Some people say that stress is all in your head and therefore activities that are physical are of no use to reduce stress but I disagree. Activities for stress relief influence your body and mind and work to reduce the symptoms and causes of stress across the board … besides some stress relief activities are mental activities anyway!
Physical activities to relieve stress should in fact be a central part of your stress management regime and by that I am referring to exercise. Exercise gives the body a natural high from the release of endorphins which combat negative thoughts and the boost given to your immune system and hormones from exercise work to counteract the bad hormones and lower immune system from chronic stress.
How you get this exercise may vary but the truth of it is that any physical activity with enough intensity will physiologically help your body to maintain a better balance and reduce stress at the same time.
Other activities to reduce stress can be more cognitive. Meditation for instance or music (listening or creating) will help you reduce stress by allowing you a release of creativity or anger than has been building up inside or in the case of meditations a way to let all that pent up frustration ebb away.
So do these activities work? The short answer is yes … but not everyone reduces stress the same way. There are many common activities that anyone can use but only you can choose the right set of activities that will help you the most.
