Stress Management Activities

Although modern life has brought about many positive changes in our lives, yet there is one thing it has contributed immensely to, and that is mental and physical stress. If we look around us, we will see over worked colleagues, agitated house wives, angry children - all of who are under lots and lots of stress. So, how to reduce, prevent and cope with stress? Here is a list of some really effective and useful stress management activities, which will help in coping with stress immensely.

Effective Stress Management Activities

Breathing Exercises
One of the most convenient stress management techniques, breathing exercises can be done any time of the day and at any place. When a person takes deep breaths, an excess amount of oxygen enters the body. This inflow of oxygen helps in relaxing the muscles of the body, calming the mind as well as waking up the brain, thereby relieving the person of stress, that he is going through. Thus, breathing exercises make for excellent stress management exercises.

Sex
Indulging in sex regularly, not only helps in promoting physical health but is very good for the person's mental well-being too. So, have sex everyday to avoid and get over stress in life.

Diet
Take a healthy diet which has all the essential nutrients in the required quantity. Taking a heavy breakfast is a good way to start the day and to keep the energy levels up throughout the day. Eating five small meals instead of the three larger ones, helps in keeping the person energized too. Avoiding caffeine, which is capable of causing mood swings in a person, will keep the person more relaxed and calm. So, eliminating tea, coffee, chocolates and soft drinks from the diet is very essential to get rid of stress.

Hobby
Pursuing a hobby of one's choice, be it painting, dancing or cooking, keeps the person stress free and also helps in recharging his batteries. When a person makes time to do something that he enjoys everyday, it contributes greatly to stress relief.

Relationships
Forming and maintaining relationships and having a strong support system, helps the person in preventing and dealing with stress. It is very important that the person stays in touch with and socializes once in a while with his friends and family as all these bonding activities help in relieving stress. Sharing one's feeling with one's near and dear ones is as effective as talking about them to a therapist.

Time Management
The most important of all stress management activities is to manage one's time well. To do this, planning ahead is very essential. Doing the most important tasks first, followed by the lesser important ones, will help too. By being consistent with one's work and not procrastinating, will help in better time management.

Games
Games work very well as stress management group activities, especially in a workplace. Of course, most organizations rely on preparing stress management lesson plans, and then lecturing their staff on it, yet these oral lectures can never be as effective as games for stress management in the workplace. A simple game that can be played for stress relief is when the leader presents the group with an ethical dilemma. It can be something related to office ethics, such as "If you see Mr X using the office photocopy machine for personal use, will you report it to the manager?" One of the participants then answers this question. The remaining vote whether they think that the person will actually do what he is saying or not. If the majority feels that he is lying, then he is out of the game. The game then proceeds with the leader asking one more question.

Besides the above mentioned stress management activities, it is very important that a person takes adequate hours of sleep everyday so that he does not suffer from stress the next day. Also, taking regular breaks in between whatever work a person is doing, is extremely essential to maintain one's mental health.