Menthol & Eucalyptus, Lavender Field, Rose Garden, Virgin Forest, Cypress Sage & Patchouli and Lemongrass Tea. Baths are already super relaxing after a long day, and these shower steamers will help you further de-stress and unwind!

Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas for Anxiety

Do you struggle with anxious thoughts? Want to keep better track of how your anxiety is actually affecting you? Grab my (free!) printable anxiety tracker below and learn how to manage your symptoms!

7. Faith Over Fear Disk Necklace

This stunning necklace serves as a meaningful reminder to stay hopeful and give you a little mental health boost during your most anxious moments. If someone you know is going through a difficult time, this necklace is the perfect reminder to keep fighting! Simple necklaces with powerful messages are such good mental health gift basket ideas.

{RELATED POST: 50 Super Useful Christmas Gifts for Minimalists}

8. Vitruvi Essential Oil Diffuser

Looking for a more calming household vibe? Then an essential oil diffuser is right up your alley! With so many relaxing, soothing scents to choose from like rosemary and lavender, you’re one step closer to crafting the perfect anxiety-relieving environment with this A+ essential oil diffuser by Vitruvi!

{RELATED POST: Self Care for Introverts – 16 Ways to Recharge Your Social Battery}

9. Headspace Meditation App Subscription

Headspace is such a comprehensive resource for meditation and anxiety relief! I love that they have such a wide variety of offerings to serve any purpose, like meditation for sleep, for focus, for anxiety relief, etc. 

Meditation has benefited me greatly and I want you to experience the same! It doesn’t have to be a big time commitment to be effective either, just 5 minutes before my work day and I’m off to a clear-minded start. 

10. Zen Garden

For those who struggle with anxiety, zen gardens can be a nice tool to ease your anxiety symptoms and calm your mind for a bit. Instead of taking a break to scroll through social media, which might heighten anxiety, try playing around with a zen garden instead! Manipulating the sand will allow you to focus on something other than your anxious thoughts. 

11. YnM Weighted Blanket

This 15 pound weighted blanket by YnM can be used on its own or with a duvet cover. Helping you sleep super soundly, this weighted blanket offers a calming sensory experience to help decompress and provide comfort and anxiety relief. If you’ve never tried a weighted blanket before, you need to give it a try!

{RELATED POST: 60 Journal Prompts for Self Care When You’re Struggling}

12. Paint by Number Kit

Studies show that making art significantly reduces anxiety. But if you’re new to painting, you might not know where to start. This is why I LOVE paint by number kits, because I don’t have to be a skilled artist to create a beautiful painting. 

You would be AMAZED at how well you can paint with the guidance of a paint by number. I’m no artist, and I can paint beautiful designs all with the help of a paint by number kit. You’d never even know! I get my paint by number kits from Etsy, like this stunning one below.

13. Adult Inky Adventure Coloring Book

Art therapy is real y’all! Mindful coloring has grown increasingly popular for anxiety relief, as it’s a healthy coping tool for all ages. One of the best adult coloring books is the Inky Adventure Adult Coloring Book. Not only is the artwork stunning and captivating, but there are “hidden object” games throughout the pages to keep you on your toes!

Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas for Stress

14. Muse Meditation Headbands

Whoa, you’ve probably heard of meditation, but what about a meditation headband that provides you useful information on your stress levels?! That’s next level. Offering 500+ guided meditations, the Muse 2 Meditation Headband uses advanced EEG technology to help you connect with your body and mind to a sophisticated degree.

The Muse 2 Headband Bundle comes with a premium subscription to show you real-time biofeedback on your mind, heart, body, and breath. This gives you insight to how well you focus and recharge.

15. Psoas Muscle Release and Deep Tissue Massage Tool

Your psoas muscle is a band of muscle curving around both sides of the pelvis, which is responsible for our ability to stand and walk. When the psoas gets inflamed, it can trigger pinched nerves and result in back pain. If you know a backache sufferer, this psoas massage tool will perfectly target their problem areas by simulating pressure similar to an elbow for instant relief!

16. Deep Tissue Massage Gun

Another targeted muscle pain and stress relief gift is a massage gun like this, and these are all the rage right now! Massage guns are so powerful for targeting deep tissue massage for pain relief, better blood circulation, and lactic acid relief. If your loved one experiences a lot of tension and strain in their body due to stress, this is a must-have for them!

