7 Fun Activities to Encourage Emotional Release
If you have some pent up emotions you need to let go of, doing activities for emotional release may be fun and helpful. Emotional release is an important part of your mental and emotional health. Releasing emotions can help you let go of what is holding you back from your inner healing.
Sometimes, people are afraid of emotional release because they feel like it will be too scary or difficult. Instead of viewing it as something to fear, think of these activities as a great way to begin the emotional release process. Or, if you have tried and failed in the past, this can be a great way to start on your healing journey again.
You may be unsure of what type of activities are both fun and effective at helping you with emotional release. This post discusses 7 fun activities that you can do to encourage emotional release. They can help you have an outlet for your feelings, and also move forward with a new sense of clarity and focus!
Benefits of Using Fun Activities to Encourage Emotional Release
When you use fun activities to encourage emotional release, you can experience many benefits for your physical, mental, and spiritual health. A few advantages to these fun activities are:
- reduce stress levels
- learn coping skills
- increase mental health and wellness
- improve mood and attitude
- tap into self-awareness and expression
- better sleep quality
- increased self-esteem
- express feelings in a healthy way
- understand emotions
- learn how to handle negative emotions
This is a type of self-care for self-healing strategy. Even if you try one of the activities for a few minutes per week, you are taking the time for self-healing. It’s a great way to practice self-healing without fear of criticism or judgement. You can be free to let go of anxiety and just free flow into your creation.
And if you decide to try this with friends or loved ones, you can increase your communication skills, build trust with others, and learn how to support people. Plus, it can be fun to get together with people in a creative way!
7 Fun Activities to Encourage Emotional Release
You may be unsure what type of activity to try to get you started. Below are 7 fun activities you can do to encourage emotional release.
1. Gardening
Gardening isn’t just for our grandparents anymore! Since the pandemic, many more people are now learning the skills of growing and foraging their own food. This is an activity anyone can enjoy!
Gardening helps to encourage emotional release by boosting self-esteem. When you start a garden and watch it grow, you feel a sense of accomplishment. All of your hard work shows in the results of what you are growing.
Having a garden also give you a sense of purpose each day. It requires you to focus on it in order for it to grow. The garden needs water, sunshine, weeding, and love. (Talking to your plants can help them to grow!)
A garden also takes work. You can get your physical activity in by bending, twisting, squating, and carrying the watering can. And if you are growing produce, you will have healthy food to eat.
If you decide to have a garden, you will feel connected to nature. It can help release tension and anxiety. And it’s a great outlet for your energy and your emotions.
If you can’t do an outdoor garden, try an indoor garden! I have this herb garden that I use in the winter, and love it. It’s so great to have fresh herbs to use when cooking! And it’s like bringing the outdoors in!
2. Creating Art
Art can be a powerful tool for emotional release. It give you a chance to express your feelings without using words. Through art, you can dive deep into your thoughts and emotions. It can help you find healing by letting go of the things that have been weighing you down.
Art gives you an outlet for expressing yourself without judgement or fear of judgment from others. Whether you’re creating a painting, a sculpture, or writing music, you are doing this for yourself. You can create in any way you choose. If you like what you create, show it off. But, if you would rather keep it for yourself, that’s OK too!
The act of creating something can feel like therapy. It can help you to find healing and peace in difficult times. With so many different ways to create art, there is an option for anyone. And you don’t have to be an expert. Start with something simple, and build from that.
When you feel deep emotions stirring, get some paper and start drawing. Pick up a paint brush and create on canvas. My son bought me these paints and I used them to paint the sunset painting! Use a coloring book, or make figures out of dough. Try to create something and see how it makes you feel. You may love art so much that you make it a hobby!
3. Writing
When you have deep unhealed emotions, writing about them can feel like you are purging on paper. Holding onto past traumas and hurt feelings can keep you stagnant. It can prevent you from moving forward and letting go.
Writing itself creates an emotional release. When you have difficult emotions come up in your life, try writing about it. You can write about what happened, how it made you feel, and what you have learned from it.
Many people have taken up the practice of journaling. If you do this each day, you may find you only need 5 minutes to release the day. This allows you to get your emotions out right away, instead of carrying your daily stresses with you over time.
If you aren’t sure exactly what to write about, here is a list of some journal prompts to get you started:
Journal Prompts
- What is something I need to heal?
- What is one thing I need to work on myself?
- What do I want to feel more confident about?
- What is something I no longer want in my life?
- What patterns in my life do I keep repeating?
- What would my life look like if I was peaceful and content?
These are just a few journal prompts you can use, but there are many more. Once you get into the habit of writing, you will find you no longer need a prompt. You will learn to free flow and release your unhealed emotions.
