Best Stress Relief Activities To Escape From Reality

Having a little bit of anxiety here or there isn’t anything to worry about. However, if you find yourself chronically stressed, you might want to do something about it.

Why, you might ask?

For starters, more than three-quarters of all adults encounter moderate to high levels of stress at some point during the year, with nearly one in 75 adults experiencing some kind of panic disorder. Stress is a major concern for adults and teens all over the world, so it’s important to learn about the best options for stress relief. 

When you’re searching for a good stress relief activity, it’s more than figuring out what to do when you’re bored. It’s about learning new ways to relieve your anxiety while filling your time so that you can make the most of the spare time on your hands.

Ready to learn about the best stress relief games and activities? You’ll be rolling on the floor laughing with delight by the time you try each and every one of these - and trust us, your worries will all be forgotten.

Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a fun, relaxing activity that will not only make you feel better about your current state of affairs, but it will make your house smell fantastic, too.

It’s just as simple as it sounds. Aromatherapy is the practice of inhaling certain scents that can alter your brain wave activity and lower stress hormones in the body. There are several ways you can do this, including enjoying candles, diffusers, or aromatherapy body products. You can even take a relaxing soak in a bubble bath to unwind and enjoy the beauty of aromatherapy!

Bubble Wrap

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a little kid or a fully-grown adult - who doesn’t love the sheer excitement and giggle-fest of bubble wrap? 

Popping bubble wrap is a great way to de-stress. Sure, you can pop bubbles out of the packaging from your last order, but you can also engage in a more formal version of this game, too. There are lots of bubble wrap popping games you can play on free mobile apps. 

The beauty of this is that you can play this kind of game anywhere and at any time. Sitting next to your spouse on the couch? Bubble wrap! Waiting in a line at the DMV? Bubble wrap! It’s a great way to kill time and destress. 

With this game, you’ll be able to pop bubbles as long as you want or you can play a mini-game like Pop 500, in which you have time to see how long it takes you to pop 500 bubbles. You can play Blitz Pop, which will time you to see how many you can pop in just one minute.

Color Break

Color Break is coloring for grown-ups, and it’s a great way to unwind. Sure, you can always bust out the coloring books and crayons, but often, it’s more convenient to grab your phone to help unwind after a long day.

This app will not only build your creativity but it can inspire some new artistic skills, too. You’ll get an unlimited amount of colors and you can even share your finished masterpieces with friends and family members via their emails. Use your stylus or your fingertips to unleash your creativity - you’ll forget about the stress of the day in no time.

Personal Zen

Tired of being overwhelmed by anxiety and stress at all times? If so, you need to consider playing Personal Zen and listening to meditation sounds. This game was made by neuroscientists and is a great way for you to deal with challenging emotions and to exercise your brain in a healthy way to enhance your overall wellness. 

Ideally, researchers say you should play Personal Zen at least twice a week for five to ten minutes at a time. The more you play, though, the better of an impact you’ll have on your overall well-being.

The very core of Personal Zen is that it helps you learn how to express gratitude. It shows you all the things you have to be thankful for in life and gives you ways to recognize your gratitude on a daily basis. You don’t have to be grateful for big things, like an upcoming marriage or promotion, either. Your gratitude could simply be for a pretty flower or a sunny day.

This game not only improves your attitude - it improves your cognitive functioning. Ti helps you focus on the positive aspects of your life while discarding all the negative. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be feeling relaxed in no time!

Paper Toss

Paper toss is a fun app that you can use while you are on a break at work, waiting in line, ro even sitting at the airport. Anytime you feel overwhelmed and want to relax, this game is here to help.

Its premise is simple. Remember back in high school how much fun it was to crumple up a piece of paper and toss it in the trash can?

This game lets you do just that - but with no paper or trash cans required. All you need is your mobile phone. You’ll be given a set amount of balls to try and reach the target. There are seven levels of difficulty and some gorgeous graphics and sounds. You’ll laugh as you hear angry words from coworkers or jets from people sitting nearby. With this app, you can even vary the speed of the paper or how you control your flick!

Relaxing Puzzler

Doing a puzzle is another great way to strengthen your brain and improve your ability to focus. With this relaxing puzzle game, you don’t have to break out the dusty jigsaw puzzle, either. You can play this game from any location and you’ll enjoy a variety of art styles and hypnotic soundtracks to guide you as you work.

The app is inspired by meditative art styles and is incredibly easy to use. All you do is use your fingers to “guide” and influence the energy as you move the rocks around the mystic garden. Oh, and enjoy the relaxation that will follow!

Eat Well

An easy way to lower your stress levels is to consider what kinds of fuel you are putting into your body. A poor diet can make you more reactive toward stress.

Emotional eating, in particular, can relieve stress briefly, but will make you crash later on. Avoid refined carbohydrates like potato chips and cookies, which will cause your blood sugar to skyrocket and then crash - this can cause you more stress later on.

