18 Best Stress Relief Activities for Teams

Why Should Teams Take Part in Stress Relief Activities at Work?

Gallup found that 40% of employees worldwide reported experiencing stress on a given day in 2025, highlighting the importance of supporting employee well-being at work. While some workplace stress is inevitable, giving employees opportunities to re-energize can help them feel more engaged, focused, and connected to their teams.Here’s how stress-relieving activities help your team:

Help Prevent Employee Burnout: Regular activities to relieve stress can help employees manage daily pressures before they lead to burnout and disengagement.
Improve Focus and Productivity: Taking short breaks to reboot mentally can help employees return to their work with better concentration and energy.
Support Employee Mental Well-Being: Activities that encourage relaxation and mindfulness can help employees maintain a healthier mindset throughout the workday.
Strengthen Workplace Relationships: Team-based stress-relieving activities create opportunities for employees to connect, build trust, and strengthen workplace culture.

18 Best Stress Relief Activities to Do at Work

We've compiled a mix of stress relief activities that help employees recharge, refocus, and take a break from the pressures of the workday. Whether you're looking for quick wellness breaks, creative outlets, or team-based experiences, you'll find ideas that work for both in-office and remote teams.

Quick Stress Relieving Activities for Employees

If your team has a packed schedule, these quick stress-relieving activities can help employees re-energize without taking too much time away from work.

1. Guided Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises work well for teams that need a quick reset between meetings or during a packed workday without disrupting schedules. Teams can spend just 3-5 minutes on structured breathing patterns during a short break or right before a meeting begins. An expert can guide teams through techniques like Box Breathing, 4-7-8 Breathing, Belly Breathing, Nostril Breathing, Humming Bee Breath, and Pursed-Lip Breathing. You can use it at the start of long meetings or between high-focus tasks to help teams refresh and refocus.

2. Desk Yoga

Sitting through long meetings and hours of screen time can leave employees feeling stiff, tired, and mentally drained. Desk yoga offers a simple way for teams to regain energy without leaving their workspace. These gentle movements help release tension, improve posture, and boost energy levels throughout the day.Teams can follow a short instructor-led session or use free online videos to practice poses like Seated Cat-Cow, Chair Twist, Eagle Arms Stretch, Wrist Release, and Seated Forward Fold. Even a 5-10 minute session can help employees clear their minds before returning to work.Quick Tip: Schedule desk yoga immediately after lunch or before long meetings to help employees stay focused and energized.

3. Gratitude Reflection Sessions

Teams often move through packed schedules without pausing to reflect, making gratitude sessions a great way to pause and reconnect. These sessions work well during team meetings and weekly wrap-ups, where everyone shares one thought out loud or in chat. You can use simple gratitude prompts to guide the reflection, such as:

What is something I take for granted that enriches my life?
Who has supported me along the way?
What recent achievement, big or small, am I proud of?
What part of my work feels most meaningful to me?
What is one challenge I handled well recently?
What is something at work that makes my day easier?

4. Virtual Forest Bathing

If your team needs a quick digital reset during a busy workday, virtual forest bathing can be a great activity. It is a digital version of the Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku, where you experience nature through VR forest walk videos, 360-degree nature tours, or guided audio. Schedule a short 5-10 minute break between meetings, share a VR link, and ask everyone to turn off notifications during the session. Use slow visuals with forest sounds, rainfall, or ocean waves to create a calm, immersive break that helps shift focus away from work-related pressure.

5. Digital Detox Hour

Constant notifications, emails, and screen time can contribute to workplace stress and mental fatigue. A digital detox hour encourages employees to step away from their devices and spend time on offline activities that help them regain energy.During the session, participants can mute notifications, close work applications, and focus on activities such as reading, journaling, sketching, walking, or simply taking a quiet break. Teams can reconnect afterward and share how they spent their screen-free time.Quick Tip: Introduce a monthly digital detox challenge where employees exchange their favorite offline stress-relief activities.

Fun Stress Relief Activities for Teams

A little fun can go a long way in breaking up a stressful workweek. These team-friendly experiences foster laughter and social interaction, helping employees re-energize at work.

