6 anti-stress activities to decompress

There are days when everything seems too much . Too much noise, too many demands, too many things to do, to think about, to tick off endless lists. Then comes this urgent need to say stop . Stop the hustle and bustle, the endless scrolling of screens, the external noise that ends up becoming internal. We dream of a suspended moment , a slower breath , a break or an anti-stress activity that would bring us back to the essentials. Well, to find a little clarity in the fog of everyday life, here is our selection of 6 activities to relax , to try without moderation!

1 - Immerse yourself in a forest bath

Forest bathing , also known as shinrin-yoku or sylvotherapy, is a practice that originated in Japan in the 1980s as a way to combat stress and overwork. The idea? Walk slowly in the forest, allowing your senses to open up to nature.

The rustling of leaves in the wind, the singing of birds, the scent of moss... little by little, everything becomes more alive, more comforting. And if you feel like it, why not hug a tree to relax even more? No, it's not weird, it's tree-hugging !

Hugging trees is about tapping into their energy to recharge, and it seems to recharge much more than your phone (which, by the way, should stay at home for this occasion...). There's no well-established scientific proof yet, but what is certain is that walking helps reduce the level of cortisol , a hormone linked to stress. So, ready to disconnect from your smartphone to treat yourself to a little stress-relieving outing?

2 - Let yourself be transported by sounds

Sounds have this astonishing and mysterious power to relax, transport, or ground us. Classical music, birdsong, distant waves, ASMR , or even metal if that speaks to you—the key is to choose what resonates with you.

A 2009 Mindlab study found that music could reduce stress by 61% and walking alone by 42%. So imagine the combined effects of a walk accompanied by carefully chosen music...

And rather than a random playlist, treat yourself to the experience of a complete album, from start to finish, without interruption. Listen to it like you would a movie: with attention, curiosity, and the desire to understand what the artist intended to convey. This soundtrack is then much more than a soothing backdrop; it becomes a true auditory journey.

3 - Read to calm down (and for pleasure)

Reading is becoming less and less popular, yet reading relaxes the body . A British study conducted by the University of Sussex showed that after 6 minutes of reading, stress can drop by 68% . The heart rate slows down, the muscles relax: it's an ideal activity for relaxing!

Novel, poetry, comics, or even a cookbook—it doesn't matter what genre you're reading, as long as you dive in and let yourself be carried away. And if you doubt the power of words, know that there are bibliotherapists today. : these are specialists who recommend books on psychology, self-treatment or fiction to take care of yourself.

In the United Kingdom, doctors can even prescribe library subscriptions for their patients. A veritable literary prescription recognized as a natural anti-stress remedy since 2013!

4 - Relax with a puzzle activity

Doing a puzzle is like meditating without even realizing it. You concentrate without pressure and put piece together piece piece, as if you were putting your thoughts in order. The image slowly takes shape, silence descends, time finally slows down, and you even enter a state of flow

Given the many benefits of puzzles for both body and mind, they're the perfect activity to pause the world and reconnect with yourself . And forget the kitschy puzzles of kittens in bow ties in a basket; today, there's no shortage of original and inspiring puzzles to help you disconnect and escape.

And then there's that small but very real sense of joy when you find the right piece. So if you start a 1,000-piece puzzle, just imagine how satisfying it feels... Cephaloclastophiles know this well! It's a simple but powerful activity that helps you relax and melt away stress in no time. 

👉 Also read: The benefits of cooperative puzzles

5 - Practice solo or collective singing

What if you made some noise... to better find calm? Singing or playing a musical instrument produces positive emotions and releases muscular tension . You don't need to be a virtuoso or have perfect pitch; what matters is expressing yourself, vibrating, and breathing fully to relax.

Singing activates areas of the brain linked to pleasure and releases dopamine (the success and reward hormone) and oxytocin (the bonding, trust, and love hormone). Just a few notes, even in the shower, are enough to feel your mood soar. As for playing an instrument , it requires gentle attention, a form of self-awareness that keeps parasitic thoughts away .

And what about singing with others? It seems that just 20 minutes of singing is enough to increase feelings of happiness and reduce sadness and worry ( Frontiers in Psychology, 2017 ). And the effects are even more pronounced if you participate in a choir...

6 - Take a nap to calm down

A relaxing activity, a nap? Of course! And not just any activity. A nap is even the best anti-stress activity ! In a world that values productivity at all costs, allowing yourself a break to drift off to sleep is almost an act of resistance... but above all, a gesture of kindness towards yourself.

The power of napping on stress is well established: cortisol levels are reduced and the brain takes a beneficial break . Now, the question is how long it should last. According to NASA, a 26-minute nap increases cognitive performance by 34% and alertness by 54%! But to relax and improve mood, a micro-nap is already quite sufficient.

👉 See also: How to adopt a Slow lifestyle in your daily routine?

Have you made your choice from these six stress-relieving activities? For those who prefer to keep their hands busy, we have put together a list of 13 crafts to relax at home. Creating with your hands promotes a state of flow, that calm state of concentration where you forget the passing of time. No need to be an artist: the pleasure comes from the act itself, not the result...

Sources :

A Study Investigating the Relaxation Effects of the Music

Article Frontiers in Psychology

Le Monde Podcast: The Incredible Powers of Napping