Stress relief activities can be considered essential for our routines, given the fast-paced, demanding, and stress-fueled lives we lead. Whether it’s work-related pressure, personal responsibilities, or unexpected life events, stress can take a toll on our mental and physical well-being. It’s crucial to find effective ways to manage and alleviate stress. Fortunately, there are various stress relief activities that can help you relax and find tranquility amidst life’s challenges.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 must-try stress relief activities that can bring peace and calm into your daily routine.
15 Must Try Stress Relief Activities
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is a stress relief activity that can be conducted as a short-term practice and as a long-term habit. There are various forms of meditation. For example, sitting in silence and tuning into your senses, developing and repeating a mantra in your mind as you take slow and deep breaths.
A quick exercise you can try is the 4-7-8 technique to lower your heart rate and calm your nervous system. All you need to do is inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds (repeat this a few times to observe the change in your physical state). This stress relief activity is known to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Another approach is practicing mindfulness meditation by noticing what is happening in the present moment, paying attention to what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. By focusing on your breath and observing your thoughts without judgment, you can achieve a state of inner calm and clarity. You can read more about this here .
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then releasing each muscle group in your body, one at a time. This practice can help you release physical tension and promote relaxation. You can try out this stress relief activity and a few other relaxation techniques here .
Tapping
This simple stress relief activity involves tapping on points of your body while repeating affirmations to reduce stress, anxiety and negative emotions. Times of stress or emotional turmoil tend to disrupt the body’s energy system. Hence, tapping on certain body parts (like the top of the head, the eyebrows, collarbone, or thigh) helps to reset this energy.
To do this, you can start by identifying your negative emotions, and then creating a positive affirmation that focuses on the opposite of that feeling. For example, tapping your body and saying “I am grateful” or “I am calm” if you feel stressed or overwhelmed. While tapping, focus on the physical sensations of your body like tingling on the skin or the feel of your fingertips on your skin. This can focus your energy on your body to promote a sense of relaxation of calm.
Yoga
Yoga combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and meditation to reduce stress and improve flexibility. Regular yoga practice can help you build resilience to stressors and enhance your overall sense of calm. Sometimes it may be challenging to go for in-person yoga sessions or classes, in which case, opting for online classes or groups can help you access relaxation through yoga from the comfort of your home! For other ideas on how to incorporate stress relief activities into your routine, you can go through this.
Immersing in Nature
Spending time in nature can have a profound calming effect. Go for a walk in a park, hike in the woods, watch the sunset, stand barefoot on grass or mud, or simply sit in a garden and connect with nature to reduce stress and promote relaxation. To bring mindfulness into this experience, try to focus your senses while you are in nature – what are some things you can see, hear, smell and touch? Examine those sensations as if you are a scientist observing it for the very first time. Once you are done with this stress relief activity, check in with yourself to notice the change in both your physical and mental state.
Journaling
Writing in a journal allows you to express your thoughts and emotions, helping you gain clarity and perspective on stressful situations. Apart from this, journalling helps you track progress and growth, gain self-confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen memory, and improve your overall writing and communication skills. Starting a practice like gratitude journalling can also help you focus on positive aspects in your life rather than only dwelling on negatives, worries or stressors in your day-to-day life. You can also learn more about how writing about your emotions can reduce stress and trauma here.
Art and Creativity
Engaging in creative activities such as colouring, painting, drawing, crafting, or playing a musical instrument can be incredibly therapeutic. The act of creating something can serve as a form of self-expression and stress relief, as it allows you to stay in the moment and focus on what you are doing. There are a variety of colouring and painting kits for beginner-level adults available for online purchase, so feel free to explore these if you are ready to try different ways to release your stress!
Aromatherapy
Certain scents, like lavender, lemongrass, chamomile, and eucalyptus, have been shown to have a number of benefits – improving memory and focus, having calming effects on the nervous system, preventing illness, and so on. These scents or smells activate the emotional centre of the brain leading to feelings of relaxation.
This is an accessible form of stress relief that you can indulge in through various means. For example, using essential oils, scented candles, body creams, oils, lotions, diffusers, or bath salts. Even smelling a familiar detergent on your clothing and focusing on that scent for a minute or two can help release some amount of stress.
