Thursday

Stress Reliving Games

When tension mounts and frustration builds, it’s a sure sign of stress. Playing a stress relieving game relaxes you and is a good way to win over stress! The trick to stress reliever games is to play ones you can win easily. What you want to do is show yourself that you can be successful. After you get a few “wins” under your belt, frequently you’ll see your original problem in a new perspective.
Internet Flash Games
From pounding a ground hog to batting a tennis ball, there are (virtually) tons of flash games on the Internet and best of all, most are free to play! The best way to load up your anti-stress arsenal is to do a simple search for “Free Flash Games” or “Flash Games” and bookmark a few of them in your favorites. Although shareware and free games often require a download, most flash games only need a moment or two to load in your browser window. If you’re worried about pop-ups, look for flash games at reputable sites that sell flash software or offer flash tutorials.

Computer Games
If you’re running Windows, you already have a few easy stress reliever games on your PC. FreeCell, Minesweeper, and Solitaire are great ways to relieve your stress. If you’re tired of those, many Internet sites offer a free, timed-trial version of their computer games. These games are usually shareware and, depending on your Internet connection, may take a few minutes to download. The selection is nearly endless. Choose from Arcade Games, Action Games, Puzzle Games, and Strategy Games.

One advantage of downloaded computer games is that you needn’t be connected to the Internet to play them. When your free trial is over, you can choose to either purchase the game or use the included uninstaller to erase it from your computer’s hard drive.

Off-line Stress-busting Games
If you’re sitting all day at a computer, sometimes the best break is to get up and walk away. This is especially true when stress is caused by poor Internet Connections or system crashes. Here are a few games that are easy to keep on hand and excellent for helping you reduce your stress:

Got a deck of cards? Play a quick game of solitaire the old-fashioned way! Along with your deck, you might consider purchasing a book of Solitaire Games. Many books are specially published for Solitaire players and offer hundreds of games and game variations.
Rubik’s Cube – Here’s a tip: Anyone can match up one side of a Rubik’s cube. Although trying to solve the whole puzzle can be stressful in itself, the few minutes it takes to match up the blocks on one side can help you quickly reduce your stress.
Slinky – Just bouncing a slinky back and forth from hand to hand puts your focus on the toy and takes it away from your problem. So bounce your slinky, take a few deep breaths, and relax!
Punch balls – Okay, they’re not a game, but they can be a great stress reliever and they’re sure a better choice than hitting a wall or kicking the side of your desk when stress sets in! You can find cheap punch balls in toy departments, novelty stores, and most dollar stores.
Darts – Whether you’re hitting a target or targeting a photo, the physical motion of throwing the darts in itself will help reduce your stress. Dart balls stick to a Velcro board. They won’t hurt you or your neighbor – if you miss!
Crossword Puzzle Books –Many crossword puzzle books also include word-find games, mazes, and other pencil puzzles. Buy some that have puzzles that range from easy to hard and tackle them according to your mood and your stress level!

This was a great article and with the criteria we have in our school systems kids need healthy ways to deal with stress. My son and I are learning how to play chess for development in solving problems and thinking ahead for consequences.

1 comment:

  1. Informative read regards stress reliving games. I am agree with you at that point that video games are also useful in reducing stress by giving the hands and the mind something active in which to partake.

    Thanks & Regards
    xbox controller

    ReplyDelete