How to Play Stress Relief Games

Modern lifestyles cause many people to suffer from health-damaging levels of stress. Our adrenalin-producing "fight or flight" reaction during times of stress was originally a physiological response to mortal danger. Now, those reactions occur instead when we are anxious about targets and deadlines at work, nervous in social scenarios, or have relationship problems, for example. Most of the changes the "fight or flight" response triggers are useless inconveniences that can actually hamper performance and cause us to tire too quickly. Over-stimulation can lead to constant worrying, sleeplessness and ultimately depression and can also lead to things like increased blood pressure and stomach ulcers. Stress-relieving games can help counter these unwanted effects.

Instructions

• 1

  Play physical team games like soccer or basketball. If you work for a relatively large company, it may have its own sports facilities and teams you can join. Physical exercise expends excess nervous energy and maintains fitness, which is essential particularly if your job is sedentary. The feel-good endorphins exercise produces will help calm your mind and ward off depression, while camaraderie and team spirit reinforces positive ideas about getting along well with other people.

• 2

  Dig out a board game and find some willing opponents. This is an opportunity to spend quality time with the family, whose company and love always put other concerns into perspective. Chess, checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble and backgammon are old favorites. These games require your full attention most of the time and will distract you from your stress-causing worries. If nobody is free to play with you, there are always solo games like crosswords, Solitaire and Suduko to occupy you mentally and provide a sense of satisfaction upon completion.

• 3

  Search for stress-relieving video games to play online. Short games that aren't complicated to download and learn will give your brain a short rest from worrying. The Stress Management for Health website has a small selection of stress-relieving games and explains that games without winning or losing points is important for the self-esteem of stressed-out players. Making improvement is the objective. Games without fast movements or glaringly bright colors are favored, as are games with simple rules and relaxing music. Finally, games involving aggression are to be avoided. Puzzle and strategy mini-games are ideal as they give your brain a break from worrying.