The election cycle and world events have everyone on edge. It's easy to get caught up in it all while doomscrolling the latest developments, and it often takes a lot of self-discipline to pull away from the 24-hour news cycle. These gifts are designed to get your special someone away from their phone, TV or tablet to release the rage or take some quiet time to practice internal peace.
BATH BOMB SET
A hot bath can certainly help ease anxiety and stress. Adding bath bombs infused with ingredients such as lilac, rose and lavender enhances the calming experience, and can help your doomscroller moisturize and rejuvenate their skin in the name of self-care. Bare Root Skin Essentials in Coeur d'Alene creates various bath bomb ingredient combos you can buy individually or as a mix-and-match set of four. $20 • Bare Root Skin Essentials • 610 Hubbard St., Coeur d'Alene • barerootskinessentials.com
CAMERA KIT
When dealing with anxiety or stress, one solution is to go outside and see what makes this planet beautiful. Replacing doomscrolling with scrolling through photos on your camera reel offers a refreshing break from the 24-hour news cycle. Getting your loved one an introductory-level mirrorless camera like the Nikon Z50 II or Canon Rebel T7 can encourage them to disconnect and capture a moment in time. As a hobby, photography also provides solace in what we often forget to appreciate: nature. $499-$1,100 • Camera Corral • 610 W. Hubbard Ave., Coeur d'Alene • cameracorral.com
BEER MAKING KIT
Sometimes, you just need a short-term distraction in the form of a refreshing beer, and there's nothing like enjoying the fruits of your own labor. Genus Brewing and Supply is the perfect place to find a homebrew kit for your doomscroller who loves a cold pint, but could perhaps use the distraction of time required to produce their very own craft beer. Once your doomscroller gets into the craft, Genus can also help with additional flavors and equipment options to take their beermaking to the next step. $160 • Genus Brewing and Supply • 17018 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane Valley • genusbrewing.com
THE LORD OF THE RINGS BOOK SET
Doomscrollers fear many worst-case outcomes such as international conflict. Yet sometimes, we simply need to ponder the wise insight of those who lived through such moments. J.R.R. Tolkien was orphaned at 12 years old, survived World War I and saw his son fight in WWII. No one knows more about taking a step back from doomscrolling the news or escaping the world's stress quite like Tolkien, as proven by his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, an allegory for the ages. The epic novels allow any overstressed person to enjoy fantasy and reflect on moving forward with optimism, as summarized by the wise elven queen Galadriel: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." $47.97-$250 • The Well-Read Moose • 2048 N. Main St., Coeur d'Alene • wellreadmoose.com ♦