Warm Baths or Showers
A warm bath or shower can help soothe tense muscles and provide a sense of comfort. It improves blood circulation which can help oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs more effectively, reduce blood pressure and cortisol (our stress hormone) levels, release endorphins (our feel-good hormones which help improve mood) and hence reduce stress. A warm bath before bed can help signal to your body that it is time to wind down, and hence improve your sleep quality, which is essential for managing stress.
Laughter
We often hear that “laughter is the best medicine” and studies do show that laughter can relax the body and ease mental strain/tension too. For example, watching funny videos or movies, some standup comedy, or occasionally scrolling through funny memes or reels on social media, or even just spending time with your pets or laughing to funny stories/memories together with loved ones all have positive stress-relieving effects. An interesting stress relief activity you could try is ‘Laughter Yoga’ which combines laughing exercises and deep breathing to release endorphins and promote a sense of joy.
Listening to Music
Many studies have shown that music has the power to evoke emotions and alter your mood too, hence becoming an effective stress relief activity. You can consider listening to calming or uplifting music, or even something fun and upbeat that motivates you to dance on the spot or sing along. Perhaps creating a personalized playlist of your favourite tracks can make this an easier and more accessible activity for you.
Reading
Whether you are reading fiction, non-fiction, poetry or self-help material, reading allows you to explore new worlds and ideas, provides a break from everyday worries, reduces heart rate and muscle tension, improves focus and concentration, and helps to calm the mind by triggering a relaxation response (a state of deep relaxation that counteracts the body’s stress response). Additionally, reading at night before bedtime can aid in relaxation and improving sleep quality.
It can help to choose books that resonate with you and bring you comfort and enjoyment. Having a quiet and comfortable space can allow you to fully immerse yourself in the experience, even if it is just for a few minutes. After all, it is not about the quantity of pages, but rather the quality of the experience and the sense of relaxation it provides.
Engaging in Games and Recreational Activities
In our busy lives, we may not regularly have time to feed the needs of our inner child, but research has shown that giving yourself time to play games whenever possible, can help with reducing stress levels and promoting feelings of joy and relaxation. This can be in the form of outdoor games or recreation activities like playing frisbee, hopscotch, jumping on a trampoline, camping, hiking, fishing, gardening, swimming etc.
Board games or card games that you can play with friends, family or colleagues are accessible stress buster activities, which also help you stay connected with people you care about. Amongst games that are counted as stress relief activities, certain video games have been shown to aid in stress relief and enjoyment. For example, casual games offer a quick break, a challenge without stress, and a change in focus (like Tetris, Candy Crush, Minecraft, I Love Hue, etc).
Cooperative games are also a type of stress relief activity as they allow you to play with others virtually, which is both comforting and empowering as it enables you to create a network of friends through the game itself. Other easy to access stress relief activities include Paper Toss, Personal Zen, Bubble Wrap, and Wordscapes, among others.
Connect with Loved Ones
Spending time with friends and family members can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging. Social connections are crucial for managing stress and maintaining well-being. Hence, it can help to try and schedule time to connect with people you care about.
If you want to do something different as a form of connection, you can explore if there are any shared activities you can do along with family or loved ones, like playing board games, watching a film together, doing an outdoor activity or game together or even just stepping outside for a walk together.
Supporting loved ones in times of need does not have to be a task that adds to your stress levels, so keep in mind that this is entirely possible depending on the approach to support you take.
Practice Gratitude
Cultivating gratitude by focusing on the positive aspects of your life can shift your perspective by reminding you that there are positive elements in your life even amidst challenges. Gratitude triggers the release of feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin which can elevate your mood and release stress, encourage positive self-talk and enhance your problem-solving skills.
Expressing gratitude involves acknowledging the impact of others in your life, which can strengthen relationships and provide you with a support system during stressful times. You can start to cultivate this practice by keeping a daily gratitude journal or even just taking time out to express gratitude to others (verbally, in writing, or through small gestures of appreciation). You can read more about this and other tips to improve your emotional well-being here.
Conclusion
By incorporating these 15 must-try stress relief activities into your daily routine, you can reduce stress, enhance relaxation, and lead a more balanced and fulfilling life. Finding the right combination of techniques may take some trial and error, so be patient with yourself as you explore what works best for you. Remember that taking care of your well-being is a worthwhile investment, and you deserve to enjoy a life filled with tranquillity and inner peace. Regularly practicing these stress relief activities can empower you to face stress with a calmer, more composed mindset.