When you think of all the stress that modern life brings your way, you’ll understand why many people across the world are looking for ways to either alleviate stress or find a little distraction from stress just to get through the day. Stress relief toys for adults are simple but quite effective gadgets that provide relaxation when anxiety strikes.
Stress relief toys have become quite popular in recent years as manufacturing companies rush in to cash on stressed out executives and employees seeking for the best way to let off steam and unwind. Fortunately, there are numerous types and designs of stress relief toys on the market today, which makes it quite easy to find one that suits you.
Benefits of Stress Relief Toys
Stress relief toys for adults come in a wide variety of designs and styles. Their core function is to take your mind off what is stressing you and calm your nerves. There are two common types of stress relief toys namely fidget toys and stress balls. Let’s take a quick look at the benefits each provides.
Fidget Toys
Fidgets are very useful self-regulation tools. They keep your fingers busy and help to calm your nerves, promote focus and concentration, eliminate or reduce stress, and generally increase tactile awareness of your fingers.
There are also fidgets for feet which not only improve focus and concentration but also relieve stress and keep your mind alert while working. They are also great for keeping your body relaxed in moments of tension or anxiety.
Stress Balls
Stress balls are some of the most common stress relieving toys for adults on the market today. They are basically small balls filled with clay or malleable gel that you can comfortably hold in the palm of your hand. Squeezing the ball repeatedly helps to relieve stress and release tension and other negative up emotions. They also help to boost your blood circulation.
Here are a few more benefits you get from stress balls:
- Releases tension
When you squeeze the ball in your palm, your hand and wrist muscles tighten and when you release the ball the muscles relax. Doing this repeatedly helps to release tension, especially after a stressful meeting or phone call.
- Nerve stimulation
Stress ball stimulate nerves in your hand that are connected to the limbic region of the brain. The limbic region is associated with emotions, which is why squeezing and releasing a stress ball leaves you feeling calm and relaxed.
- Helps to divert your attention
Working on a stress ball feels so good. Eventually all your focus is directed to the stress ball and you’ll stop concentrating on the source of your stress. Just like a person meditating, your mind and body will feel quite relaxed after a short while.
- Improve your mood
Manipulating the stress ball stimulates the brain which releases endorphins that are natural sedatives or pain relievers. Endorphins also help to enhance your mood.
Top Stress Relief Toys for Adults
Finding a stress relief toy that suits you shouldn’t be difficult. However, you are likely to get overwhelmed by the numerous types and varieties on the market today. To help you make an informed purchasing decision, we have compiled a list of the best stress relief toys based on important factors such as price, type, and features.
Mesh-and-Marble Fidget Toy
Features:
- Provides anxiety and stress relief for both adults and kids
- Constructed with the best BPA-free plastic and marbles
- Designed for use by children with ADD, ADHD, autism, and high stress levels too
- Recommended by teachers, parents, and therapists
- Each pack contains 8 fidget toys
- Measures 3.5 inches long, each toy has a marble inside.
- Can be used in the classroom, on a flight, car, office, the doctor’s waiting room, or anywhere fidgeting is likely to occur
This stress relieving fidgeting toy is made from high quality plastic that is BPA-free and premium marbles. It is strong and durable too. It helps to promote a sense of calmness, increase attention and focus, and relieve stress.
THE PROS
- Helps relieve stress & anxiety
- Can be used in multiple places
- Great for keeping your hands busy
- Machine washable
THE CONS
- Haven't had a single issue with it so far
Glantop Magnetic Sculpture Desk Toy
Features:
- A stress relief and intelligence development toy
- A complete set of a magnetic base and 160 stainless steel balls of varying sizes. Magnetism is delivered by the base.
- Provides endless combinations of shapes and figures
- Easily portable while travelling
This is a creative toy that you can use to build endless combinations and shapes to help you relieve stress and anxiety. It is a bit challenging to use but with patience and creativity you get used to it pretty fast. It is an ideal toy for both men and women.
THE PROS
- Looks cool on your desk
- A fun way to pass time
- Helps relieve stress & anxiety
- Lightweight and portable
- Very reasonably priced for the value you get from it
THE CONS
- Not suitable for kids under 14 years old because of the small parts
- The base is magnetic but the balls aren't
Tangle Relax Therapy
Features:
- It provides a completely new ergonomic approach to relieving stress and hand exercises
- It is quite twistable which enhances hand movements and eliminates anxiety
- Comes with 8 interconnected pieces to keep your hands busy whenever you feel idle
- The pieces are covered with rubber material that is soft to touch
- The toy is designed for maximum tactile pleasure.
The Tangle Relax Therapy is designed to reduce stress simply by twisting the rubberized tangle and feeling to soft bumpy nodes on your fingers. It provides a fun and twisty way to exercise your hand, joints, muscles, and alleviate stress. It comes with an instruction manual too.
THE PROS
- Great for people with nail biting, skin picking or hair pulling compulsions
- Helps with hand and mind wellness
- Provides tactile pleasure
THE CONS
- Keep it away from younger children because it can be a choking hazard
Dammit Doll Classic
Features:
- Available in random colors
- Size: 12 inches
- A perfect stress toy for an adult or a gag gift for a workmate, fellow student or friend
- It is handmade using high quality materials
- Strong and durable enough to withstand all your mean treatment during stressful moments. It is designed to be banged on your desk.
- Helps to vent out your frustrations with
- It brings a good amount of laughs and light moments at the workplace
There are those days when nothing seems to go right and all you need is something to hit the wall with. That’s what your Dammit Doll is for. Take out your frustrations on the doll and relieve your stress.
THE PROS
- Strong enough to hold up to your beatings
- Very durable
- Makes an awesome cheer-up gift for someone who's constantly feeling low
- The price is right
THE CONS
- They look kind of ugly, but who really cares?
Serenilite Hand Therapy Stress Ball
Features:
- Exercises and strengthens your hands and fingers
- Reduces anxiety and improves circulation all over your hands, arms, and fingers.
- Soothes and calms a restless mind
- It is made of strong gel core and a tear-resistant fabric. It is strong and durable.
- Comes with a free therapy eBook in PDF format
- Available in 5 colors, titanium, Rose, blue skies, kiwi, and Morning sun.
Find peace and calmness even while you miss deadlines, while the phone rings incessantly, and when running late on appointments with this stress ball. It is a great stress buster that leaves you feeling calm with each squeeze.
THE PROS
- Gives you optimal stress relief
- Small enough to fit in your palm
- Strengthens your hands, fingers and forearms
- Has a soothing fabric
- Very durable
THE CONS
- It gets addictive! You'll never want to put it down whenever you feel stressed
Toysmith Deluxe Zen Garden
Features:
- It is a perfect replica of the traditional Japanese meditative garden
- It comes in a cute 9 by 9 inches frame made of rosewood
- A fine sand garden that includes a rake and broom to create patterns with in the sand.
- Ceramic cranes and finely polished stones that add a visual interest to your serene garden patterns
- The package includes a meditation booklet
The Deluxe Zen Garden from ToySmith is a perfect toy to help you cultivate your inner peace. It comes with all the necessary accessories to help you relax and find peace while creating tiny meditative patterns on the sand.
THE PROS
- Great for your home or office
- A great stress reliever
- Perfect gift for someone who has been feeling down lately
THE CONS
- Some users claim they found it a bit fragile
Conclusion
The above mentioned stress relief toys for adults are among the best in the market. Let us know which one you chose from our top picks.