9 Therapeutic Activities for Reducing Stress

Stress is an organic response that impacts individuals facing various psychological issues. Those who endure chronic stress are more susceptible to mental health problems and related socio-economic challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted psychological stress as a significant health concern of our era. Continue reading to discover 9 effective stress management techniques you can implement with your clients during therapy sessions.

When we encounter physical, psychological, or emotional stressors, our adrenal glands release cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone.” This is a natural component of our body’s response to stress. However, prolonged high cortisol levels can contribute to several mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.

Engaging in stress management activities can assist those grappling with elevated stress levels. These activities may involve enhancing physical health, nutrition, exercise, and other strategies to improve cognitive and emotional functioning. Common methods in stress management include mind-body therapies, mindfulness practices, relaxation exercises, and talk therapy. Research suggests that mindfulness and meditation techniques are particularly effective in lowering cortisol levels.

Mindfulness practices, rooted in Buddhism, involve focused awareness of one’s experiences, emphasizing a purposeful and non-judgmental focus on the present moment.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs offer clients a chance to learn various activities for better stress management. This includes breathing meditation, body scanning techniques, and gentle, yoga-like exercises. Studies show that regular mindfulness practice can enhance our ability to process emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations as they arise.

Benefits of Stress Management Activities for Clients

Stress management activities can greatly assist clients dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and persistent stress. They can also benefit those experiencing anger, fear, changes in appetite or energy levels, difficulty concentrating, sleep issues, increased substance use, and physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pain.

These activities suit adults, teenagers, and children as they can be adapted to fit various age groups and specific symptoms. Therapeutic interventions can enhance engagement during sessions while teaching clients skills to manage the stressors they encounter. Additionally, such activities may help clients identify new stressors and express their thoughts and feelings more effectively.

Stress management activities can be either structured or flexible, making them easy to fit into individual, family, or group therapy sessions. TherapyByPro offers a variety of worksheets for mental health professionals. Some examples of their stress management activities include:

Stress Management Activities for Clients

You can easily integrate stress management activities for both adults and children into your sessions. The following therapeutic activities can be tailored to meet your clients’ specific needs. When working with children, it’s crucial to ensure that activities are age-appropriate.

Stress Management Activities for Kids

1. Play therapy is often utilized to address various behavioral and mental health issues in children. A feelings thermometer can help kids recognize and articulate their emotions while also assessing their stress levels for different experiences. Provide your client with a thermometer image and ask them to indicate their feelings’ intensity, from low to high. This activity can uncover which emotions are most challenging for the child and identify beneficial coping strategies.
2. Deep breathing is a powerful coping strategy for managing stress and other emotional challenges. You can teach children about deep breathing through bubble-blowing activities. This engaging method can help kids practice breath control in a fun and approachable way.
3. Creating a worry box enables children to externalize their stress. Provide materials for decorating a worry box and allow them to express their worries through writing or drawing on paper, which they subsequently place in the box. Discussing what it feels like to put their worries away can offer insight into their stress levels.
4. Movement is a beneficial coping tactic for emotional issues. You can guide your client through yoga poses inspired by animals, such as cat, dog, and cobra. These simple movements can help children channel their energy while enhancing mind-body awareness, allowing them to cope when feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

Stress Management Activities for Adults

5. Progressive muscle relaxation is an effective stress management technique suitable for both individual and group sessions. You can either read from a prepared script or use an online audio guide for this exercise, where clients focus on tensing and relaxing muscles in a specific order. This practice helps identify tension in various body areas, promoting relaxation. Clients may find it beneficial to integrate this method into their routines. Be sure to allow time to process their experiences with this exercise during your session.
6. Guided imagery meditations complement Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) methods. Using a script or an online audio recording, these meditations can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps alleviate stress. Many clients prefer guided imagery due to its visualization aspect. After the session, discuss with your clients their thoughts, emotions, and experiences during the meditation.