Games -do- work for stress relief

2007-10-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Playing casual games for just five minutes per day can reduce your stress levels significantly, says a new study by UK based Stress Management Society.

"Playing casual computer games can be a good choice for parents to encourage as part of their children's stress-management strategies." said The Stress Management Society when they spoke with Ian Williams of Vnunet.com

Children aged 9 and above tested more highly than non-gaming peers for manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination. Moreover, and more relevantly to coping with stress, they also indicted a greater frequency of positive affirmations (positive self-talk, positive attitude etc) and problem solving. These are valuable coping mechanisms that serve us well during stressful times.

6 Top Stress Reduction Techniques

2007-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here are 6 of my favorite Stress Reduction Techniques that I've gathered from various, reputable sources. They all help, and can be applied in a variety of circumstances.

1) Meditate.

Yes, I know that a lot of people think that Meditation and Yoga are for sissies and hippies. That's just not true! So many studies have shown us one important fact about ourselves. This is important, guys!

-YOUR MIND CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMETHING YOU IMAGINE, AND SOMETHING THAT IS REAL.-

Sounds silly, huh? Well, it's not! Athletes now use positive visualization (Like me, I play Ice hockey as a goalie, I visualize making that save), Psychiatrists teach people with phobias use visualization to become more comfortable with their fear, instead of encountering the real thing. And hey, as much as you hate to admit it, you've -all- woken up at some time from a horrid nightmare, and taken a moment to figure out where you are.

So how does this relate to Meditation? Well, Meditation is a form of visualization, combined with trained relaxation of the body. Yoga uses breathing exercises and stretching to achieve the same effect.

If you have no idea where to start learning how to meditate, I HIGHLY recommend the Instant Meditations Program, which will not only help you get started, but also teach you many of the techniques and tools that you need to make your meditations effective and powerful.

2) Change the way you think about situations and events:

Don't use absolute words. What are these?

Things like NEVER, ALWAYS, EVERYONE, and EVERYTHING.

Instead, get into the habit of replacing them with words that are less imposing, less monstrous. For instance, NEVER should become SOME; ALWAYS should become SOME TIMES, or OCCASIONALLY, or even FREQUENTLY. I am sure you can think of others that are absolute, just come up with some alternatives, and start using them. This will help the problems (which cause your stress) seem more manageable. Oh, and also, it'll help when you argue with a loved one. NEVER, and ALWAYS seem to crop up in arguments, it's best to leave them out.

3) Get out!

Do something! or, as they say in N.Y Fugeddaboudit! I know that this is hard, damn is it hard! But try, go outside, for for a walk, do some yard work, or go to the gym. How does this help? Well, for one, physical activity has long been known to produce endorphins, and endorphins make you feel happy! Furthermore, just changing your situation, your circumstances, can really help the way you perceive things. Finally, it'll probably take your mind off of the stressor for a while

4) Music.

Alright, I admit it, this one is most certainly my favorite. There have been countless studies done on music and how it affects our brains. Ever heard of the Mozart effect? Well, News Flash, it DOESN'T make you smarter. People scored the same on IQ tests no matter what music they listened to. However! What certain kinds of music DO do, is put your brain into various states. Music of approximately 50-60 Beats per minute (which Mozart's music was, generally) puts us into a more relaxed -and receptive- state of consciousness. People's IQ didn't improve, but their retention of materials did!

and this is why it's my favorite; it simply makes sense! almost everyone that I know will agree with me when I speak about different types of music inducing different states. Think about it. Which is going to relax you more? A piano concerto in C#? Or "The Clash" pounding out "London's Burning?"

As we move from Sleep, to awakening, to all-out stress, our brain waves change. Music has been shown to help us return to a different, more relaxed, level of activity in the brain. Specific kinds of music, such as Mozart's 50-60 BPM classics, -will- affect your brainwave pattern.

I generally use two different kinds of music. The first is simply relaxing music, which I get from RelaxingMusicSource.com.

