Oakland-based artist Carissa Potter Carlson is one busy lady. Not only is she constantly making artwork and delightful products, writing deep thoughts for her Substack, and interviewing fellow deep thinkers on her Instagram live, she’s also hosting art shows, raising her 5-year-old daughter, and writing books. Her latest title, written alongside Vera Kachouh, is called Breathe Through It: An Interactive Guide to Ease Your Anxiety Through Meditation, Visualization, and Breathwork.

Created for stressful, mind-racing times like these, the book (Carissa’s fourth) encourages readers to get back in touch with their life source—their breath—in order to evoke a sense of calm. This comes through in simple exercises and calm-down hacks that readers can easily incorporate into their busy lives (exercises take from 1 minute to 1 hour).

Below, Carissa shares the other favorite hacks—both products and practices—that are currently getting her through her packed days.

To read more about Carissa and take a peek into her colorful home, check out her MOTHER Stories profile from 2022.

AG1. “Okay, I didn’t want to be that person. The one who sings the praises of a green powder like it’s a miracle. But here I am. I’ve been taking AG1 for over a year now and—confession—I haven’t had a single sinus infection since. No antibiotics! They’re not paying me to say this. In fact, I almost quit it recently to save money. And then I thought, ‘Do I really want to risk it?’ Nope. I stayed loyal.” AG1 Pouch, $79.99, AG1.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “When Margaret was born, her life expectancy was 30. Today, she’s 5—and it’s 65. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is changing everything. They’re not just extending lives, they’re rewriting futures. Ours included.” CFF.org.

Bellicon. “After a brutal hospital stay with Margaret—when she was so sick and doctors told her she had to jump every day—I started bouncing too. It’s now my morning nervous system reset, lung-clearer, and joy-inducer. Honestly? It’s fun. Like kid-on-a-trampoline, flying-through-the-air fun. I’m never going back.” Bellicon Fitness Rebounder, $749, Amazon.

Nuuly. “I’m 42 and clothes are…complicated. My body’s changing and shopping feels like gambling with my self-esteem. Enter Nuuly: the no-strings-attached fashion fling. Six funky, fresh pieces every month. I try weird stuff. I take risks. I don’t worry about spills or tears. It’s freedom in a box.” Nully.com.

Moleskine. “I am that person. The one who swears by one type of notebook: extra-large, plain Moleskine. No lines, no grid, no exceptions. It’s not just a notebook—it’s my brain in book form. I cannot function without it. Ever.” Moleskine Classic XL Notebook, $11.90, Amazon.

Cray-Pas. “Oil pastels: messy, unruly, glorious. I’m learning to love them not despite their chaos but because of it. They force me to surrender control and embrace the raw, imperfect beauty of whatever shows up on the page.” SAKURA Cray-Pas, $21.59, Amazon.

Harklinikken. “My hair’s thinning and I care—maybe more than I’d like to admit. Enter Harklinikken. I’m doing the drops, the routines. I want to keep my hair. Do you have a full head of hair? I’m low-key jealous.” Hair Gain Extract, $88, Harklinikken.

Neti Pot. “I’m back on my neti pot game. A daily nasal rinse? Yes. It’s my tiny, unglamorous ritual to stay healthy. Satisfying in a weird way.” Ceramic Neti Pot, $10.95, Amazon.

The Mother Code by Ruthie Ackerman. “Reading The Mother Code felt like sitting across from a soul-friend who just gets what it means to mother. Not just children—but yourself.” The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us, $27.90, Bookshop and Amazon.

Julia Rothman’s Figure Drawing Class. “There’s something sacred about figure drawing—slow, steady observation. Julia Rothman makes art feel like community. Her work reminds me that creativity is a collective experience, and I dream of building something like that here in the Bay.” TheFigureAssembly.com.

Hidden Brain (Podcast). “It’s my weekly brain snack. Hidden Brain never misses.” HiddenBrain.org.

Williamstown Theatre Festival. “Every year I try to go. It’s theater in the wild, out of my comfort zone, full of risk and magic. Like summer camp for my grown-up soul. It nourishes my art-school-kid.” WTFestival.org.

Milk Teeth. “Mix, match, and pattern play. I love the whimsy, the softness, the why not? energy of it all.” ShopMilkTeeth.com.

The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali. “This book cracked something open in me. It reframed my rage, my expectations, and helped me re-parent myself so I could show up for Margaret—not as a perfect mom, but as her mom. Whoever she wants to be, I want to meet her there.” The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children, $20.41, Bookshop and Amazon.

Curtis Sittenfeld Books. “Books for anxious women who overthink everything, especially past relationships, while living quietly underwhelming present-day lives. In other words: my genre.” Show Don’t Tell: Stories, $26.04, Bookshop and Amazon.

For more MOTHER ESSENTIALS, peep our recent features on actress & activist Hilary Swank, the co-founders of Hearth Display, author and organizer Aida Mariam Davis, design consultant Joyce Lee, self-care advocate Rachel Garahan, DJ Va$htie Kola, designer Rebecca Minkoff, VEERT founder Julia Lang, cookbook author Jenné Claiborne, Neha Ruch of Mother Untitled, model, writer, and activist Cameron Russell, author Nasozi Kakembo, kid-lit talent Bo Lu, artist Suzy Ultman, Super Smalls founder Maria Duenas Jacob, Lanee Slaughter of MAMA & OG, and the mamas behind MAJO IDEAS.