Stress-Reducing Activities You Can Do at Home

If you struggle with stress, you’re not alone. You, like many, could benefit from activities that reduce stress levels and bring you joy. Here are some of the best ways people manage their stress levels all while having fun.

The Benefits of Stress-Reducing Activities

We all feel stressed at some point in our lives, whether at work, at home, on vacation, or even in our sleep. It’s natural and, at times, can be beneficial. However, in our hyper-connected world, we often find ourselves over-exposed to stress and it can affect our health. These days, whether from our devices or the complicated world around us, it seems everything is designed to make us stressed out.

Less stress, better sleep, better days

Excessive stress can be deadly. Studies have shown that managing your stress by engaging in stress-reducing activities can provide many benefits such as improved mood, better sleep, and clearer focus. Therefore, it’s good to find activities and practices that can be focused to help reduce your stress levels.

Make it a routine

Healthy activities stick much easier when we make them a part of a routine. That’s why it’s important to incorporate your healthy habits into your daily activities. The number one piece of advice for people looking to incorporate healthy habits is to start small. This will make it easier to stick to big, dramatic life changes.

If you’re trying to run, start with just ten or fifteen minutes a day. If you’re practicing yoga, start with a few of the basic poses. Over-exerting yourself is more likely to lead to burnout or potential physical injury.

Practicing Yoga at Home

Yoga is an excellent method to relieve stress and to practice healthy living anywhere. It can be fruitful and fun in public classes or privately at your very own home. It doesn’t require specialized equipment besides a yoga mat, foam blocks, and potentially a foam roller—depending on your needs.

Yoga as stress relief

Don’t just take it from us. Did you know that yoga’s benefits are supported by science? Not only can it increase your mindfulness and reduce overall stress, but it is also an excellent exercise to improve flexibility as you age. If you’re interested in doing fun things such as walking up the stairs by yourself when you’re 90 years old, it’s important to work the flexibility in your muscles.

Beginner Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Tree Pose: This standing/balance pose is one of the simplest you can do. On your mat, lift your leg and place your foot about halfway up your leg, or wherever is comfortable depending on your height. Hold that pose for a cycle of inhaling and exhaling, and then switch legs. You can catch yourself by putting your foot down if you lose balance.

Child’s Pose: This pose involves being on your knees, or you can sit. Lean forward at the hips and spread your arms straight forward in front of you on the ground as you reach. Balancing your forehead on the mat, and hold this pose as you breathe. You might feel like you’re holding a mid-scoot. This pose is a great way to center yourself and stretch the muscles in your back, arms, and thighs.

Meditation for Mindfulness and Relaxation

Meditation is the act of looking inward and removing the urge to engage with external stimuli. This includes your phone or any other device, and not engaging with work or anything that requires your attention. The point is to find peace of mind and stay there where you can interact with your thoughts without being redirected to another activity.

Calm mind, calm body

Meditation can be a great escape from our hectic lives. It’s not often we get to check in with ourselves—especially in the busy world we find ourselves these days. We’re constantly bombarded by stimulation and stress, so taking even thirty minutes to escape the noise can do wonders for our psyche and stress levels.

Tips for starting a meditation practice

To set up your meditation practice, it’s best to do your research to see what works for other people. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all method of meditation. It’s good to experiment with different practices to find one that’s beneficial for you. What is most important is putting it into your schedule and sticking with it. Practice makes perfect!

Bringing meditation home

Meditation is best done in a dedicated space that’s quiet, comfortable, and free of over-stimulating distractions. This makes it great for doing at home as you can dedicate a portion of your home to creating a calming meditation space.

You can light candles, find heavy light-blocking curtains, or even just practice it on your bed. The important part is that you must meditate deliberately. It’s tempting to zone out or even just go to sleep, but for the best results you should make sure you’re focused on the act of meditation itself.

Find the practice right for you

Some different meditation practices out there include guided meditation, mantras and affirmations, or simply focusing on your breath. No matter what your meditation journey is or what practice you choose, making time to check in with yourself will be a boon in the long run.