The other is music designed specifically to reduce anxiety, and help you slip into a peaceful and meditative state. This differs from normal relaxing music in that the music is actually created to relax you with it's beat, tones, and harmonics. My personal favorite comes from Brain Music Power.

Really, it's up to you what sort of music you choose. However, it seems to me that music that is designed to relax you is going to be fare more effective than music that is simply designed to be music.

5) Talk to someone.

Once again, I know that some people think talking is for sissies, a girly thing. Better to keep it bottled up inside, right? You're tougher that way. Rubbish! Utter rubbish!

Talk people! Talk! I don't care if it's a bit embarrassing, find someone you trust if you go red in the face. If you don't have friends or family to speak with, try a professional. Shrinks are NOT the devil! (besides, the Devil wears Prada, and my shrink can't afford anything except Rebook).

You remember the funny guy with the fetish for cigars right? Freud something? Found of modern psychology -almost- ? Well, a large part of his theory (much of which we still stick to) is based around a thing called Catharsis. Catharsis is a moment of realization, in which a person suddenly understands something about what is going on. It might be accompanied by a sense of release, or a flood of emotions. How did Freud get people to this point? "Zpeak wid me about yer mathor" or something along those lines...In short, he got people to talk.

6) Play Games!

One of the best ways I've found to let off steam is to play a mindless game for a while. Nothing too large or engrossing, just something simple, easy to download, and cheap.

The best ite I've found for this is Fast Game Download their prices are good, and there are thousands and thousands of games there. I choose to use a paid system, because when I want to let off some steam, I don't want to have to deal with ads, google searches for games, or any of that other rubbish.
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So there you have it, my top 6 stress reduction techniques. I use 'em when I feel down, or when I feel depressed. In fact, sometimes I use them when I'm feeling fine. That's because you never know what sort of insight you're going to get.

The way I see it, it's a great skill to learn, this being able to beat stress. But, wouldn't it be better if we -weren't- stressed in the first place? More on that later, though, as I explore, and share, the various things I discover that make my life easier.

Here are those links again, so you don't have to scroll back up the page:

Instant Meditations Program Which will teach you the basics of meditation, and provide you with tools to make it effective and powerful.

Instant Meditations Program My source for relaxing music, to help me unwind.

Brain Music Power. A powerful musical resource to help you unwind and relax when you just -can't- do it yourself, or when normal music simply won't cut it.

Stress Relief Games A collection of easy to download games that will help you take your mind off your problems.

Stress, a short synopsis

2007-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes stress is difficult to deal with. Leading psychologists now suggest that we attempt to make dealing with stress fun, and interesting. From desktop games that provide us with a way to vent frustration, to goofing around with the kids, laughter, humor, and enjoyment may well be the best defense against stress.

Stress is the body's natural reaction to threats, danger, or pressure. It helped our ancestors get their 'flight or fight' response up in time, and probably helped them cope when the going gets tough.

However, in our society, you're not likely to be chased by a lion with overgrown teeth. So why dowe still get stressed?

Essentially, it's because we still have those old reactions, and we're applying them to new situations. If your boss is breathing down your neck about a deadline, that's still scary, still worrying. So, your body reacts in the only way it knows how. It fires up the old adrenaline system, and lets rip!

The problem comes when we consider how different being chased by a large kitty with teeth, and being yelled at by your boss are. One of them lasts for a few moments, and you're either lunch, or free. The other might last for days, weeks, or even months. Contrary to what you might be thinking, your boss isn't going to make you into lunch, so chances are, you'll be facing him or her again in the future.

Stress Relief Games -- Make relieving stress into a game, and it becomes a whole lot easier

2007-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Stress relief games are an important way to coping with stress. There are also many other techniques available to you as well.

The way I see it, the techniques that we as individuals use to cope with stress are myriad. We might yell, scream, break stuff, or simply sit down and read a book. Just as each person is different, so too are the methods that they use to cope with the stress of a life that is constantly speeding up.

So lets take a look at what I've managed to dig up. You'll find stress relief techniques, games, and resources here. I hope you find them useful