Modern Day Stress Relievers
A new study has discovered a host of seemingly mundane activities, which are likely to ease stress and anxiety, with popping bubble wrap, peeling potatoes and watching the washing machine cycle, emerging in the list.
Grating a block of cheese, painting walls, colouring in, listening to the rain and watching trees sway in the wind, are also among the top 30 stress busters, according to the 2,000 Britons who took part in the study.
Surprisingly, a host of dull household chores also made the list, including weeding the garden, folding the washing, and chopping vegetables.
The study, by MyBuilder, found a staggering 86 percent of the nation are now suffering from stress on a daily basis, with the figure rising to 90 percent for adults under 29.
Psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman, who helped analyse the findings, comments, “It is interesting to see from this research, how many of the most simple, seemingly mundane tasks in life, are actually calming and therapeutic.
“In fact, slowing down and focusing on simple things is the guiding principle behind mindfulness meditation, which is a proven therapeutic technique that works effectively with stress and a range of psychological issues.
“In mindfulness meditation, we slow right down, remove all thoughts about worry and our daily lives from our minds, and just focus on the moment. Research shows that doing this reduces the production of cortisol, a stress hormone, and that it reduces the heart rate. The same effect can be seen when we use repetitive tasks to unwind after a hard day’s work.
“Even something as simple as mindfully chopping an onion in preparation for a pasta sauce can be done in a meditative and therapeutic way.”
“It is interesting to note that engaging in repetitive tasks can be therapeutic regardless of whether the task in question is creative—such as preparing a meal —or destructive, such as popping bubble wrap. However, many of the activities listed in the research are about restoring a greater degree of order to the home, by putting things in their place, or making a tasty home-cooked meal for the family. On a symbolic level, this is quite easy to read.
Despite the wealth of digital and tech-based relaxation pursuits, the survey found, stroking of a cat or dog (36 percent) was the thing most likely to ease stress.
The research also found that three quarters (73 percent) of Brits do simple things like housework, purely to unwind, while 83 percent said there is something relaxing in repetitive motions.
And more than nine out of 10 (93 percent) believe it is important to take time out of their busy lives to engage in basic activities.
Nine percent like kneading dough, the same amount watch the washing machine spin – and six percent even clean the loo to chill out.
The survey found that Edinburgh is the least stressed city, with almost a fifth (22 percent) of respondents saying they never feel stressed out, while Plymouth is the most tense, with 94 percent finding their daily life a strain.
TOP 30 MODERN DAY STRESS BUSTERS
- Stroking a dog or cat – 36%
- The sound of a crackling fire – 30%
- Listening to the rain 28%
- Popping bubble wrap 26%
- Colouring in 23%
- Watching trees sway in the wind 22%
- Making the bed with clean sheets 18%
- Hanging the washing out on a sunny day 17%
- Vacuuming 15%
- Watering plants and flowers 14%
- Painting a wall with fresh paint 13%
- Folding fresh laundry 13%
- Wiping down worktops 11%
- Mowing the grass 11%
- Ironing 10%
- Chopping vegetables 10%
- Weeding 10%
- Kneading dough 9%
- Watching the washing machine 9%
- Sewing 8%
- Peeling a satsuma in one 8%
- Jet washing 8%
- Sweeping up leaves 6%
- Peeling potatoes 6%
- Pruning bushes 6%
- Cleaning the loo 6%
- Mixing paint 6%
- Grating cheese 5%
- Cleaning windows 5%
- Sanding a rough surface 5%
