Finding relief in a busy world
We live in a frenetic society which is subject to continuous changes we need to adapt to in order to live better. Everything is precarious and the certainties are few. In such a situation, stress is a daily companion. So why not buy personalised stress balls?
While it can be an incentive to perform your duties, it can become a heavy emotional burden on the other hand, inevitably ending up disadvantaging you in different areas, from private to working life. In addition, you're likely to let your nervousness off through actions that can be harmful in the long term, such as torturing your skin or biting your fingers.
But you can avoid all this with a simple and effective tool: stress balls. With their compact and pocket-sized shape, they're always by your side as faithful allies against everyday stress.
Shapes and materials for every taste
Anyone knows what a stress ball is: a small, malleable toy, made to be handled and squeezed between your fingers to release tension. Materials vary from rubber to polyurethane, but there are also some made of fabrics; balls of this type are usually filled with gel to make them softer and more pleasant to touch.
Shapes can be diverse, from the classic sphere to more original and captivating subjects that can represent the passion of the person who owns them. You can get an idea of their variety by browsing the HiGift website.
Thanks to their original designs, these corporate gifts also become a fun way to express your personality.
Some personalised stress balls have faces and hair made of yarn and then attached to the top of the rubber: these are the so-called hairy stress balls. Thanks to their pretty design, they're particularly appreciated by children. In short, there are hundreds of different types to satisfy any need.
Beyond the object: the thousand-year history of stress balls and the principle behind their use
The principle behind the usefulness of personalised stress balls is older than it may seem: the ancestors of these promotional products date back to the Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
Initially they were pairs of filled spheres. Later, sounding foils were settled into them, one with a higher tone and the other with a lower one. Their manufacture was entrusted to the artisans of the city of Baoding, south of Beijing. For this reason, the spheres are called "Baoding spheres" and are still marketed today, although they're rather used for physical therapy than to manage stress.
In any case, the principle behind the way they work doesn't change. It's based on the theory of the traditional Chinese medicine called Jingluo, according to which there are different channels allowing vital energy to flow in the human body.
According to this ancient theory, a meridian called "the master of the heart" passes through the point where the hand lines intersect.
Acupuncture attributes the function to regulate energy to it: applying pressure on this point allows you to relieve stress-related manifestations, such as chest tightness, palpitations and nervous sweating.
By massaging the spheres, you get an immediate feeling of physical well-being that diverts your attention away from anxiety and allows you to focus on your duties.
Knowing how to exploit every advantage: understanding and listening to yourself
Taking advantage of the benefits of stress balls might seem like an elementary procedure. After all, you just need to handle a small soft object to distract yourself, right? In truth, it's not all so obvious: finding your own balance in handling the stress ball is essential.
Too an intense rhythm could tire your muscles instead of bringing them relief. It's therefore essential to know how to listen to and understand your needs so as to get every benefit from these extraordinary corporate gifts.
The benefits of stress balls: not only the simple release of tension
Stress balls bring benefits in many ways.
From a mental point of view, they constitute a valid pressure valve for excess adrenaline that accumulates in stressful situations. Once this is released, you can work at your best and get better performance.
It's also scientifically proven that certain hand movements have a positive impact on cognitive functions, bringing benefits to both learning ability and concentration.
Stress balls therefore prove to be faithful companions during uninteresting events where you should pay attention, such as meetings and presentations. They're also often used by speakers during conventions to ease tension and avoid losing the thread of speech.
Nor should we overlook the benefits that these promotional products bring to children: handling stress balls has positive effects on their attention, creativity and restlessness. Thus, they're often used with autistic or overactive children to relieve tension in a pleasant and fun way.
There are also numerous physical advantages: the regular use of stress balls strengthens hand muscles and improves coordination.
In ancient times they were used by older people to maintain manual skills, while nowadays they're recommended for physiotherapy and the treatment of certain diseases, such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI): it's a condition that affects people who overload the arm muscles, nerves and tendons with work, causing them to progressively weaken.
This occurs especially when the same position of the upper limbs is maintained for a long time. It's therefore clear that, in addition to providing countless advantages, stress balls can be a great idea for a promotional product or a corporate gift, especially for those who work in a stressful environment or in offices where sitting at the desk could lead to this type of problems.
Personalised stress balls: a fun and effective advertising move
The practice of distributing promotional products to make yourself known has an ancient tradition. Its roots date back to the time before Christ, to King Solomon's era. The king, who was in love with Queen Saba, sent her precious gifts with his mark engraved on them everyday.
During the election period in the second half of the 1700s, George Washington distributed hats and pins so that voters could keep his name in mind and thereby increasing the probability of being voted.
Extensive use is made of corporate gifts even today, as they're a very advantageous form of non-invasive advertising. They're low-cost objects given away at fairs or for festivities that guarantee the formation of a sort of feeling of belonging and contribute to the dissemination of your logo on a large scale.
You can find further information on the benefits of corporate gifting at this link.
It's therefore easy to guess that customised promotional products that fight stress are the perfect combination. It's no coincidence that in England stress balls are in the top positions among the most popular corporate gifts.
In fact, there's no reason why they shouldn't: they represent both a distraction from the stress of working life and an incentive to concentrate in unstimulating situations you're forced to take part in. Not to mention the physical benefits attested to by numerous research studies.
Moreover, the worker isn't the only one who can use these promotional products, as also the people around him can. Elderly parents who want to keep their hand muscles trained as well as children who are looking for a fun and relaxing game without too much effort: everyone can benefit from them.
These advantages are numerous, but they're certainly not over: if customised with your company logo, stress balls can become powerful advertising tool. They're gifts that last over time and that you should carry with yourself in every situation for greater effectiveness. They thus guarantee lasting and daily advertising.
There are special sites dedicated to the customisation of this type of promotional products. HiGift is one of them and has additionally a very wide range of products for vitality and wellness: you can find the most disparate forms of stress balls here. Animals, fruits and assorted items: start searching for the one that best satisfies your need and taste!