Guided meditation follows a guiding prompt or piece to meditate along to. Mantras and affirmations are phrases you can repeat to yourself that provide positive reinforcement and calming reminders. Focusing on your breath is as easy as breathing in, existing in the moment at hand, and then, when you’re ready, exhaling. Repeat the process during a set time to see where it takes you.

Journaling to Reduce Anxiety

For whatever reason, journaling is commonly stereotyped as an activity for teenage girls, or perhaps 18th-century gothic horror protagonists. This admittedly may make the act feel strange or pointless when first attempted, but, if you stick with it, can be a valuable tool to gain insight into your daily mental health and stress levels. Allowing you to unbottle everything you’re forced to silently carry throughout your week.

Write it down to calm it down

Journaling has been associated with positive mental health benefits for years and can do wonders for those suffering from anxiety or stress. Often the feeling of being bottled up or stuck in our minds muddles our perceptions and emotions and can amplify stressful situations. Journaling provides an outlet for whatever we need to get out. You can journal about thoughts on your day or just everyday worries.

It’s not just to practice penmanship

Some people prefer to journal free-form, writing about whatever suits their fancy at the moment. While others benefit from unique prompts to get them thinking, such as:

How was your day?

What are you worried about?

If you could change one thing about your life, what would you change?

It’s up to you to choose how deep or personal you get with your writing. If it’s uncomfortable or distressing, don’t be afraid to write about something a little simpler. Maybe you ate a nice meal you’d like to save the recipe for. Whatever you choose, try to answer honestly and save your work. Looking back on journaling topics can offer perspective on what has been stressing you out and help measure personal growth.

How to Start a Journaling Routine

Starting a journaling routine can be easy: pick a method and a time. Want to reduce the distraction of a digital device? Choose the trusty pen and paper. If your hands cramp, or you’d prefer not to write on paper, a digital journal is okay too. Next, make sure you set a time every day to write. This helps you develop the habit. Once you’re settled, tailor your session with something like music as you let the words flow.

Playing Solitaire for Stress Relief

Games can be a great escape from a hectic day’s routine, as well. One of the best games to break your mind out of a stressful mindset is Solitaire. Strategic gameplay offers depth with a contemplative pace. Here’s how to play Solitaire for free and escape from the stress of your day.

Focus on the game, not your day

Solitaire utilizes your sense of concentration and strategy to win. It allows you to focus your mind on things other than what has been causing stress that day. Plus, the experience won’t overstimulate your senses with fast-paced gameplay or flashing spectacle.

Multiple ways to play

Solitaire has numerous different unique variations to play, such as standard Klondike Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Scorpion Solitaire, Freecell, and more! Each game has a unique ruleset and difficulty level allowing you to pick the experience that’s just right!

How To Get Started With Solitaire

The overall aim of Solitaire is to arrange a randomly sorted layout of cards into four ascending stacks, called foundations, by suit: hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs. It requires concentration and forward-thinking to win. Check out the link for a full guide on how to play!

You can play Solitaire and its many variations for free online at 247 Solitaire! Enjoy leaderboards, advanced gameplay options, guides, and so much more!

Other Stress-Reducing Activities To Try at Home

Still stumped? There are endless activities to relieve your stress!

Rediscover your love of reading with ebooks or audiobooks

Learn the joys of horticulture and grow your plants at home

Listen to your favorite music

Explore the world of podcasts

And much, much more. As long as you’re enjoying yourself, anything is possible!

Creating a Stress-Reducing Routine

No matter what process you choose to help manage stress, remember that routine is key. Setting time in your day to get some stress relief goes a long way toward reducing stress and benefiting your health. You can set a notice in your calendar, set an alarm, or whatever works best for your schedule. Start small and work from there. Even 10 minutes a day can do wonders.

We hope you’ve found something to wind away your stress with these helpful guides and tips! Check out tons more at 247 Solitaire, from life advice, fun card games, and so much more!

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.