Leisure Activities and Stress Relief in 7 Sure Fire StepsLeisure activities and stress relief have a very close and intrinsic link. The link between these works on two levels. - The first of these is as a mental wind down after the experience of a stressful situation. When an individual does something they enjoy the memory of the stressful situation fades away and instead they are occupied by an interesting, exciting and fun activity that instead provides a multitude of positive emotions, therefore effectively dealing with the negative effects of feeling stress and anxiety. - The second link between leisure activities and stress relief is specific to exercise or an energetic activity. In this instance endorphins are released as part of our reward circuits. In more layman's terms this is experienced as the buzz or natural high that an individual may feel after a workout. 1. Play sports Partaking in some sort of physical activity will leave you with a rush of endorphins which are nature's equivalent to Prozac. This will help combat stressful feelings and anxiety to a great extent. 2. Play games Playing games hit reward circuits in the brain and gets on the second position in our 7 methods of leisure activities and stress relief . Not only is there the element of competition to focus on but when played with friends or family they can also create fun situations in which you can relax, laugh and feel good. 3. Socialise Socialising is among the best strategies of coping with leisure activities and stress relief. Socialising works in two ways. - The first of these is simply the fact that you are unlikely to spend very long thinking about yourself whilst interacting with a group of people and you therefore won't focus on your own personal stress. - The second of these is the likelihood that you will talk about yourself to some extent and therefore will consolidate your feelings in a way in which allows you to understand them better and create better coping mechanisms. Of course, there's always the consideration that there is probably someone worse off than you. Talking to others may help you to put your situation into perspective. 4. Watch movies Leisure activities and stress relief could also include getting gripped by a movie and allowing it to guide you through a story. This is an extremely effective distraction to your stress and is an excellent short term remedy to the stress of day-to-day life. 5. Read This activity works in much the same way as a movie. If you allow the story of the book to control your thoughts you become more calm and slow your thinking down which can lead to a reduction in stress. You are also likely to read in quiet surroundings which induce a calm and relaxing atmosphere in which you will be winding down. 6. Take up a specific hobby Whilst throwing all your energies into a specific hobby such as collecting something or photography you feel a sense of achievement by completing a set of predefined goal. This reward will make you feel positive and lead to a reduction of negative feelings associated with stress. 7. Write Writing stories, poetry, or simply your feelings will give you a medium through which you can express your feelings. These feelings are much healthier when not bottled up, and the expression of them through writing will leave you feeling less anxious and stressed and more relaxed. Feeling stressed? Why not try a few of these suggestions and see for yourself the link between leisure activities and stress relief. You have nothing to lose!
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