Stressed out? Try these 8 unusual ways to relax

As anyone who habitually bottles up their emotions can attest, there is a palpable sense of relief in finally letting go and feeling at the most visceral level. That’s why New Yorker Anthony Villiotti created Sob Parlour — a business devoted to giving people a time and place where they can deliberately cry.

Guests visit SobSuites, where they’re guided through an emotional journey that ideally ends in tears. Afterward, guests are given access to amenities including caffeine serums, facial rollers, and eye masks as they return to their tear-free daily lives.

As the old saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. It was that principle that led to Dr. Madan Kataria developing Laughing Yoga, a combination of breathing exercises and physical movement intended to provoke laughter.

Kataria’s organization, Laughing Yoga International, routinely promotes Laughing Yoga events, including workshops, social clubs, and trainings that are all intended to deliberately put a smile on participants’ faces.

If laughing and crying aren’t reducing stress the way you hope, it’s also possible to deliberately opt out of all stimuli, at least for a little while. Float tanks, also known as sensory deprivation tanks, are also designed with the intention of reducing stress and improving mental health.

Float therapy practitioners relax by lying in 10 inches of water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts for a set period of time. At the end of their sensory deprivation experience, many people report feeling less stressed and more focused.

If you already have some experience with meditation and mindfulness, which are proven to improve mental health, a silent retreat could be a beneficial next step in your practice.

During these immersive meditative experiences, individuals deliberately do not speak to one another for the duration of their retreat. Silent retreats often incorporate other meditation and mindfulness practices, to ensure a holistic and stress-reducing experience.

Like silent retreats, sound baths are rooted in meditation and mindfulness practices. During a sound bath, participants typically lie on their backs while immersing themselves in sounds including group chants, singing bowls, and tuning forks.

While research is still limited, there is some evidence to suggest that sound baths are a relatively low risk way to reduce depression and anxiety.

If you’re looking for a more upbeat experience, it’s possible to combine the health and relaxation of mindfulness with the thrill of a weekend party. Othership is a Canadian-based business that encourages its guests to spend high-energy evenings socializing and celebrating inside of saunas and ice baths, instead of drinking alcohol or using drugs.

During Othership’s social gatherings, guests experience deliberate wellness exercises like deep breathing and cold plunging, mixed with the music and atmosphere of a nightclub. The best part? Even after spending a weekend evening out late at a party, you’ll wake up the next morning refreshed and without a hangover.

If you’re the sort of person who finds yourself angry and irritable when stress builds up, rage rooms offer a space to let out your more aggressive impulses without causing any real trouble.

These businesses, which are becoming increasingly common in cities across the U.S., allow their customers to break plates, shatter glass, and smash appliances — wearing safety equipment, of course.

Volunteering is often viewed as purely altruistic. But research indicates that by helping others, you’re actually helping yourself too. When you give back to your community, your brain releases dopamine, which in turn reduces your stress levels, according to the Mayo Clinic.

So the next time you’re consumed by your own anxieties, try to find a way to focus on others. You might find that spending an afternoon helping out at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter helps your own stress melt away.