Soft power: 5 unlikely objects that bring comfort during burnout

Burnout doesn’t always look like total collapse. Sometimes it shows up as quiet exhaustion, the kind that lingers in your bones, follows you through your daily routines, and drains your sense of joy.

And while traditional advice like “take a vacation” or “try meditation” is helpful in theory, what often gets overlooked are the tiny, unexpected sources of comfort that sneak their way into our lives and stay.

One of the most surprising things about burnout is how it softens us – not in weakness, but in what we start to crave. We don’t always want logic or productivity. Sometimes, we want softness, whimsy, or something absurdly tender. And for many women, the anchor isn’t a new wellness app or a productivity planner. Comfort comes in unexpected forms – and during times of stress or burnout, even something as simple as a Jellycat dragon can provide a surprising source of calm.

In this article, we explore the growing trend of tactile comfort items for adults and how they’re helping women find moments of peace in busy lives. Here are five objects that might not show up in self-care checklists, but maybe they should.

1. A weighted blanket that feels like a hug

Weighted blankets are no longer just a therapeutic tool for sensory disorders – they’ve become a quiet staple in many adult bedrooms and couches. The science is simple: deep pressure touch (like the kind a weighted blanket offers) activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm the body.

But beyond the science, there’s something emotionally grounding about the heaviness. When you’re burnt out and everything feels like it’s moving too fast, being swaddled in something that literally tells your body ‘slow down’ can feel like a reset button. It’s not flashy or Instagrammable, but that’s kind of the point. It’s about creating a pocket of stillness where there’s otherwise none.

2. The Jellycat Dragon and the power of play

We tend to outgrow toys, at least outwardly. But plush toys have quietly made their way back into adult lives, not out of nostalgia, but necessity. Enter the Jellycat dragon. With its oversized eyes, soft fur, and whimsical design, it looks like it belongs in a child’s bedroom. And yet, adults –especially women – have embraced it as a small, steady companion during difficult times.

There’s a quiet rebellion in choosing softness when life demands hardness. Hugging a plush dragon after a long day doesn’t solve your burnout, but it offers a moment where you don’t have to be strong. And that matters. The Jellycat dragon trend isn’t just about cuteness – it’s a larger movement toward allowing ourselves joy without explanation. For many women, it’s also about reclaiming spaces that feel safe, silly and sincerely theirs.

3. Satisfying textures: Fidget objects for the quiet mind

Fidget toys were originally designed for children, especially those with attention or sensory processing differences. But these little objects have found a permanent place in adult workspaces, bedside tables, and handbags – and for good reason.

Burnout isn’t just emotional; it’s physical. It lives in the tightness of your jaw, the tapping of your foot, the constant twitch to check your phone. Tactile fidgets – whether it’s a soft silicone popper, a smooth stone, or a discreet fidget cube – give your body something to do that isn’t destructive. They’re grounding, and they offer a small but reliable way to reconnect with your body when your brain feels like it’s short-circuiting.

And unlike screens or sugar or caffeine, they don’t demand much from you. They’re just… there. Quiet, consistent, and oddly soothing.

4. Scented putty or dough that calms the senses

Play-Doh for adults? Pretty much. But it’s better than you think.

Scented therapy dough or putty, often infused with calming essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus, brings together touch and smell in a way that resets your nervous system. It taps into something primal: our love for squishing, rolling, and manipulating things with our hands. There’s no wrong way to use it, no productivity attached, no goal.

And that’s powerful in itself. During burnout, so many of our actions feel like they have to serve a purpose. Using scented dough is one of the rare activities where the only point is the feeling. It gives permission to just be present. To squeeze and stretch and inhale until your shoulders drop and your thoughts slow down a little.

5. Lamps that mimic the sunset (because mood matters)

Lighting might not seem like an emotional tool, but ask anyone who’s cried under fluorescent office lights and they’ll tell you otherwise. The rise of sunset lamps and ambient glow lights is part design trend, part emotional revolution.

These lamps aren’t about brightening a room. They’re about softening it. During burnout, harsh lighting can feel like too much. A warm glow, on the other hand, can help you decompress without needing to leave the house or light a million candles. It’s gentle. It makes your space feel like a place you actually want to return to.

In a way, it’s the environmental equivalent of a deep breath. You walk in, the lighting greets you kindly, and for a moment, your nervous system believes you’re safe.

Why these objects matter more than they ‘should’

It’s easy to write off these items as indulgent or unnecessary. After all, burnout is a big problem – shouldn’t the solutions be big, too?

But small comforts matter, especially when the bigger fixes (like job changes, therapy, or extended rest) aren’t immediately available. These objects become emotional scaffolding. They hold you up while you’re figuring the rest out. And because they ask nothing from you, they create a sense of safety that’s both rare and vital.

There’s a kind of softness we’re not always encouraged to honour as adults. We’re told to toughen up, push through, keep producing. But there’s quiet strength in saying, “This is hard, and I need something gentle right now”. Whether that’s a weighted blanket, a plush dragon, or scented dough, these unlikely objects give us permission to be human.

A soft space in a hard world

We’re conditioned to believe comfort has to be earned. That we can only rest after we’ve fixed everything. But that’s a trap. Burnout doesn’t wait for your schedule to clear. And comfort doesn’t need a reason.

If anything, these tactile, comforting objects remind us that care doesn’t always have to be clinical. It can be playful, silly and gentle. And that’s OK. Because soft power is still power. And right now, that might be exactly what you need.