The Best Stress Relief Products for Men (According to a Fairly Relaxed Man)

Hear ye, hear ye, men near and far: In 2024, let us not succumb to being hella stressed out all the time. Romanticizing the alcoholic insanity of Don Draper is out; aspiring to be like Sydney Fife, the loveable, super chill dude-next-door from I Love You, Man who spends all his time playing golf, listening to Rush, and jacking off in his man cave, is decidedly in. It might not be “new year, new me” for you—it never is, really—but “new year, less stressed me” is a stellar goal. And here I am to help all my tense Tonys and wound-up Willies find ways to simply chill the fuck out in 2024. Life is too short to feel bad all the time!

At this point, you might be wondering who I am to give advice on this topic. A friendly, well-adjusted, ultra-laid-back guy who does nothing but hike, drink smoothies, and meditate? Hell no—I’m a neurotic, usually enraged VICE staff writer whose back always hurts and who has spent at least the cost of a Porsche on psychoanalysis. That said, I’ve also spent a great deal of my adult life finding the things that actually do help me relax when I need it. Whether they’re big things, like a video game system to help me decompress or a massage gun to pound out the knots in my shoulders, or smaller things, like some delicious caffeine-free soba tea after dinner or an incredibly comfortable robe to wear around the house, I’m here to tell you that de-stressing is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re never going to sign up for that perfect meditation class that will chill you out forever, nor will you find the world’s best masseuse who’s going to cure your tech neck permanently. You can, however, find some products that decrease your daily wear and tear, with the hope of actually lowering your stress levels. It is possible—trust me.

Here are some products that I’ve found super helpful in my quest to become a slightly less stressed out man.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior jamming marathons in between your kids’ soccer games or a guy who just has some persistent stiffness from bad posture or an injury, pounding that shit out with a percussive massage gun can be absolutely transformative. Trust me. Pick up a Theragun and find some routines within its app that work for the zones you want to address. It goes a long way. 

If you’re a runner, cyclist, avid walker, or, frankly, any kind of remotely active person, the RecoveryAir JetBoots are like getting a full leg massage whenever you want. Basically, you zip your stems into these leg-length boots that fill with air and compress your entire lower body, promoting blood flow and recovery and all that good stuff. Using them is incredibly relaxing. 

I’m a huuuge candle guy. I love ‘em. I’m almost always burning a candle on my desk while working, and really enjoy queuing up a relaxing aroma while eating or watching movies. For one, the right smell can be very grounding, and also, candles just create a visual vibe that I equate with chilling out. Recent candles I’ve been really into are Bevel’s Midnight Sandalwood, Dad Grass’ Classic Scented Candle—which has notes of cannabis, cedar, charred clove, lavender, and sage—and you can always trust whatever’s available from Boy Smells—my current fave is the Ash scent, which smells like charcoal, hay, campfire, and palo santo. It is unreal.

Not too long ago, I only drank water, Scotch, and coffee (and the occasional road trip Coke Zero), and turned my nose up at tea of any kind. After looking for more non-alcoholic ways to unwind in the evenings, I started experimenting with teas and found that soba (aka roasted buckwheat) was the ideal drink for me. It’s toasty and nutty, but not very floral or fruity. Honestly, it feels like the savory tea version of drinking whiskey. I wrote about my love of soba tea here, talking about how the stuff is supposedly good for everything from anxiety and inflammation to immunity. Highly recommended, my guys.

My Haflingers, aka German clog slippers, changed my life. I wear them at all times, basically—they’re insanely comfortable and perfectly supportive. I love them so much that I wrote a whole article about ‘em. They make walking around the house feel so soothing and elevated, even if you’re just going to the next room.

NGL—while I did play a lot of video games as a kid, I really wasn’t a gamer for most of my adult life. But during a particularly stressful stretch of the pandemic, I got back into it, and it was a massive rediscovery. Over the past few years, my Playstation 5 has been responsible for hundreds of hours of valuable decompression time for me. Getting deeeep into the Dark Souls and Elden Ring universes (plus a ton of MLB: The Show) gave me necessary breaks from reality… but, honestly, you should play whatever games do it for you. My hot take: Video games are actually underrated.

De-stressing starts with waking up, because that sets the mood for your whole day. Start your mornings off right by keeping your phone in another room, so you don’t start the doom-scroll before you’ve even had coffee. To that end, pick up this very cool, minimalist (but high-tech) Loftie alarm clock that awakens you with the soothing sounds of waves, gongs, and many other chill tones. It also has an amazing “white noise” mode for when you just need to tune it all out.

If you like the idea of using your phone less, just go the nuclear route and get rid of that motherfucker entirely. I recently did just that, and it’s been changing virtually everything about my reality. A couple popular “dumb phones” (phones with basic features and little-to-no internet or social media) are the ultra-minimal Light Phone II and the more feature-forward Nokia 6300, which does have a decent camera, hotspot, YouTube, and more. Check out our deeper dive into dumb phones here, or just take a leap of faith, my brother in social media self-hatred.

We all know that spending a little intimate time with yourself can be super satisfying. Sure, you probably already do blow off some steam (from jacking off, if that wasn’t clear) from time to time, but investing in a sex toy can help you take those moments to the next level. Consider the Hot Octopuss Pulse Solo Essential, which gives you super-duper intense orgasms and requires little… actually zero… effort from you. Relaxing!

Yes, that’s a Big Lebowski reference, and it’s there to suggest that you need a nice robe. I became a robe guy last year, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t upgrade my comfort level at home immensely. Literally, I’m wearing my robe right now, and I feel cozy as hell. It feels so good. This L.L. Bean banger swaddles you in soft flannel and comes in a number of grandfather-approved plaid designs (I recommend the “Grey Stewart,” but do whatever you think your partner will find most attractive). 

Did I save the best for last? You fucking bet. Getting a high quality adjustable base for my bed is possibly the best domestic decision I’ve ever made. This base from Casper—which is goddamn 50% off right now, friends—offers a two-zone massage and a wireless remote, so you can always find the perfect elevation for yourself from whatever position you’re in. The best feature, however, is “Zero Gravity,” which finds some magical combination of upper- and lower-body elevation to where you feel almost no pressure anywhere on your body. It’s marvelous. According to Casper, the feature is “designed for optimal muscle relaxation.” At the risk of becoming a walking ad, I am explicitly telling you to buy this goddamn thing ASAP. 

To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Mr. Freeze in Batman Forever, “Chill!” 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.