Fun Stress Relievers

Everyone gets stressed out at some point. Whether it's due to pressure from your boss, a major event in your life like getting married or the death of a loved one, financial worries or something else entirely, you will invariably suffer from stress. Therefore, it's good to know some fun ways that you can relieve some of the tension during those stressful times in your life.

Sports and Exercise

• Exercise releases chemicals that can help reduce stress.

  Exercise provides plenty of physical benefits to you--burning calories to help reduce your weight, boosting your immune system, helping to keep your heart healthy and strong, among other benefits. But it can also help you relieve stress. Exercising helps increase the production of endorphins, the chemicals in your brain that reduce pain and elevate your mood. Regular exercise can help you sleep better, reducing a cause of stress. Whether your idea of exercise is joining a team or playing a competitive sport, lifting weights or running on a treadmill or just going for a walk in the park, exercise is a fun way to relieve stress.

Entertainment

• Listening to or playing music can be very relaxing.

  Another fun way that you reduce stress in your life is through entertainment. According to Psych Central, a Temple University study suggests that listening to music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate and levels of anxiety in people, which is especially beneficial for people with heart conditions. Listening to music that you enjoy or that brings back memories of a happy time can help relax you and elevate your mood. Playing a musical instrument is also a source of stress relief. And if music isn't your , watch your favorite movies or TV shows.

Hang Out With Your Pet

• You can always count on your pet to bring a smile to your face.

  If you own a pet, you can get a lot of enjoyment in being greeted by your pet after a long, stressful day at work. Pets can provide companionship for you when you're feeling alone. Many people talk to their pets about their problems, as it allows them to speak their minds without fear of judgment. If you're a dog owner, taking your dog for walks not only helps relieve stress because you're spending time with your dog, but it also helps you get exercise while you're at it.

Go Outside

• Going outside and enjoying nature can elevate your mood.

  Spending time outdoors is another fun way to relieve stress. Humans have an intrinsic biological need to be around a natural setting, which is often denied to us in the modern world. Spending time in a natural setting can calm your mind and heart rate, boost creativity and self-esteem and causes endorphins to be released into your body. If you can't go camping every weekend, that's fine. Putting plants in your home or office and giving yourself a view of the outdoors can provide you with some of the benefits of being outside. According to the University of Illinois, studies have shown that creating small green spaces in the inner-city can help reduce violence and provide a calming effect. Enjoy the outdoors by exercising, playing with your pet or gardening.

Laugh

• Laughing can lift the mood of you and others around you.

  If you've ever watched kids or thought back to your own childhood, maybe you've thought to yourself, "Life seems really happy and carefree for kid.s" Maybe that's because of how much they laugh. While the average adult laughs up to 15 times a day, the average child laughs up to 400 times in a single day. Like exercise, laughter releases feel-good endorphins into your body. Laughter can be used as a stress reliever in many situations, and often times, you don't even have to plan to use it--you'll just laugh at a funny situation you come across. For times when you need to laugh but don't have anything to trigger a good bout of laughter, think of a funny situation from your past, or maybe a scene in your favorite movie or TV show. It's bound to at least bring a smile to your face.