Anxiety can put a damper on your day, week or even month, depending on how bad your attacks are and how frequently you experience them. As a result, you may be willing to do everything you can to prevent episodes from occurring, from wearing lavender in a locket around your neck to drinking stress relief tea like it’s water. Though there is some merit in natural remedies, you may find it more helpful to combat anxiety by eliminating your triggers. While you have little control over factors outside of your home, you can create a virtually trigger-free space in which you can relax and sip your herbal tea in peace.
So, where do you begin with creating such a space? With these four household appliances.
Robo Vacuum
Clutter and mess are two of the greatest sources of anxiety for men and women alike, as clutter signals to the brain that your work is never done. As a homemaker, however, mess and clutter can be doubly stressful, as you must find the time to tackle it. And when you can’t, you may feel like a failure.
Though a robot vacuum cannot put away the dirty laundry or pick up your spouse’s socks, it can keep your floors free of dirt, dust, pet dander and other dirty particles. It also makes vacuuming one less thing you have to worry about throughout the day, thereby easing your anxiety just ever so slightly.
Pet Camera
If you have a furry family member who must stay home alone for long stretches throughout the day, you may stress about his or her safety and comfort levels. Well, stress no more. A pet camera can allow you to keep an eye on your fur baby 24/7 and from anywhere with internet access. The stream goes directly to your phone, making it easy for you to keep tabs on your furry friends wherever you go.
Pet cameras are not all created equal. Some provide strictly remote monitoring capabilities. Others, however, let you talk to your pets while you’re away, and the more advanced ones even allow you to disperse treats at your leisure.
Smart Doorbells
Do you worry about what becomes of your mail and packages while you’re away? Does the sound of the doorbell trigger a flurry of anxiety as you wonder who is at the door? Do you constantly worry about whether your children made it off the school bus safely? A smart doorbell can give you the insight you crave by sending live footage of the goings-on of your front door and yard directly to your phone — and, in the process, ease your anxiety.
Smart Air Purifier
Research shows that air quality can affect mental health in people of all ages. Particularly, studies focus on the link between air pollution and stress and anxiety. Those studies found that individuals who live in environments with poor air quality have a high risk of developing severe anxiety and depression, despite the lack of any other indicators for mental illness.
If you or a loved one have recently been experiencing anxiety attacks for seemingly no reason, the air quality in your home may be bad. Consider purchasing a smart air purifier, which you can set to turn on and off as air quality changes or that you can control from your phone.
By adding a few small appliances and devices to your home, you can drastically reduce your anxiety levels and improve your quality of life. The four aforementioned appliances are small and inexpensive upgrades that can have a big impact.