If you want to do a deep dive into healing, I created this journal. It helped me after my near death experience at a time when I was really suffering from multiple types of trauma. If you decide to use it, let me know how it worked for you!
4. Dancing
Even if you don’t have any moves, dancing just feels so good! It’s been used as a way to be expressive for thousands of years. Dancing can be used to tell a story, and show feelings and emotion. Your body does all the talking!
There are many health benefits to dancing. It can improve your mood, easy away anxiety, and is a great way to exercise. And if your partner is willing to dance with you, why not add it into part of your foreplay routine!!
Dancing works well for emotional release because your brain releases dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins to your brain. These hormones can help alleviate anxiety and depression. Because of this, it’s a great tool to use to release pent up frustration and energy.
You can even use dance as therapy. Try dancing after a fight with a friend or family member, a hard conversation, or a tough day at work. Take the negative energy and emotions you are feeling and use that to create movement in your body. It doesn’t matter if you suck! If you practice this enough, you may get some good dance moves!
5. Laughing
A good laugh can take a terrible situation and lighten it up. Sometimes when life just plain sucks, the best thing to do is to find a way to make it funny. Obviously, this doesn’t work in every situation. The point is to find the silver lining.
Laughing is great for emotional release because, like dancing, it releases hormones like serotonin and endorphins. These make you feel happy and calm.
Laughing is also good for your immune system. It increases the number of antibody-producing T cells in your body. T cells help you fight infection, colds, and flus.
People who laugh have also shown to have better circulation, lower blood pressure, and increased oxygen. A good laugh can also reduce pain in your body. It may even help you lose weight by increasing your heart rated and speeding up your metabolism. HOLLA!!!
If you need a good laugh, try a funny movie, comedy club, or book of jokes!
6. Cooking
Cooking can be a great way to help with emotional release. Eating is a part of everyday life. It’s a super easy way to get creative. And there are so many recipes to choose from, it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a pro chef.
People who take on small, creative projects like cooking or baking tend to feel more relaxed and happier in their daily lives. It can help you live a more healthy lifestyle if you tend to cook good-for-you foods. You may learn to cook new, healthy recipes that help with weight loss or to lower your blood pressure.
Cooking also has benefits for your mental health. People who suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mental-health disorders use cooking as a type of therapy. It helps take a break from the chaos and conflict in your life. The act of “chop wood, carry water” helps you take a mental break while doing the mundane cooking tasks.
7. Talking
Talking about your feelings and difficult situations is a great way to practice emotional release. When you talk out your problems or worries, it is like lifting a weight off your chest. It is very therapeutic, and can help with the stress in your life.
It can be very helpful to bounce ideas off friends and family. Many times, the people you know have been thru similar issues as you. These people can offer great advice for issues you may have been unsure how to solve.
Talking can give you a sense of belonging. It can relieve stress, give you a sense of belonging, and help you cope with grief. And you can develop great communication skills, as well as develop strong connections with others.
If you feel you are beginning to dump all your problems on those closest to you, you may want to try talking with a therapist or trained professional. It’s OK to ask your friends and family for advice. But if you feel like all you do is emotionally dump on them, it’s time for a professional. They are trained to help you sort out your worries and frustrations. And they can give you specialized solutions to help you solve any issues you may be dealing with.
If you feel you need to speak with someone immediately, you can contact SAMHSA’s national helpline. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. The number is 1-800-662-HELP(4357).
How to Get Started Using Fun Activities for Emotional Release
If you are unsure of how to get started using fun activities for emotional release, try it today. Take one tip from the list and incorporate into your routine. Phone a friend. Draw a doodle. Write about your day. Dance to your favorite song. You can take 5 minutes or 5 hours! You are in control.
Take some deep breaths. Relax and visualize what you want to create and just start! There is no right or wrong. You are just expressing your emotions. Turn it into a fun part of your day you look forward to.
It can also help if you have a special place where you focus on emotional release. Create an intentional space to do your activities. And it helps to meditate before the process. This allows you to see where your thoughts are focused on. If something comes up, you can work on that aspect of your healing.
Final Thoughts…
Using fun activities to encourage emotional release is a great way to help you along your self-healing journey. They help you get in touch with your inner self. Many times you feel more relaxed and joyful when you use these techniques. It can be really fun to incorporate any, or all, of these into your daily routine.
It may help you to try some simple stretches, deep breathing, or a quick walk to clear your mind and help you get started. Just taking the first step can be scary, but it is so worth it. You will feel progress. And you will find your confidence, and the momentum to move forward and let go.
So the next time you’re feeling down, don’t let the negative emotions bring you down. Use them to your advantage. Mindfully label them, write about them, or share them with someone you trust. You will be grateful you did!
