Stress can be a huge factor in our daily lives and can affect our mood and mental health daily. When times are stressful, it can be difficult to reduce and relieve the feeling, making it pent up more and more which is harder to deal with. Sometimes, when our problems seem out of our control, it is best to take some time away and give ourselves something else to focus on, like a project.
DIY projects are the best stress reducers and can significantly improve our emotions. If you are struggling through a stressful time, try these DIY activity ideas to reduce stress and give your brain something else to focus on, mentally soothing you instantly.
Make a weighted blanket
Weighted blankets are a powerful stress-buster tool that instantly calms you down and makes you feel happier. However, they can be a little on the pricey side and can be more rewarding and relieving when you make your own! You can create a weighted blanket and design it however you like using a few materials. All it takes is two pieces of soft fabric, poly pellets or rice, and basic sewing supplies. De-stress while making your own weighted blanket and use it time and time again, once done, to cosy up with and relieve stress and anxiety.
Create a Zen garden
Having a green and Zen garden space allows you to take a break during stressful times, embrace nature and calm down. A Zen garden outdoors, or even an indoor garden, provides a meditative escape from your daily life. Create zones in your garden or make a space for greenery indoors. Find rocks and pebbles, water features, plants, and even sand to fulfil your sensory needs, helping you to calm down instantly.
If you are transforming your garden outdoors, you can make this space even more tranquil by creating a cosy outdoor living space. Make a wooden decking to place comfortable outdoor furniture on and make sure the decking can hold weight by using sturdy tools, such as rigid drill bits and sturdy wooden planks.
Make a gratitude journal
Practicing gratitude is a great way to reduce stress. However, stress can make this practice much harder. Take time out of your day to craft your own gratitude journal, gathering and printing your favourite memories and photos. Add to it every time you are stressed and feel relieved and uplifted each time you do it.
Painting
Painting is a wonderful stress-relief activity as long as you don’t push yourself too hard and worry about doing it well. Even if you’re not great at painting, have a go by doing anything you like and allow your imagination to run wild. You could follow a tutorial to bring calm to your storm and escape the stress or go free-hand and see what you make.
Try embroidery
Doing embroidery needs focus and attention, especially if you are a beginner. This focuses your mind on something else away from the stress, helping you to feel calmer as you take part in the activity. The craft can take quite a bit of time but if you’re patient it definitely helps clear your mind of negative thoughts. Follow a tutorial to help you and have a go, ensuring you don’t worry about doing it correctly.
Stress-relief playdough/slime
Doing a sensory stress-buster activity is one of the best ways to calm down instantly. Immersing your senses stimulates your mind and body and helps to clear your thoughts which calms you down. Making something with playdough or slime brings in multiple senses, especially touch. The tactile sensation these materials bring when moulding and squishing are very soothing.
To make your own playdough, you need to mix flour, water, salt and food colouring. If you want to make slime, you can use clear glues, contact lens solution and baking soda.
Having a meditation corner
Make a peaceful and relaxing corner in your home to practice meditation in when you are stressed or overwhelmed. Find soft furnishings to create a comfortable seating area. This could be with large cushions and a rug, or you could invest in a meditation chair. Finish your meditation corner off with calming features such as plants, soft lighting and even a small water feature. This corner can then be used over and over again whenever you feel the need to de-stress and meditate.
Make a personal fitness goals board
Exercise is one of the best methods to relieve stress daily. This is because it releases endorphins that give you that feel-good emotion and make you feel accomplished. Plus, physical activity allows you to be healthy which, in turn, reduces stress and gives your mind something else to focus on in the moment of stress.
To encourage you to stick to a fitness routine that works for you, make a personal fitness goals board to clearly state your exercise goals and track your progress. You could use a corkboard or a whiteboard and split it into sections for various types of exercises or goals. You could split it for days of the week and state where your rest days will be too. Having a visual reminder motivates you to achieve these goals which also reduces stress before you even have exercised.
Try these DIY activity ideas to reduce stress when you are struggling with stressful situations and feel overwhelmed. Engage your brain in soothing activities and incorporate your senses to escape the stress you are experiencing.
