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A stress ball is slightly similar to a regular tennis ball yet it is a bit smaller. They are soft enough to squeeze and offer relief from muscular as well as mental tension. Stress and stress related problems are on the rise and have become a daily part of our lives. When stress occurs regularly it cause harm to body. Stress relief balls are the latest in the stress relievers group. Whether stress balls really help, is a matter of dispute among most experts.
Stress and its related problems are the number one health problem in and around the world. Necessity is the mother of invention and new stress relievers are the need of the hour. Stress relief balls are the latest in the stress relievers group.  Vibrating stress balls, Imprinted stress balls, and many others are available even online and they all claim to relieve stress. But whether can stress balls really help a person or not has not been proven medically.

Stress is said to occur in a person when he/she faces a hostile environment. A person reacts to the hostile environment by the ‘Fight or flight response’. There is an increase in the blood levels of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol resulting in:

* Raising the heart rate
* Raising blood pressure
* Sleeplessness
* Memory disturbances
* Anxiety
* Concentration disturbances
* Loss of appetite
* Mood swings including anger outbursts

By squeezing a stress ball, note the following points:

* The attention is diverted away from the source of stress. The mind stabilizes and there is relaxation of both body and mind. This is akin to the effects of meditation and stress relief games.
* The mental energy that is piled up inside due to stress is let out and there is subsequent relaxation of mind.
* There is an improvement in the overall blood circulation which increases the supply of oxygen in out body and leads to elimination of toxins like ammonia and carbon dioxide. There is stimulation of nerves in the hands.
* These nerves carry the signal to different areas in brain especially the limbic area which is linked with emotions. This mechanism is similar to the popular Chinese method of ‘Acu pressure’ for treating health problems. Moreover, stimulation of brain also results in the production of endorphins which act as natural pain relievers and as sedatives.

Stress balls are being used by many people for stress relief. But text books are yet to mention the role of stress relief balls in relief of stress. Not many researches have been done to confirm the effectiveness of stress relief balls in relieving stress. A few unreliable theories are available which give a few explanation regarding the role, mechanism and effects of stress relief balls.
Stress balls are said to better stress relievers especially at workplace. Mostly when a person is under severe stress, he or she tends to start cursing, shouting and even throw office equipment; such reactions are not at all acceptable.  These reactions can be avoided and at the same time relief from stress can also be achieved by compressing stress balls every time you feel stressed out in you office.

Whether they know it or not, people using stress balls are practicing what can be a very powerful stress management tool. A lot of folks are playing with their balls while in meetings and on the phone. They would probably relax even more if they took a few minutes just to relax their minds and bodies, if only, for a few minutes each day.

Stress Management Activities

Though it’s a concept practically unheard of until the turn of the decade, stress has lately gained light as one of the most disease-causing aspect of the human body. It is contradicting in a sense, since stress is a nervous system response aimed to prime the body for survival.

How does stress take place? In any event when there is a physical or psychological stimulus, stress takes place. That is because stress is actually an automated mechanism of the nervous system to prime the body for survival. This same natural mechanism we had is the same natural mechanism or aboriginal forefathers have when they’re out to hunt or they out to protect their welfare. What it does, this “Fight or Flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system, is prime our bodies for action: releasing chemicals to facilitate burning more energy on the muscles, quickening the pace of the heart and lungs, inhibiting several functions of the body like the digestive function, and inhibiting blood flow on some areas of the body.

The problem about this lies in its usage. On a modern society such as where we live in, primalistic tendencies like this don’t have much use often. Of course, running on a track, doing gym boxing, such nervous system activity becomes important. But this “Fight or Flight” response also triggers on psychological stimulus, and when repeatedly stimulated, this response can inhibit several essential body functions. Thus the body grows weaker.

Stress management activities have been formulated to dispense these energies harmlessly out of the body system. And because stress comes on a myriad forms, stress management activities also becomes broader. Here are some stress management activities you can engage on:

Tai Chi, Stretching

Relaxation techniques can quell almost any strong emotions. For that Tai Chi becomes one of the most effective of the stress management activities. After a heated situation, minute done in meditation can almost erase all hard feelings, quelling the anger and allows critical thinking to take place. Stretching is a good implementation on any hectic workday. A 15 minute break doing trunk rotation, stretching or bending exercise can unlimber tired muscles and joints.

Sing-a-long

Sing-a-long is an animated stress management that becomes a favorable therapeutic activity, because it is fun to do, it is a social activity, and it is as effective in taking anyone’s mind away from work.

Gym

Exerting effort on the gym can channel unused energies out of the body system. Some 30 minute of strenuous activity is more than enough to allow blood to course over your entire system.