Combat Burnout: Must-Have Self-Care Tools for 2025

We’ve all heard the saying, “Enjoy the little things in life,” but how often do we truly do it? Whether it’s slowly drinking your morning coffee, taking a peaceful walk, or enjoying lunch with friends, small moments of joy are essential to everyone’s well-being. 

You all know that this year marks 5 years since we have experienced a global pandemic- I can’t believe how fast time has gone. But as soon as the world opened up again, life sped back up. Everyone, including myself, returned to the hustle and bustle, filling every moment with to-do lists and deadlines. The world had a lot of catching up to do. Somewhere along the way, it became harder to pause. We found it challenging to appreciate the little things. 

Dealing with burnout is a challenge for most people.  One powerful way to combat it is by rediscovering the beauty of life’s little things. But how can we focus on those moments in today’s fast-paced world? A great starting point is by building a self-care starter pack. Fill it with thoughtfully chosen products that fit into your daily or weekly routine. Choose items that help you relax. They should make you smile and help you recharge. These products can serve as the small joys in your everyday life. They allow you to feel cared for even when your to-do list seems never-ending.

I’ve put together a list of 10 products that can become part of your self-care starter pack for 2025. You can read about them down below and shop for them here.

1. Hatch Restore Alarm Clock

How often do you find yourself scrolling through TikTok late at night when you should be sleeping? I am very guilty of this, but one of my goals for 2025 is to have healthy sleep habits. After discovering the Hatch Restore Alarm Clock, I did some research. I found that customers were experiencing improved sleep quality. They also reported reduced stress and a healthier bedtime routine. The Hatch Smart Sleep Assistant helps you get an optimal night’s sleep with some of its restoring features such as:

•  Connecting with a meditation app that has guided relaxation exercises
•  Has a sunset and sunrise light feature
• Allows you to play background sleeping noise such as ocean waves or light rain
•  Can program it to wake up to the sound of light bird chirping
• Allows you to customize your sleep routine on the app

2. Customized Perfume

What if you take all your favorite scents and combine them to make a personalized perfume perfect for you? On the Maison 21G website, you can create a customized perfume. You can also choose the packaging and ingredients. This allows you to curate a perfume that you will love to wear.

 It is an easy process that you can do online and get your personalized bottle sent to your house. Your personalized perfume can become your signature scent, boosting your confidence every time you wear it.  

A personalized perfume makes a thoughtful and unique gift for yourself. It offers the ultimate luxury of wearing a scent that no one else in the world has.

3. We’re Not Really Strangers Game

During my sophomore year of college, I stumbled upon a card game called We’re Not Really Strangers while hanging out with friends. The game revolves around a deck of cards. Each card features a thought-provoking question or wildcard. These are designed to foster meaningful connections with others.

This game is wholesome and some of the answers have stuck with me to this day. I vividly remember drawing a card that asked, “What do you think my defining characteristic is?” I’ll never forget the kind words my friends said about my smile and my willingness to help other people.

The reason I wanted to include this card game here is because they have a Self-Love Expansion Pack filled with questions that encourage reflection and personal growth. This pack will ask you questions about yourself and will have you thinking about how you can grow as a person.

Some powerful prompts from the Self-Love Expansion Pack include:

• What have I tolerated from people in the past that I no longer have space for?
• What is one truth I have recently come to terms with?
• What do I need to get off my chest?

4. Oura Ring

I am highly considering purchasing the Oura Ring this year. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a ring that can track your health and wellness. It is a sleek alternative to an Apple Watch. However, it is quite expensive. You have to see if this product is worth it for you. Here are some features of the Oura ring that might help you decide: 

• Comprehensive Health Tracking
• Advanced Sleep Insights
• Readiness Score 
• Activity Tracking 
• Guided Wellness Content 
• Temperature Monitoring 
• Heart Health Monitoring 
• Menstrual Cycle Prediction 
• Lightweight and Stylish 
• Long Battery Life 
• Water-Resistant 
• Connected App

5. Subscription Box

Nowadays, there’s a subscription box for almost every hobby and interest. I highly recommend choosing one of your passions and seeing if there is a monthly subscription box you can purchase.  I love this as a part of self-car because it feels like a surprise gift that you can look forward to each month. I listed my favorite below based on various interests:

