Stress is part of life. In normal amounts, it encourages us to complete tasks. However, stress is not always a good thing. When you stress too much, it can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health. For example, too much stress increases cortisol levels, leading to hormonal imbalance, anxiety, depression, headaches, and digestive issues.
It affects the way you work and impacts your relationships. Stress depletes your energy, making you unable to enjoy the present moment. When you feel stress taking hold of your body and mind, it’s time to manage it effectively. And sure, exercise, eating right, and meditation help. But they are long-term. If you want to reduce stress immediately, you need to engage your mind in calming activities. Something that allows the mind to live in the moment, like kids. For that, doing activities or playing like kids helps. This blog discusses the activities or games you can try to reduce stress and live in the moment.
Bake something
When you feel extremely stressed or anxious, try baking a new recipe. When you bake, you use your five senses. It leads to self-soothing, a perfect coping mechanism. It gives you distraction and time to go through your emotions to understand why you are stressed. Try baking any recipe. A new one or even perfecting an old one. Anything that involves your senses. For instance, baking bread helps a lot. You use touch for kneading, smelling to know if the bread is baking, eyes to see the dough rising, and more.
Make candles
Do you love candles? Maybe burning them gives you a sense of calm. If yes, why not take it a step further? You can make candles using candle making kits. The kit has everything from wax, wicks, fragrances, and more. The kit also has an instruction manual. It is such an engaging activity that you will be de-stress within minutes. Be careful, though, as making candles requires concentration. Otherwise, you can hurt yourself.
Paint
Kids often enjoy painting and forget to eat or watch a screen. It is the best way to channel their energy toward something fruitful. So why not try it for yourself? Get your brushes, paint, and sheets out when stress comes knocking. Paint anything you desire. Concentrate fully. You will see how calm and peaceful this little activity makes you.
Dance, dance, and dance
Dancing is good exercise. But it is a better stress reliever. Just put on some happy music. You can also use the music from happy moments in your life. Dance to the tunes like no one is watching. It will distract your mind from stress. It will give you a dopamine boost and an energy boost. Maybe later, you will also know how to deal with your stress triggers.
Try knitting
If you like knitting or creating macramé art, do it. Studies show repetitive clicking of the needles can calm your anxious brain. In addition, therapists use this activity for many ailments, like stress or an eating disorder.
Watch a sitcom or comedy movie
When you are stressed, avoid watching dramas or suspense thrillers. The violence, mysteries, and more might increase your stress. Instead, watch sitcoms or comedy movies. They will help you laugh, decreasing your cortisol levels. It will reduce stress and ensure you feel better.
Go for a walk in the garden
Being in nature is therapeutic. You can walk around your garden or a community one. Walk barefoot in the grass, smell the roses, or stay still. You can get on the swing to have fun. Doing these small things can do wonders for your stress. You live in the moment, and it is one of the best stress reducers.
Play games
There are so many games you can play to reduce stress. If you have people around, play Snakes and Ladders or football. If not, try virtual games. There are many games, like Crossword, PUBG, and more which you can use to distract yourself from stress.
Being in the moment can reduce your stress a lot. Most people stress about a situation or people and the future consequences. If you come back to the present, you reduce the stress. And these activities are fun and help you live in the present moment.
Aside from these activities, there is also another one that may help, which is called earthing or grounding. Find out more about it in our article about the top 5 benefits of earthing.