Alternatives to Stress Balls

Stress balls are great tools for helping you relieve stress. Busy schedules, blown deadlines, visiting in-laws...; we all have stress triggers that impact us every day. Squeezing a stress ball can help you repattern and dissipate the nervous energy that stress develops. But not everyone likes the way a stress ball feels, and not everyone wants to be seen walking around the office squeezing a goofy little ball. Some handy alternatives give you other options if a stress ball just isn't your thing.

Worry Stones

• A worry stone is a more discreet alternative to a stress ball. Instead of carrying it in your hand and squeezing it, you tuck the worry stone into your pocket. The stone has a smooth surface with a groove perfect for rubbing with your thumb. The stone gives you a way to redirect your nervous energy without being obvious.

Chinese Health Balls

• If you don't care about being discreet, but don't like the feel of stress balls, Chinese health balls might be a good choice. Chinese health balls come in pairs. You hold both in one hand and roll them around each other. As you get more practiced with the balls, you can try rolling them around each other without allowing them to touch. Usually Chinese health balls have chimes inside, so they make a pleasant noise when you roll them.

Twistable Therapy

• Twistable stress relievers have a series of interconnected pieces, so you can bend and twist and shape them in a variety of ways. You can find these in a hard, smooth plastic or covered in a softer, more malleable plastic. These stress relievers take two hands and a little more focus, which can make them effective thinking tools for when you have a moment alone.