• Lifestyle: FabFitFun – A quarterly box filled with full-size beauty, wellness, and home products.
• Fitness: Barbella Box – Designed for women who love fitness, featuring gear, apparel, and supplements.
• Baking: Baking Fun Box – Includes baking tools, recipes, and decorations to level up your baking skills.
• Cooking: HelloFresh – A meal kit subscription that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to your doorstep.
• Snacks: Universal Yums – A box of snacks and candies from different countries around the world each month.
• Fashion: Stitch Fix – A personal styling service that curates outfits based on your preferences.
• Makeup: Ipsy Glam Bag – A monthly subscription featuring makeup and skincare samples tailored to you.
• Reading: Book of the Month – Offers a curated selection of the best new releases and timeless reads.

6. The Five Minute Journal

Tracking your little moments of happiness is almost just as important as experiencing them. Taking a moment each day for gratitude is highly beneficial. When you appreciate the good things that happen, it positively impacts your overall mental health. 

Writing in a journal is therapeutic. However, when you are stressed, staring at a blank page can be overwhelming. It may feel more overwhelming rather than comforting. That’s why I love the Five Minute Journal. It encourages the practice of being grateful, but with prompts that make it easier to reflect on your day. 

I also love that this journal can be filled out by just taking five minutes of your day. Of course, you don’t have to take just 5 minutes. The idea that if you are busy in life you will still have time for this journal is comforting. It helps boost happiness, improve focus, and promote mindfulness in your everyday life.

7. Shark CyroGlow LED Face Mask

The Shark CryoGlow LED Mask is a product on the rise for 2025. If you’re looking to elevate your skincare routine, this could be the product that does it for you. Although it isn’t cheap, I think it is worth the splurge for the benefits it offers. You can read this review to see if it is worth the investment for you.

8. Headspace App

In the past couple of years, there have been more conversations about the importance of mental health and why getting help from professionals is important to our well-being. I love that going to therapy face-to-face is not our only option these days. There are now online therapy options and apps such as Headspace that help us improve our mental health right from our devices that we have convenient access to. Getting a subscription to this app is so important for self-care because it allows you to:

• Learn how to meditate with hundreds of meditation guides and experiences
• Learn how to get a proper night of sleep
• Helps you practice mindfulness by providing articles and videos on being present and practicing self-care
• Teaches you some ways in which you can relieve your stress

Invest in your well-being with a monthly Headspace subscription. This allows us to use our reliance on our phones and put it to use towards bettering ourselves. There is also a 7-day free trial so you can discover if the features truly work for you. Tip: Make a YouTube playlist that works for you of different free meditation videos that are published on the platform.

9. Skincare Fridge

I don’t know about anyone else, but I went through a phase of watching other people’s skincare routines on YouTube. Video after video I noticed that most of the beauty gurus owned a mini skincare fridge in which they would keep their skincare products stored throughout the day. At first, I thought it was a little bit unnecessary, but  I later learned that the reason for this is because these fridges keep unstable ingredients in skincare such as retinol or vitamin c as stable as possible due to the cold temperatures.

 A proper skincare routine is an essential part of self-care that we can sometimes feel like we don’t have time for. Buying this skincare mini-fridge is perfect for a self-care starter pack because it can serve as a reminder that doing our skincare routine daily is one of the little things in life that can make a big difference in our well-being. Honestly, even if you’re not into skincare products you can use it to store mini beverages on your desk as a reminder to stay hydrated throughout the day.

10. Aroma Diffuser

An aroma diffuser is a wonderful addition to any self-care routine, offering a simple way to create a spa-like atmosphere in your space. My favorite scent of essential oil to use is peppermint. Did you know that spiders are also less likely to linger around areas with peppermint scented essential oil?

The aroma diffuser from Rituals is a great buy if you would like to add a diffuser to your self-care starter pack. Also, the Innogear Oil Diffuser from Amazon is another great option. If you are looking to purchase essential oils for your diffuser check out this article.

Incorporating small, intentional practices into your routine, like exploring subscription boxes, journaling with the Five Minute Journal, or using an aroma diffuser, can significantly enhance your self-care journey. These simple yet impactful tools allow you to prioritize your well-being, find moments of joy, and reconnect with yourself in the midst of a busy life. Whether it’s discovering new hobbies, reflecting on gratitude, or creating a serene environment at home, self-care is about finding what brings you peace and happiness. So take the time to invest in yourself.