Reduce Your Stress With Stress Balls
Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton
Of all the methods of stress elimination used, the most popular
methods is through good old stress balls. The simple act of
squeezing something in your hand can help you ease a few of your
concerns, release some built-up tension, and make you feel like
you are at least doing something rather than brooding upon
everything that has you down. Fortunately, stress balls are easy
to find and they can be very effective for some quick relief.
The most common stress balls are the beanbag type that can be
picked up at job fairs and industry gatherings. They are very
effective, they provide enough resistance to make you feel good
and they give off a relieving noise that tells you that
something is happening. Sure it is just some sort of filler
grating against itself, but darn it, it's something! And when
you are stressed, the simple feeling of doing something,
anything is its own reward. Plus, you are getting a little bit
of a workout for your hands and even this form of exercise can
give you some benefits.
As well, there are some liquid filled stress balls that can be
very good for relieving your worries. They usually do not give
as much resistance as the beanbag type, but they do still
provide you with something that will give your hands a workout.
This can be a good thing if you tend to squeeze the stress ball
a lot, simply because your hands will not get tired as quickly.
As well, they tend to squeeze out much more than the beanbag
type, so they give you a bit more of a feeling of doing
something. However, they also tend to make a serious mess if you
happen to break them, since the contents cannot be vacuumed up.
But, if you are going to be spending a lot of time squeezing the
stress ball, this might just suit your fancy.
However, not all stress balls are the squeezable kind. There are
also Chinese stress balls that are made out of very hard
materials that are not meant for squeezing. Rather, they come in
pairs so that you can roll them around in your hand in order to
relieve stress. Also, these stress balls sometimes come with
some sort of noisemaker inside that provides a soothing sound
other than the noise of the balls banging and rubbing against
each other. However, this form of stress ball is usually not
very good to use at work, since they do tend to make some noise.
But, if you are sitting at home and you want to relieve a little
tension, they can be very soothing.
When using stress balls, it is best to treat them as a form of
meditation. That is, you concentrate on the stress balls so that
you are not worrying about anything else. Feel them in your hand
and notice the weight. When you are either squeezing them or
rolling them around in your hand, notice how they feel in your
palm and in your fingers. Concentrate on putting your concerns
into your hand, then putting them into the stress balls, as
though they are absorbing all that stress and taking it away. By
placing all your thoughts into your stress balls, you can push
away all those concerns and worries and put them into an
inanimate object that does not notice the stress. Then, once you
are done, you should feel as though a burden has been lifted and
your mind is cleared.
However, you should also be careful with stress balls, as the
squeezable kind can break. Yes, it takes a lot of effort, time
and strength to break them, but it can be done. Thus, if you
notice any leaks in your stress ball, or you notice that weak
spots are starting to appear, you should throw it out and get a
new one. After all, the stress of cleaning up some sort of fluid
or vaccuuming up a large quantity of small, grainy material can
stress you out too. Thus, do not squeeze a stress ball over a
computer keyboard. If it does break, you will have a lot of
problems that you would much rather avoid -- such as the need to
run out and buy and new keyboard.
Used properly, stress balls can have a very beneficial effect on
your mind and body. Though the only workout you are getting from
them is in your hands, it is at least something. And those
people who have to type constantly could also get a nice break
from pecking at a keyboard and, by exercising their hands in a
different way, will be able to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
So see what is out there, see what you like, and let some stress
balls take away those petty concerns for you.