Stress balls have become famous for being an easy and cheap means of finding some relief from stress. Stress balls are squeezable toys made of foam or gel and can even be made at home using balloons with baking soda or cornstarch. All you have to do is fill a balloon with a little air while using a funnel to deposit some baking soda or cornstarch. Make the ball from 3-4 inches in diameter and use it whenever you want.

Squeezing a soft stress ball tenses and relaxes your hand and wrist muscles. This cycle of tensing your hand and relaxing it helps you relax in general. There are also many nerve endings on your hand that connect to all major organs in your body. So using a stress ball acts like a massager for your nerves and the organs connected to them which may also have a healing effect for physical stress.

A stress ball relaxation exercise

If you use a progressive relaxation exercise, as explained on the page breathing and relaxation, then you can increase your relaxation levels greatly. All you have to do is tense and relax each muscle group – one by one- in time to squeezing the stress ball. In other words you squeeze the stress ball and tense your arm muscles. Then release the hold on the squeeze ball and relax your arms muscles. Then do this for your legs, stomach, feet, head etc.

Video: How to make your own stress ball