Can Self-Care Really Combat Stress?

Can self-care really combat stress? Photo shows a woman doing yoga on a mat.

Show of hands: Who here feels sluggish? 

The answer is, according to the CDC, one in three of us. They recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night. But between demanding day jobs (yup, that includes parenting) and stress-related insomnia, that can feel elusive.

That brings us to the concept of “self-care.” This sounds awesome when it’s one of those “inspiring quotes” on social media. But can this be an actual daily practice? Why, yes it can! (And self-care can help fight stress.) As it turns out, there’s a brand for that, too.

We are huge fans of Brentwood Home’s lineup of home and sleep products, which actually feel streamlined for self-care. Sometimes the secret to better health lies in everything you do—from how you sleep, to how you move, to how you care for your little ones.

Photo shows a woman sitting on an unmade bed stretching.
Improving sleep habits as a form of self-care can significantly reduce stress. | Brentwood Home

Better sleep (and peace of mind)

There’s no shortage of reasons we’re losing sleep these days, but it turns out there are even a number of factors you don’t even consider that can impact your sleep. So it’s important to set yourself up for sleep success, starting with a mattress. We’re fans of the Cypress Affordable Memory Foam Mattress with hybrid support — a mix of foam and springs — which evenly distributes your weight and relieves your pressure points. If you’re on more of a budget, try the all-foam option. It’s infused with charcoal to keep you cool. (Not that you weren’t already.)

The materials are kind to the planet, too. These Brentwood Home mattresses feature up to 20 percent plant-based BioFoam®. They’re free of flame retardants and ozone-depleting chemicals. And they feature Greenguard Gold certification, which means no volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde and phthalates that affect air quality. 

In fact, the entire L.A.-based Brentwood Home factory is certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard, which factors in environmental, social criteria, and materials. It’s also Climate Neutral Certified and a carbon-negative company, which means it measures and reduces its footprint and offsets more than all of its emissions. 

“From the start, Brentwood Home set out to support wellness,” says Mark Abrials, co-founder and CMO of Brentwood Home. “Prioritizing yourself doesn’t always come easy, but there are a lot of ways to do it. Managing stress can look like practicing mindfulness, journaling, a therapy session, meditating, and squeezing in a quick yoga session or power nap. However you choose to begin, we owe it to our well-being to be empathetic towards ourselves.”

Close-up photo of someone's hands resting on the edge of a yoga mat. Physical self care can also help reduce stress—and improve sleep.
Physical self-care can also help reduce stress—and improve sleep. | Brentwood Home

Self-care for stress: Move that body

Multiple studies indicate that stress impacts everything from your sleep cadences to your health. That’s the not-so-great news. But the good news? Other studies show that mindfulness practices such as yoga and other physical self-care routines help reduce stress and improve slumber. Other amazing side effects: improving your strength, flexibility, balance, and…energy! And who doesn’t want more energy?

According to wellness educator and yoga instructor Raechel Junard, the right gear can help you enhance your movement. “It’s important to have a thick mat, so you don’t hurt your knees on hard surfaces,” she says. “And of course, you want one that is non-slip.” 

Brentwood Home’s Organic Non-Slip Yoga Mat is 5mm thick, giving your joints the blissful cushioning they need. It also elevates your practice to a more conscious one: The bottom of the mat is made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified latex (sustainably harvested from rubber trees) and the top from organic cotton — woven to wick away moisture during sweaty sessions. Check out Junard’s moves, above, which take advantage of this unique mat. Then try it out for yourself!

“We didn’t want to just make another yoga line,” Abrials explains. “We wanted to elevate the products with natural, renewable, and certified organic materials that are consistent with our commitment to making the world greener.”

Photo shows two children laying on the Brentwood Home eco couch.
The Brentwood Home Play Couch can be turned into a chair, a tunnel, or a castle. | Brentwood Home

Nurture your human & fur babies

Shoutout to all the parents out there, who know all-too-well how much your kids impact your stress and energy levels. Quality playtime is essential to the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional well-being of growing children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. And a healthy kid means happy, well-rested parents. 

The Brentwood Home Play Couch features six pieces and is Greenguard Gold certified just like their mattresses. It’s comfortable and endlessly configurable for your toddler’s growing mind: a chair, a tunnel, a boat, a tent, a castle…. It also comes in six vibrant colors, so you can match it to your little one’s playroom.

Photo shows a baby playing on the Brentwood Home crib mattress.
The Baby Crib Mattress features a recycled cover with an Organic cotton waterproof liner. | Brentwood Home

When it’s time for bed, the EcoAir Waterproof Baby Crib Mattress (dual-sided for infants and toddlers) features a removable, machine-washable cover made from recycled plastic bottles, and an organic cotton, waterproof liner on the toddler side. It’s also Greenguard Gold Certified and certified formaldehyde-free.

They’ve even accounted for your fur babies. Brentwood Home offers more sustainable dog beds that are “waterproof, indestructible, orthopedic” (um, wow!) to keep your pets healthy from the outside in.

“By empowering our customers with products that support conscious living, we believe we’re doing our small part to make our communities, and our planet, a little bit healthier,” Abrials says. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about for us.”

This is a sponsored post.