You’ve probably seen one of those little round stress balls. You might have received it for free with a company’s brand splashed on the side or picked one up during a rough week at work. Stress balls are popular, but do they actually help reduce tension?
The general consensus is that these toys actually do help in stressful moments. In fact, there are numerous reasons that one of these little balls should be a necessary accessory on your desk.
Stress and the body
As a human being, you’ve likely experienced stress at one point or another. From work to school to relationships, there’s no shortage of challenges that can cause conflict in daily life. But just because it’s normal doesn’t mean that this anxiety is harmless. Stress takes a toll not only on your emotional and mental health, but also on your physical well-being.
According to Mayo Clinic, stress can physically cause problems such as headaches, an upset stomach, muscle tension, sleep problems and fatigue. If left unchecked, it can also contribute to more serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
So how can you avoid these negative health complications that come from periods of high anxiety? Turns out, a stress ball can help, according to Dr. David Posen, a stress expert and the author of “Is Work Killing You?: A Doctor’s Prescription for Treating Workplace Stress.”
“You’ve got all this stress energy – your body is in a state of high alert, but there’s nowhere for it to go,” Posen told The Huffington Post. “When you’re stressed, your body tightens up – so a physical release helps to let go of some of that energy… The benefit of squeezing is that it releases some kind of energy – it also induces you to relax.”
Though squeezing a stress ball is not a long term solution for stress, it can help your body to release tension in the moment. The motion acts as a reminder to relax the muscles that are clenched when you’re anxious, which can help avoid complications like headaches or pain that accompany long periods of tensing.
Stress from a variety of sources can take a toll on your mental, physical and emotional well-being.
The other benefits of stress balls
While the aptly-named stress ball can help release anxiety, that’s not the only benefit offered by these simple toys. For example, playing with a stress ball can help to manage and heal scar tissue in your hands. It can also strengthen your hands if you’re rehabilitating from a recent surgery.
Stress balls additionally offer the potential to increase concentration. According to a study of a group of sixth-graders by published in the Journal of At-Risk Issues, the students who used a stress ball in class were less distracted.
While you can find stress balls in most any size, shape or color, why settle for any less than a product that’s specifically designed with your comfort in mind?The IMAK® ERGO Stress Ball’s ergoBeads provide a gentle massage while your fingers are strengthened and stretched, providing stress relief and other benefits in the process.
Updated 4/1/20.
Most of us are familiar with stress balls. Whether you have one sitting on your desk right now, or you have seen them used in a comical sense among stressed out office workers on TV, stress balls have become increasingly popular over the years—and for good reason.
Research shows that using a stress ball can actually enhance emotional stability and deliver significant physical benefits. Knowing this, make sure that you not only have stress balls in your workspace but that you provide them for your customers or prospects to help them improve their sense of positive energy.
Here are some commonly asked questions and our answers, along with favorite stress ball activities.
Do Stress Balls Work?
At first glance, it may seem like something so small and simple couldn’t be that effective. But, like the old saying says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” These small-but-mighty stress relievers truly do work—and that’s based on research and science.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, David Posen, the author of Is Work Killing You?: A Doctor’s Prescription for Treating Workplace Stress, says,
“The benefit of squeezing is that it releases some kind of energy – it also induces you to relax.”
When we’re stressed, our muscles tend to clench, and squeezing a stress ball forces us to release and relax those muscles.
What Are Some Stress Ball Benefits?
So now that we know that they work, let’s highlight some of the stress ball benefits:
- Relieve arthritis pains
- Reduce anxiety and stress
- Promote better sleep
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve concentration and creativity
- Strengthen muscles
Not Sure How to Use a Stress Ball?
One reason stress balls are so widely used is how easy it is to use them. Here’s a basic and effective outline on how to use a stress ball:
- Squeeze the stress ball in your left hand for 30 seconds.
- Pulse it for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with the right hand.
This video also is a great visual guide on how to use a stress ball.
Best Sellers at National Pen
Any Ideas for Stress Ball Activities?
Of course! These stress ball uses and activities will help you relax both your body and mind.
1. Tone Your Muscles
Even if you aren’t experiencing stress or anxiety, simply squeezing a stress ball firmly in the hands can help to strengthen the muscles of the forearm, wrists, and hands in no time at all. You can do this practically anywhere – while working, at home while watching TV, or even in the car.
2. Relax During Meetings
Many of us feel that our work weeks are nothing more than a series of meetings. If you find yourself getting tired, irritated, bored, or simply disinterested during one of your business meetings, consider using a stress ball to keep your hands occupied and your mind at peace.
3. Play Games with Your Kids
Use your stress ball to play catch with your kids at home, without fear of punching a hole in your window. Other ideas include learning how to juggle, batting practice, and a good old fashioned game of catch.
4. Massage Your Feet
Slip off your shoes and roll your feet on a couple of stress balls on the ground. This can stimulate acupressure points that provide calming benefits, as well as a boost to your creative thinking abilities.
5. Enhance Communication at Home
Ask your kids or spouse how their day was, and then sit back and listen quietly until it is your time to hold the stress ball. This helps to encourage communication while minimizing disruptions.
