Do you often feel stressed and tired? It could be due to constantly running around between family, work, and other responsibilities, or receiving work messages after hours. If you look at yourself in the mirror and feel drained, it may be a sign that your stress levels are too high.

It's time to slow down and have a conversation with yourself.

James Clear, author of "Atomic Habits," shares: "The quality of our lives depends on the quality of our habits." He also says, "Whoever has the most fun wins." We've all had experiences where taking a short break leaves us feeling recharged and significantly improves our productivity. In this article, we'll introduce 5 easy and fun activities to help you release stress.

1. Challenge your Brain: Play Puzzle Games to Relieve Stress

Immerse yourself in the process of collecting clues and solving puzzles, and temporarily forget about the stress and busyness of life! When you successfully solve the puzzle, you'll feel a sense of achievement that brings relaxation and happiness! You can find these games in physical board game stores or online app stores. For example, the globally popular online word puzzle game Wordle or Cube Escape series developed by Rusty Lake Studio can give your brain sufficient exercise and relaxation.

2. Unleash Your Creativity: Handicrafts Help You Relax

You may have experienced that feeling of being lost in the moment while drawing a picture or knitting a scarf. When we're fully engrossed in a task, we can enter a state of "flow" that helps us forget the stresses of our daily lives and allows our mind and body to relax.

Activities such as knitting, pottery making, and painting that combine creativity with relaxation can be especially rewarding. Try making something with your hands and revel in the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a project!

Do you know? Tom Daley founded his own sweater brand "Made With Love By Tom Daley".

3. Listen! Music Therapy Can Help You Forget Anxiety

Music can help relax the body and mind, regulate emotions, and improve mental health and overall happiness. For example, you can choose fast-paced music games such as Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series, or try self-learning music applications for guitar, piano, or ukulele, such as Yousician.

Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International found that one song could reduce anxiety by 65%, which was originally created for relaxation purposes. If you're reading this article on your phone, why not put on your headphones and experience the positive effects of music therapy?

4. Deep Relaxation: A Guide to Releasing Stress through Meditation

You may have heard of meditation as a method to help us deeply relax, but how?

In fact, there are many forms of meditation. You can do it in a quiet and comfortable environment, or even start from the driver's seat in traffic. The key is to focus on your breathing and body sensations. If you are a beginner, start with short practice sessions of 3-5 minutes. Focus on your breathing rhythm and try to release your mind from the busyness of life.

There are many guided meditation videos on YouTube for different situations, whether you feel anxious about tomorrow's exam or toss and turn at night due to insomnia. Meditation can help you reduce stress, eliminate worries, and feel calmness and peace in your body and mind.

5. Exercise Therapy: Feel Light and Happy

Science has proven that exercise makes people happy! Exercise can increase calcium in the blood, promoting the secretion and absorption of dopamine in the brain. Whether it's weight training, yoga, aerobic exercise, tai chi, or something else, the key is to choose suitable exercise based on your physical condition and preferences for that day.

You can put on your sneakers and take a slow walk with your family along the riverbank, go swimming at the community gym, or challenge yourself with "Ring Fit Adventure" game on Nintendo Switch at home. All of these activities can relax your brain and make your body feel light and happy. Even if you work from home (WFH) most days, there are many small tricks you can use to increase your activity level and step count.

💡 Finally, let's play a little game! Try to recall: which of these five stress-relieving fun activities do you want to try the most? Now silently think about this activity in your mind. Relax any tense muscles now; smile a bit; see if there are any changes in how you feel.