This Therapist Wants To Normalize Comfort Objects for Adults

by Christen Vidanovic 

Jen Price isn’t your average therapist. While she still maintains a roster of clients that she works with, most days you’ll find her researching textile manufacturers, prototyping products with her mom, and putting everyone she comes in contact with into a deep state of comfort–anywhere, anytime.

Her product? A portable, microwaveable, exceptionally soft, fused-quartz filled blanket  with “arms” designed to either around you like a warm hug, or cover your eyes. The Hug–a specialty weighted blanket that features a distinct shape, not dissimilar to the ultra comforting apron at the dentist’s office.

Her goal? To help heal a traumatized world by normalizing comfort objects for adults.

Comfort objects might sounds like she’s talking about your baby blankie–and in fact, she is. Jen is a somatic therapist, which means she deals with healing the mind by working with the body. And for many, a big part of relieving stress, managing anxiety and healing trauma is putting the body into a ‘safe’ state. That same safety hearkens back to your days as a tiny human–floating around in your mother’s belly, wrapped up tightly in a baby blanket, and now, firmly held in the arms of an warm inanimate hug.

Weighted blankets, a craze that has been calming the world down for the past couple of years, are based in scientific research originally designed for people with autism, and has progressed to use by those with insomnia, along with anyone with an over-stimulated nervous system. Deep Touch Pressure works by switching the body from running on the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system–or to put it in easier terms, from ‘fight or flight’ mode to ‘rest and restore’ mode.

We asked Jen to tell us a little bit more about why weighted blankets are for more than just sleeping, and why she hopes to see more people opening up to the mind-body connection.

Why do adults need comfort objects?

“Umm…have you read the news lately? Seriously though, as a society we are teetering on fight or flight mode much of the time and moving at such a pace that we rarely have the adequate time or resources to process our feelings, calm our nervous systems, or experience the rejuvenating effects of feeling safe and secure. Comfort objects like the Hug are simple, effortless, and scientifically proven to reduce the damaging effects of chronic stress, allowing the user to experience life more fully. Why would anyone say no to something that feels amazing, takes no effort, is scientifically beneficial, and has no side effects?”

How do you see The Hug being used by the average person?

“The Hug is specifically designed to be a seamless addition to almost any part of your day. Because it is portable and multifunctional, it can be used while seated at a desk, driving in a car, lounging on the couch, meditating on the floor, or snuggling into bed. We all have enough to worry about these days, and stress relieving practices need to be as effortless and accessible as possible in order to be consistently useful. Part of the beauty of the Hug is that you don’t have to change anything about your schedule or exert any effort to benefit from it– just put it on and feel different– it’s so simple.”

How long did it take you to make this, and what makes it different from other weighted blankets?

“It took about 2 years, 8 rounds of prototyping, and countless hours of researching everything from patents to trademarks to material sourcing to manufacturing. Turns out I am a perfectionist when it comes to comfort and it paid off. The Hug is now the most portable, multifunctional, deeply satisfying weighted blanket on the market. Everything about it is intentional, from the shape to the materials to the weight distribution to the covers. It brings all of the benefits of Deep Touch Pressure without all the excess bulk of other weighted blankets, and intelligently addresses the human need to feel safe and secure yet free and mobile.”

What tips can you give to someone who feels nervous about needing a comfort object?

“Put on a Hug to settle your nerves! Boom! But also give yourself some credit. We live in a hectic, unstable, relentless world. We’re all great at putting on brave faces but stress and anxiety and loneliness take their toll below the surface. We may not have tigers chasing us these days but that curt email from your boss put you in fight or flight mode and stressed your adrenals. The same thing happened to your co-worker. We’re sensitive and complex creatures out here doing our best, and I think we could all benefit from giving ourselves a break, recognizing our needs, and tending to them with compassion. In doing so, you set a sweet example and give permission to those around you to do the same.”

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Christen Vidanovic is a storyteller and strategist in Los Angeles, California. She incorporates visual storytelling like photography and video into her love affair with communication, and works to support those who are doing what they can to help make the world a better place.