100+ Ways to Relieve Stress

 100+ Ways to Relieve Stress

·         Go to the beach/lake

·         Create a pet show

·         Wear clown make-up

·         Go to a movie

·         Go hiking

·         Take swim lessons

·         Go on a picnic

·         Weave a potholder

·         Swim

·         Hula hoop

·         Badminton

·         Plant a garden

·         Wii

·         Make a card and mail it

·         Water balloon fight

·         Build a fort

·         Play twister

·         Create a neighborhood newsletter

·         Learn to play canasta

·         Show an outdoor movie

·         Take swim lessons

·         Take diving lessons

·         Make soap

·         Make a necklace

·         Crochet

·         Build a tent city in your back yard

·         Have a pool party

·         Visit the library

·         Paint by numbers kit

·         Plan a canoe trip

·         Design/make a pillow

·         Puzzle (1000 pieces or more)

·         Create a variation of a Frisbee game

·         Frisbee soccer, Frisbee golf, Frisbee tennis

·         Play bocce

·         Plan a camping trip

·         Scavenger hunt

·         Practice algebra

·         Go boating

·         Bike trail

·         Adopt a pet

·         Make tacos

·         Talk to your grandparents about their grandparents

·         Write a book

·         Publish your book on amazon

·         Interview a war veteran

·         Clean out your closet

·         Make a salt and flour map of your state

·         Make a salt and flour map of the USA

·         Plan a road trip

·         Visit the zoo

·         Join a community walk or race for charity/event

Bake a cake

·         Play limbo

·         Plan a BBQ

·         Go to a ball game

·         Create a tournament

·         Play monopoly

·         Start a blog

·         Visit a nursing home

·         Write a song

·         Jump rope

·         Have a fashion show

·         Visit the thrift store, purchase items and have a fashion show with your new outfits

·         Take music lessons

·         Visit a museum

·         Bike parade

·         Make funnel cakes

Counselor Games is Play Therapy

·         Read Gone With the Wind

·         Watch “Gone With the Wind” in one day

·         Build a Time Capsule

·         Decorate cupcakes

·         Make a smoothie

·         Create a chalk mural on the sidewalk or driveway

·         Build a birdhouse

 Play with clay

·         Make s’mores

·         Make milk shakes

·         Color

·         Have a yard sale

·         Create a bouquet of flowers

·         Paint a bouquet of flowers

·         Plan a neighborhood carnival

·         Make a basket

·         Play war with cards until someone wins

·         Masquerade party

·         Design a t-shirt

·         Make a bird feeder

·         Produce a neighborhood play/theater

·         Start a kickball tournament

·         Make crepe paper flowers

·         Have a tea party

·         Go to the flea market

·         Attend a vacation/church/synagogue school

·         Read a novel

·         Research your genealogy

·         Decorate sock puppets and make a show

·         CPR class

·         First aid class

Write a book

·         Create a board game

·         Slumber party

·         Bake cookies from scratch

·         Make jello with half the water, cut it into shapes, eat it

·         Create frosting flowers and decorate a cake

·         Get a make-over

·         Make ice cream

·         Plant a tree

·         Make popcorn balls

·         Make play dough

·         Take an on-line class

·         Visit a farm

·         Do outside work for an elderly neighbor

·         Play crochet

·         Write a letter and mail it

·         Run a mile

·         Count calories for a week

·         Make homemade pizza

·         Bake bread

·         Play chess

·         Make a wreath and hang it

·         Build a campfire and tell stories and sing songs around it

·         Pick berries and make jelly

·         Learn another language

·         Make a photo album

·         Create a family yearbook

Grace Wilhelm, MA

Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with over sixteen years  experience.  She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more. 

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Purchase the DVD demonstrations of play therapy techniques to teach students of all ages anger control, stress management, study and organizational skills,  decision making, making friends, and more.  Use everyday, familiar games to teach students counseling strategies.  On sale now at counselorgames.com

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Take the Stress Test!

April is National Stress Awareness Month

Stress is Normal!

Everyone has it. 

A wedding is a joyful event but it can be stressful. 

Death can be a sorrowful and tearful event and it can be stressful. 

Life is full of ups and downs.  

So...how much stress do you really have?  We can take a simple stress test to see how our stress points add up.   Look at the following events.  Mark the ones that have happened within the last six months.  The scale of impact tells you the number of points that stressor or event has on your life. 

Events	Scale of Impact
Death of a spouse	5
Divorce	4
Marital separation	4
Break-up with boy/girlfriend	4
Jail term	4
Death of close family member	4
Personal illness or injury	3
Personal illness or injury	3
Health problem of family member	3
Gain of a family member	2
Change in financial state	2
Death of a close friend	2
Change to a different line of work	2
Many arguments at home	2
Mortgage	2
Foreclosure on a mortgage	2
Changes in responsibilities at work	2
Outstanding personal achievement	2
Spouse begins or stops work	2
Begin or end school	2
Change in living conditions	2
Change in residence	2
Change in schools	2
Change in recreation	1
Change in church activities	1
Change in social activities	1
Change in sleeping habits	1
Vacation	1
Christmas holidays	1
Minor violation of the law	1

#3)  Now add up your stress points. 

My total is      _________________.

#4)  Use your total to check out your range of stress:

0-3 – Are you being truthful?  Remember, everyone has stress.  It is a normal part of life.  Even happy events can cause stress.  The stress comes because of changes.  Weddings and vacations can be relaxing and happy and stressful.

3 – 8 – This is a normal range of stress points.

9 – 15 - Stress is affecting your quality of life and may cause you to have stress related symptoms and illnesses.  Do two stress busters a day.

21

16 or more - People with many stressors can have nervous breakdowns and high probability of serious illnesses.  Stress can take a toll on your body.  Consider talking to your doctor or therapist about your stress score.  Sometimes boundaries are not taken into consideration so your score may be higher.  Do not add stress points that belong to your parents, family, friends or other people.    

 If you feel your stress score is too high or you would like some help, contact a counselor and show them your stress test.  Your counselor can also explain boundaries to you if they caused you to have a higher score.  

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