Instead, eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Don’t forget those healthy fats, like eggs and avocados, which can leave your feelings satiated and support a good mood and overall balance of energy, too.

Laughter

Feeling stressed? It’s time to book a dinner date with one of your best friends.

Getting social support is one of the best ways to make your way through stressful times. Having friends you can rely on will not only improve your sense of self-worth and belonging, but they’ll also lower your sense of anxiety.

One of the other benefits of spending time with the people you care about is that they’re likely to make you laugh. When you are laughing, it’s tough to feel too stressed out. Simply put, laughter is the best medicine! It’s great for your health and there are lots of ways that laughter relieves stress. 

It can not only improve your mood and immune functioning but it can also relieve tension as your muscles relax and lower your stress response, too. All you have to do is spend a few hours with your friends to notice these benefits. But if your friends aren’t around, don’t worry - you can get a quick dose of laughter by watching a funny television show or something else that makes you giggle, too!

Gardening

Life’s a garden - dig it.

Yeah, the phrase is tired and corny. However, you can’t ignore the fact that gardening is one of the best ways to unwind and destress. Gardening helps you get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun. Plus, caring for and tending to something besides yourself can help serve as a distraction from your own negative thoughts and will drive away any of those thoughts that might be causing anxiety.

Regular digging in the dirt can also benefit your overall health by boosting your immune system and providing all the stress-relieving benefits of regular exercise, too. 

You don’t need to grow your own Victory Garden in order to enjoy the benefits of gardening, either. Simply plant a few flowers and watch them grow or cultivate a kitchen herb garden on your windowsill. That’s all it takes!

Drawing

You might not think you’re creative, and to be fair, art class might not have been your favorite subject in school. However, if you’re feeling stressed and unhappy, some of the cause might be that you’ve lost touch with your creative side. It’s never too late to rediscover yourself!

You don’t have to draw or paint. The coloring apps we mentioned work just as well! You can even pick up an adult coloring book, which will help relieve your stress. Just do some kind of art. It can lower your anxiety levels and make you feel more grateful for what you do have in life, too.

Tetris

It’s a classic game that you’ve probably already heard of, but trust us - it’s one worth mentioning! Tetris is one of the few mobile games that is readily available on just about every platform. It’s user-friendly regardless of how much (or how little) exposure you have to video games. You’ll get a ton of entertainment and you don’t have to play long to feel the benefits of relaxation taking hold.

Did you know that Tetris has even been used in formal clinical settings to address some of the major symptoms of PTSD?

Sports

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to relieve stress. It sounds a bit contradictory, but by putting physical stress on your body, you can relieve mental stress. The benefits are best for people who exercise on a regular basis. Do this, and you’ll be much less likely to experience stress than somebody who never exercises. 

Exercise can lower the production of stress hormones, like cortisol, in your body. It also releases endorphins, which can relieve pain and improve your mood. Exercise improves sleep quality, which can both cause and be a symptom of stress and anxiety. It also improves your self-confidence because the more you exercise, the more comfortable you will feel in your own skin.

Yoga is one of the best exercise activities to help relieve stress. It can be done by just about anybody regardless of your skill level or overall fitness. It will help you connect your mind and body by improving your breath and body awareness. Some studies have suggested that yoga can be just as effective as antidepressant drugs and enhancing mood. Plus, it can lower cortisol levels and improve your blood pressure.

Taking a walk can help, too. It lets you enjoy a change of scenery which can help you change your mindset. Plus, you’ll get all the other benefits of exercise, too. 

Another great way to relieve stress? Play sports! Something as simple as a pick-up game of basketball or a game of flag football in the backyard is a great way to reconnect with your pals, get some fresh air, and get the blood flowing, too. Ditch the scorekeeping for a totally stress-free experience!

There Are Plenty Ways To Relieve Stress and Anxiety Through Fun Activities and Games

Stress is associated with all kinds of negative health effects, like cardiovascular problems, insomnia, weight gain, and more.

There are plenty of ways you can relieve your stress and anxiety, like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising on a regular basis. When you’re looking for a quick fix, though, doing something that makes you happy is essential.

The best way to combat anxiety is to look for a stress relief activity that will not only serve as the perfect remedy for when you are bored, but can also bring stress relief. The best stress relief games are those that get you laughing and feeling at ease - so consider giving a few of these games a try the next time you feel the stress creeping in.

Karen A Mulvey is a personal social blogger and mom with 14 years of experience in the every day world of motherhood and sustainable product research. Karen is on a mission to help everyday families select sustainable, non-toxic organic products, stop stressing about uncertainties on sustainable home goods and apparel, and start living the life they’ve always wanted.

Follow Karen at @karenAmulveycs | Karen A Mulvey

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