stress ball

noun

: a small ball or other object made of soft material (such as rubber) that one can squeeze with the hand to relieve stress and that usually resumes its original shape when released

In one study, sixth-graders who used stress balls were less distracted in class. The toys could also be more helpful for some people than others; in that study, students who were kinesthetic learners tended to use the stress balls more, and get more of an attention benefit from them.

—Julie Beck

The idea for using a stress ball is to transfer your stress, tension and anxiety into the ball by squeezing it as best you can, and then release. The ball's job is to absorb it all! Unlike paper that you wad up tightly in your hand, the ball quickly returns to its original shape when the pressure is released.

—Kim Harris

Finally, it was time to meet the one who instigated this comparison. The day McDonald's was delivered, we received a package with score cards, a stress ball in the shape of a burger and the laminated photo you see next to the meal.

—Anne Marie Panoringan

Examples of stress ball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Try the delay-and-distract technique: Wait 10 minutes when a craving hits, and keep your hands busy with a stress ball or puzzle.17 Whenever possible, avoid situations that trigger your urge to smoke. —Sanja Jelic, Health, 2 Jan. 2025

The baguette attachment is actually a tiny stress ball. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 26 Nov. 2024

Adorable Riley is now 13, which means Anxiety (Maya Hawke) has made her way to Headquarters, usurping Joy’s (Amy Poehler) authority and turning this precocious teen into a self-conscious stress ball desperate to be liked. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 14 June 2024

Two of the smoke shops were also selling another, perhaps even more innovative product: a vape with a soft silicon exterior that can be squeezed like a stress ball, dubbed the TopShine Squeeze 10000. —Louise Matsakis, WIRED, 25 June 2024

In a gnarly touch, the ad closes out with a yellow-emoji stress ball exploding through its eyes. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 May 2024

Isabella then documents the moment a nurse accesses the chemo port in her upper stomach, closing her eyes and squeezing a stress ball as the needle was inserted. —Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024

Anyone’s muscles can feel a little cramped after an especially tense workday—maybe from being hunched over a laptop, glued to a rigid chair, standing for hours, or even squeezing a stress ball for dear life. —Erica Sweeney, SELF, 21 Feb. 2024

Discover new ways to experience touch through everyday objects, such as by squeezing stress balls or using soft or weighted blankets. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above