17. Stress Balls

While a stress ball might seem so simple, they can be super useful for reducing stress and anxiety. They release muscle tension, distract from stressful thoughts, and can also help you feel more focused and mindful. These MindPanda stress balls will remind you to consider gratitude, positivity, and mindfulness depending on which one you’re using! 

18. White Noise Sound Machine

If stress keeps you disrupted from falling asleep and staying asleep, a white noise machine might give you the relief you’re looking for. They’re known to ease stress and help you drift off to sleep in a soothing way. Try this white noise machine with 6 soothing sounds ranging from white noise, thunder, ocean, rain, summer night, and brook to mimic the natural environment. 

Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas for Overall Wellness

19. Online Therapy Sessions

I’ll be the first to let you know that switching from in-person to online therapy has been AMAZING. No waiting room anxiety, no commute, just the care that I need from the comfort of my home! It really doesn’t get better than that, and I’ve benefited HUGELY from my weekly therapy sessions.

I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit based on CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy–the leading standard in psychotherapy) at an affordable monthly cost. If a loved one has expressed wanting to talk to someone about their struggles, they will greatly appreciate this gift!

{RELATED POST: Should You Go to Therapy? Here’s Why I Went Back}

20. Mood + Stress + Sleep Supplements from Dr. Emil Nutrition

Finding the right sleep aid that doesn’t leave you groggy the next day is only what we all aim for, right? You’re in luck, because these mood + stress + sleep supplements from Dr. Emil Nutrition are designed exactly with that goal in mind! It’s all natural and non-habit forming, so no worries there either! 

These supplements target serotonin, a chemical largely responsible for regulating your mood and helping you feel good. Perfect for improving your stress levels a little more naturally, without prescription meds!

21. Mindfulness Cards

These helpful mindfulness cards are loaded with 50 prompts in 4 different categories: rest and balance, curiosity and joy, insight and awareness, and kindness. 

The goal for each card is to encourage you to be grounded in the present moment and teach you about new self care practices! These useful little teachings will stick with your loved one for a lifetime.

22. The Five-Minute Journal

“I just don’t have time for anything!” isn’t a problem when we’re talking about the five-minute journal! No matter how busy your friend/sister/mom’s life is, they can make this journal fit into their routine with ease! Each morning, they’ll be prompted to consider 3 gratitudes plus an affirmation for the day. Each night, they’ll be asked to write down 3 wonderful things that happened that day. 

Very simple but VERY rewarding to fit into a daily routine!

{RELATED POST: 15 Bedtime Journal Prompts to Ease Into the Night}

23. Light Therapy Lamp

Unfortunately, low mood and depressive symptoms are a common experience of those suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the colder, darker months. 

The best gift you can give to combat this issue is a light therapy lamp. It’s UV-free, but mimics natural daylight and is known to boost mood, increase energy, and assist with sleep. This is certainly a welcome gift for anyone missing those warm sunny rays in the summertime!

24. A Highly Recommended Self Help Book

Self help books are useful whether you’re going through a hard time or just want to strive to become the best version of yourself. I especially recommend The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

25. CBT Card Deck

This is a super unique buy! With 101 practices for building positive emotions, this deck of cards uses CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) techniques to guide you toward overcoming self-limiting beliefs, redirecting and calming your thoughts, and being connected in the present moment. 

CBT is all about healthy practices related to your thoughts, emotions, and actions–these are all intertwined to impact our mental health. This CBT deck taps into each of those aspects to give you the techniques you need to manage mental health!

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Final Thoughts on these Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas

When the people we love and care for are struggling, they appreciate nothing more than a reminder of your support. Whether your loved ones face anxiety, chronic stress, or simply deserve more self-care, these mental health gift basket ideas are sure to soothe, comfort, and boost their mood through it all!

The gifts on this list are the perfect gesture to give your stressed out friends and family a little support in a sweet way. Prioritizing mental health and self care is extremely important, and these gifts are sure to show that.

DON’T FORGET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE ANXIETY TRACKER!

More Self Care Related to Mental Health Gift Basket Ideas

33 Best Therapy Worksheets for Teens & Adults

55 Journal Prompts for a Growth Mindset (Perspective-Changing!)

24 Unusual Self Care Ideas You Probably Haven’t Tried

New Month Journal Prompts for Goal Setting

LIKE THESE MENTAL HEALTH GIFT BASKET IDEAS? PIN THEM FOR LATER!