Stress happens to all of us. Maybe you’re experiencing a rough patch in your relationship. Perhaps sales are low or you just lost your job. You might not control everything that stresses you. But you could control how you respond to stress.
You can take a walk with your dog. You could ask for hugs from your loved ones. Or, you could talk it out with your therapist. And if you have access to the Internet, you can relieve stress through these fun activities:
1—Watch a Comedy Movie on Netflix
Netflix has hundreds of comedy movies and TV series. Find a movie starring your favorite comedians. Or ask for recommendations from friends. You could also choose a good movie based on reviews or watching trailers.
Bottom line: Pick a movie that will make you laugh. And if you will still have more free time, watch another comedy movie. Laughter stimulates your organs and muscles. It also triggers the release of stress-relieving endorphins.
According to May Clinic, watching a movie doesn’t just release stress. It can provide long-term health benefits such as improving your immune system. Of course, this also works with listening to funny podcasts or doing anything that makes you laugh.
2—Play Online Games
Contrary to popular belief, gaming has plenty of benefits. It can increase your cognitive abilities. It also increases hand to eye coordination. Another benefit of paying games online is to relieve stress.
A recent study published on CBC Canada shows that online games help reduce stress in both kids and adults. What’s more, it improves mental health. Wait, aren’t video games bloody and violent?
For starters, online games come in all types and shapes. There are puzzle and party games. There are adventure and simulation games. Then there are shooters and real time strategy video games.
On the other hand, you can play online casino games like slots, poker, blackjack and roulette. You can play these games for fun or for real money. If you decide to relish casino games for real money, choose a reliable iGaming site.
3—Read an eBook
Some people feel relaxed after watching a funny movie. Someone else would rather read a book. If you find more peace by reading books, find a good book and read it when stress.
Don’t worry if you have already read all the books in your home. The Internet is jam-packed with books, from fictional horrors to motivation and stress-relief books.
The beauty of online books is that you can find them in a few searches. Many of these books are available on free websites. However, top-rated books tend to appear on premium sites like Amazon, Harlequin and Kobo.
In addition to relieving stress, reading books also makes you smarter. You can learn a lot of history, space, politics, psychology or any other topic in the world.
4—Watch YouTube Documentaries
Documentaries can be educative. They can be entertaining, or eye-opening. They can be about the ocean, wild-life, children or science. All the same, spending your time learning something through a documentary can be relaxing.
The reason you relax isn’t because the documentary is entertaining. Instead, it is because you’re not actively engaging your mind while watching. You’re just relaxed, passing time and consuming entertainment.
That said, not every documentary is good for stress-relief. If you watch a documentary about child or animal abuse, it could end up exacerbating your stress. As such, choose documentaries about nature or videos with inspiring content.
5—Learn a New Language
Learning a new language sounds difficult until you try it. Now, most people don’t have enough time to learn a new language. But get this: You can learn the basics of French, Spanish, Italian or Mandarin in a few minutes.
Let’s say you’re feeling stress and decide to cool off for a couple of hours. That’s enough time to learn greetings and common phrases. Although you can learn most languages free of charge, paying for a class can fast-track the process.
Take Pimsleur as an example. This app teaches you new languages through an audio format. It’s a conversation-based app where you assume different roles in English while a fictional partner responds in the foreign language.
For example, you can pretend to be a tourist in France. Pimsleur could challenge you to ask for directions. A fictional partner will respond in French. Then an expert will explain more about the response in both English and French. The app will ask you to repeat the responses a few times to ensure you get everything right.
6—Read an Insightful Blogpost
Everyone seems to have a blog, these days. Most personal blogs don’t consist of anything meaningful. But depending on your life interests, you can find a truly insightful blog.
Let’s start with mental health blogs. They cover all topics related to mental health, from why it happens, the triggers and how to deal with it. You could also read inspirational stories from people who went through depression and overcame it.
Of course, you don’t have to read about mental health to improve your mental wellbeing. Reading about gardening, adventures and cute pets could also put a smile on your face.
7—Listen to Music
Music can relax your mind. It can uplift your spirits. It can lower your anger; make you think or focus. It all depends on what you listen to. When stressed, listen to your favorite songs.
Chances are you love these songs because they have a positive impact to your mental health. If you’re not sure what songs to listen to; listen to classical music. We’re talking about the lists of Beethoven, Wolfgang Mozart and Richard Wagner.
Their music is timeless for a reason. It might not feature lyrics. But when you listen to the notes and beats, you fall in love. If you’re not a big fan of classical music, consider listening to the sound of rain. Yes, listening to rain drops can relax your stress.
