The wall warbler
Zwitscherbox
Stick the motion-sensitive Zwitscherbox
on your wall and you’ll hear two minutes
of blissful Black Forest birdsong whenever
you go past. Sure, it’s not quite the same as
a long walk in the woods, but it might just
stop you going cuckoo, and it comes in a
diverse choice of colours.
from €49 / zwitscherbox.comThe tension-tasting ticker
Fitbit Sense
The Sense is designed to manage stress,
monitor your body’s long-term trends and
find calm in all the chaos. It harbours a host
of health-tracking tools, including one-tap
breathing exercises and an app that logs
electrodermal activity to illustrate the
effects a few quiet moments can have.
£300 / fitbit.comThe fragrant filterer
Moodo Air
Address aromatic catastrophes with this
mix-and-match diffuser and air purifier:
pick a pack of recyclable pods, pop them in
the top then tweak the blend. You can use
the partner app to adjust the potency, or
add the Air to your smart home setup and
have Alexa mix fragrance cocktails for you.
$165 / moodo.coThe nastiness neutraliser
Blue Pure 411
Pollutants don’t make for a peaceful pad.
Hit the button on the Pure 411 and its
three-layer system will filter the air in a 15m²
room every 12 minutes, tackling all manner
of floating evils from household odours to
pet hair. The fabric pre-filter is available in a
range of colours to match your chillout zone.
£135 / blueair.comThe holistic head hugger
Muse S
A headband that tracks brain activity in real
time, this meditation assistant encourages
focus by means of background sound,
steering your brain away from distractions
with rushing rain and rewarding calm with
soothing ambience. It’ll also monitor your
heart rate, breath, posture and sleep.
£330 / choosemuse.comThe cute canal cuddlers
Flare Audio Calmer
Enhance your ear canals with these clever
inserts. Rather than blocking noise out, the
Calmer uses a soft silicone waveguide to
change how vibrations travel through the
ear, subtly improving the quality of the
sound you hear by filtering out the harsh
frequencies known to cause stress.
£20 / flareaudio.comHome doesn’t have to feel like
prison (well, unless you’re in
prison) – Chris Rowlands
finds gadgets to combat
lockdown cabin feverThe nocturnal nuzzler
Soundasleep Speaker Pillow
Pillow noise will be nothing new if you
snooze beside a snorer; but if you want
a softer soundtrack to your dreams, rest
your head on this. Hidden beneath the
quilted microfibre is a Bluetooth speaker:
play an audiobook or a soothing playlist, or
use the app for more advanced options.
£40 / soundasleeppillow.co.ukThe burring boulder
Kikkerland Sound Pebble
The right amount of ambient noise can aid
relaxation and soothe your subconscious.
This sound-emitting pebble is way more
melodious than a real rock, playing six
natural sounds on a loop for constant calm.
Think falling rain, ocean waves or the
comforting crackle of a campfire.
€28 / kikkerlandeu.com1 Identify your trigger
Start by assessing what sets off your stress.
Perhaps it’s noisy neighbours, a stench in the
air or anxiety brought on by work – or maybe
you just need to switch off from the real world.2 Tech might not help
If too much technology and an addiction to your
smartphone is causing you to prang out, another
gadget might not be the answer, especially if it
means an extra screen or app.UPVOTED
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