6. Do a Stress Ball Hunt
Take a break from working and get everyone in the house involved in a stress ball hunt (think of it as a riff on an Easter egg hunt). Choose someone to hide them, and the rest find them. Winner gets a stress ball.
7. Help Your Customers De-Stress
Custom stress balls are great to mail to your customers if you’re not able to see them face to face—check out these ideas for lumpy mail campaigns.
Now that you know the stress ball uses and benefits, check out these favorites:
Round Stress Reliever Ball
Your classic stress ball, in all the colors you could ever want.
Mood Stress Reliever Ball
The heat from your hand makes this stress ball change colors!
Happy Mood Dude Stress Reliever
How could you not smile when you look at this happy guy?
We hope these stress ball activities help you find some peace and relaxation. If you come up with more ideas, tell us on Facebook or Instagram!
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What are stress balls?
Stress balls are therapeutic tools for helping people manage stress through the physical act of squeezing, rolling, or tossing a ball.
Made of various materials, from foam to rubber to metal, these balls can assist people in diffusing emotions like anger or anxiety and may even be able to curb panic attacks.
Benefits of stress balls
It’s important to note that research doesn’t suggest that stress balls can reduce stress and anxiety.
However, according to experts we spoke to, stress balls may be a beneficial tool for easing stress because they alleviate the physical experience of intense emotions. As Michelle Hunt, a mental health counselor and therapist at Empower Your Mind Therapy, explains, stress is not only an emotional and mental reaction, it is also a physical experience.
“As stress builds in our bodies, it needs a way to be released in order to not perpetuate our emotional and mental state,” Hunt says. “Stress balls give a point of release for stress. They help calm the nervous system and assist with processing.”
More often than not, she adds, the physical release created by stress balls can actually decrease physical sensations of stress, and other powerful emotions.
How does this work exactly? According to Vianey Reinhardt, a licensed professional counselor at Connections Wellness Group, the repetition of squeezing and releasing the stress ball creates the overall effect of stress or tension reduction.
“A user can hold the stress ball in their hand and squeeze the ball for up to 5 seconds and then release,” Reinhardt says. “This process can be repeated several times until the user experiences a reduction in tension.”
Another benefit to stress balls, both Hunt and Reinhardt note, is that these therapy tools are both discreet and socially accepted. People can use them without feeling self-conscious in public and even keep them handy on their work desks without worrying about other people seeing them.
What to look for
Stress balls can be made from a number of materials like foam, fabric, pliable plastic or latex, rubber or even metal. When choosing a stress ball, it’s important to consider the durability of a product’s materials and read reviews to make sure the ball you’re considering is durable, especially if it’s the kind filled with water or foam. (These are more susceptible to pops or punctures, particularly if they’re used by children.)
Another consideration is size and strength. Stress balls come in various sizes and different levels of soft or hardness. Being able to test out a few balls can help you choose the right one for you.
What’s most important, Hunt says, is that you select something that speaks to you in some way, whether it’s the squishability of the ball itself or its shape or color.
“Stress balls come in different styles,” she says. “So, having an item that’s more tailored to your preferences can help with feeling a sense of control in how you express your distress.”
How we chose
We looked at a number of different products to determine which ones to recommend and include.
We evaluated various products based on the following criteria:
- value for the price point
- positive customer reviews
- aesthetic
- size and strength of each product
We also considered different styles and materials of stress balls to provide a breadth of useful options.
Pricing guide
- $ = under $10
- $$ = $10–$15
- $$$ = $15–20
- $$$$ = over $20
Frequently asked questions
Is there research on stress balls?
Clinical studies haven’t found evidence to support the idea that stress balls reduce stress and anxiety.
However, many people find these products help them focus, calm, or distract themselves, as part of a useful tool in their overall stress management.
Do stress balls work for anxiety?
While Hunt says that stress balls can be great tools to use in the moment to help ease the physical discomfort of anxiety, they won’t solve the cause of that stress.
“It is important to explore the triggers for stress and utilize different coping skills in order to decrease the intensity of symptoms over time,” she explains. “Stress balls alone are not effective in processing where the stress is coming from and understanding the root of the stress response.”
Do stress balls work for anger?
According to Reinhardt, stress balls can help manage symptoms of frustration, stress, or anger. However, she adds that it’s important to monitor the benefits of using a stress ball in reducing these emotions.
“If it appears that the act of using a stress ball provides minimal or no benefit at all, it would be appropriate to seek additional coping mechanisms or seek the help of a mental health professional who can provide guidance and tools for managing challenging emotions,” she says.
Do stress balls help with panic attacks?
While clinical studies haven’t found evidence to support the use of stress balls to prevent panic attacks, Reinhardt says that they can be excellent tools for diverting the brain when someone feels a panic attack coming on.
“Distracting the brain from focusing on the stimulus for that fear and refocusing on a specific task, such as squeezing a stress ball, allows for an interruption of the fear response and gives the brain a chance to settle into a less escalated state,” she says.
