Your Ultimate Chill Pill: Take A Break From Adulting with These Stress-Busting Ideas

All work and no play can lead any grown-up to experience burnout someday. The hustle and bustle of everyday life make it easy to forget about taking breaks for ourselves, but that should never be the case. 

As you grow older, you’ll realize that a healthy work-life balance is important to your well-being. Additionally, knowing how to properly cope with stress saves you from many physical, emotional, and mental repercussions in the long term. 

Whenever you feel the exhaustion and pressure from the adulting journey start to weigh you down, take a step back and try these seven stress-busting ideas that can reintroduce fun and relaxation into your life.

Strike out stress with sports

Any form of physical activity is an effective way to relieve stress. While exercising is a popular recommendation, you can opt for sports and games instead if you want a “more fun and recreational” approach to getting physically active. 

Among all sports, bowling is a must-try activity for adults who want to get their bodies moving while maintaining a laidback atmosphere for relaxation. It doesn’t have complex rules or ways to play—all you need to do is roll the bowling ball toward the pins and aim for a strike. You can also enjoy it on your own or play with your friends or family, leading to an instant bonding session that lets everyone take a break from the daily grind. 

From Mondays to Thursdays, you can enjoy 15% off on one game of bowling at the SM Bowling Center in SM CDO Downtown Premier, SM Lanang Premier, SM City North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM City Cebu, SM City Clark, SM City Fairview, and SM Seaside City Cebu. This promo, which runs from March 6 to November 30, is also available at SM Game Park in SM Southmall.

Live out your ice skating dreams

Channel your inner Elsa and let all your worries go by spending time on the ice—but instead of making it snow, you’d be skating on a rink at SM malls. Ice skating is a physical activity that requires you to focus on keeping your balance and coordinating your movements, so there’d be no room for stressful thoughts in your head while you’re on the rink. This allows you to unwind, clear your mind, and enjoy moments of peace after a long day at work.

Get a 15% discount on a 2-hour pass at SM Skating in SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, and SM Seaside City Cebu from Mondays to Thursdays until November 30. 

Discover new worlds with a fun novel

Need a quick escape from reality? Reading a novel might help, as it lets your imagination take over and transports you to another world that lies inside the pages of a book. For example, the historical novel “Blood Red, Snow White” by Marcus Sedgwick takes you to the Russian Revolution era with a fictional telling based on the experiences of a journalist. With novels from different genres, you will have different worlds and stories to explore and immerse yourself in—so you can easily escape from reality any time you want.

Get softbound novels from various genres for only P199 at National Book Store in SM Center Ormoc until April 30.

Relax with a well-deserved massage

Of course, nothing beats a classic body massage when it comes to stress relief. At JTE Health Massage, you can avail a half-body bed massage with cupping therapy (more known as Ventosa) for only P550 per hour. Ventosa is a traditional Chinese technique wherein special cups are placed on your skin for a few minutes to improve blood flow. 

Aside from stress relief, this massage style is also perfect for people with sore or knotted muscles from working all day. Head to JTE Health Massage in SM City San Fernando Downtown now to enjoy this relaxing massage treatment.

Have a paw-some time with your pets

Our pets are a reliable source of love and good vibes, so seeking their company when you need to cheer up will always be a great idea. According to research, even simply petting your dog can already help lower your stress levels and blood pressure—so take this as your cue to take a short break from work and bring out your furbabies for a walk around the neighborhood or playtime in your backyard.

For these activities with your doggo, always prepare delicious treats like the Pupsicles Dog Cookies. Each tin of Pupsicles Dog Cookies contains 30 yummy Pupsicle Sticks that you can use as a reward whenever they follow your instructions or perform tricks. Get Pupsicles Dog Cookies for only P379 at PetExpress in SM Makati, SM Araneta City, and SM City North Edsa. 

Treat yourself to a pampering session

Adulting may be difficult, but it doesn’t mean you should neglect self-care. For a relaxing and gratifying break from your daily chores, indulge yourself in beauty and wellness treatments like a mani-pedi session for your tired hands and feet. 

To upgrade your pampering experience, Nailandia offers this nail care service with a Whitening Footspa that helps brighten and soften the skin on your feet. Resulting in a beautiful combo of rejuvenated skin and freshly-painted nails, this self-care package is exactly what you need to look good and feel good after weeks of hard work. 

Head to Nailandia in SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier now to get a Mani + Pedi + Whitening Footspa package for only P720.

Cool down at your very own pool

Did you know that swimming pools are considered a blue space—a term in psychology that refers to places surrounded by water? According to research, simply being in “blue spaces” help calm your mind and reduce your body’s stress levels.

Get your own blue space without traveling far by setting up an inflatable pool in your backyard instead. We recommend the Intex Pool 74”x18”, a soft-side three air-chamber pool with two rings and a unique side panel design. Additional tip: This stress-busting idea is very helpful during summer since the hot weather can add to stress and irritation. 

Visit The SM Store in SM City Novaliches to get a 64% discount on the Intex Pool 74”x18” until April 30.

Enjoy your break from the busy adulting life with stress-busting ideas made easy and affordable by great promos at SM malls nationwide. For more exciting deals and discounts, visit SM Deals or download the SM Malls Online app!