6. Stress Buster Bingo

Looking for a lighthearted and entertaining game for teams to relieve stress? Then check out Hooray Teams Stress Buster Bingo for an engaging team challenge. Each participant receives digital bingo cards filled with simple stress-relief actions, daily habits, or fun work-related prompts. A host calls out items one by one, and players mark them off as they go. The first person to complete a row, column, or diagonal can simply call out “Bingo” to win the round. With 3-4 fast-paced rounds, teams have plenty of chances to score a win. Here are some example prompts participants might find on their bingo cards:

Took a screen break today
Practices meditation regularly
Loves herbal tea
Cleaned up inbox or desk space
Tried aromatherapy
Has a soothing music playlist
Journals regularly

7. Improv Games

Improv games trace their roots back to improvisational theater, where performers build scenes, conversations, and ideas in real time without a script. For teams, improv games create a fun mental break from work by shifting attention away from daily stressors. They help employees think on their feet, communicate more freely, and build confidence in a relaxed environment. Popular improv games for teams include Read My Lips, Word Association, Charades, Fortunately/Unfortunately, Yes and Story, One Word Story, and Line, Please. As there are no “correct” answers, these games naturally shift attention away from overthinking and keep everyone's mind engaged in a lighter, more fluid way.

8. Laughter Yoga

Research suggests that laughter can trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Hooray Teams laughter yoga taps into these benefits by combining intentional laughter with simple breathing exercises. During the session, a certified instructor guides teams through practices such as Lion Laughter, Deep Belly Breathing, Gradient Laughter, and Milkshake Laughter. The session is followed by light icebreakers and gratitude exercises to keep everyone engaged. If you want to customize the session around themes like stress relief, mindfulness, or team bonding, the platform can tailor the experience to your preferences.

9. Pet Meet-and-Greets

Pets have a way of bringing people together, even through a screen. A pet meet-and-greet gives teams a chance to pause from work conversations and enjoy something everyone can smile about. These sessions can feature therapy dogs, rescue animals, or employees' own pets, depending on your setup. Teams can spend time learning about the animals, hearing their stories, asking questions, and enjoying casual interactions. Companies even partner with local shelters or therapy animal groups to bring in trained animals for the experience. You can also invite employees to introduce their pets, share funny pet photos, or vote for categories like "Most Expressive Face" or "Biggest Trouble Maker."

Creative Stress Relief Activities for Teams

These hands-on activities give teams a creative outlet to unwind, clear their minds, and focus on something other than work for a while.

10. Clay Sculpting

Working with clay gives teams a chance to slow down, take a break from screens, and focus on something hands-on for a change. The goal isn't to create a perfect piece but to enjoy the process of shaping, molding, and experimenting with the material. Teams can try cathartic sculpting techniques, such as making pinch pots, rolling clay into coils, or creating abstract sculptures. Once your designs are complete, air-dry them and set aside time for a mini show-and-tell where team members can present their creations.

11. Doodle Your Mood

When your team needs a creative break, a blank sheet of paper and a few markers can go a surprisingly long way. In Doodle Your Mood, teams can express how they're feeling through simple shapes, patterns, colors, and sketches. You can give the team a prompt and let everyone interpret it in their own way. Some employees may create repeating Zentangle-style patterns, while others might turn their emotions into colors, lines, or abstract shapes. Other popular approaches include circle breathing doodles, sketching a peaceful place, or turning random scribbles into recognizable objects and designs. At the end of the session, participants can share their doodles with others and explain the meaning behind them. If you'd rather bring in an expert, Hooray Teams' Virtual Doodling Art session offers a guided experience with creative prompts for the whole team.

12. Vision Board Workshops

When workloads start piling up, it's easy for employees to focus only on immediate tasks and lose sight of bigger personal or professional goals. Hooray Teams vision board workshops give teams dedicated time to reflect on what they want to achieve and what motivates them. During the session, participants create digital or physical boards using images, quotes, words, and goals that resonate with them. Teams can also build a "Sensory" Vision Board that focuses on how you feel rather than what you want to achieve. In the end, participants can share the stories behind their boards and discuss the goals or aspirations that inspired them.

13. Creative Writing Challenges

Got a team full of ideas, stories, or thoughts that rarely make it onto paper? Creative writing challenges give employees a chance to explore them. Creative writing challenges give teams a low-pressure outlet to reflect, process emotions, and explore ideas through writing.You can introduce different prompts throughout the session to keep things interesting. Popular options include a 15-Minute Brain Dump, writing an Unsent Letter, or telling a story from the perspective of a pet, plant, or everyday object. Teams can also create short poems, gratitude lists, or "I Am" affirmation statements and read them aloud in the end.

Nature-based Stress Relief Activities for Teams

14. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

A little fresh air and movement can go a long way when stress starts piling up. Outdoor scavenger hunts get teams away from their desks, explore their surroundings, and reconnect with nature. Have a host share a list of nature-inspired items to find in the outdoors. Teams might look for things like a unique leaf, a colorful flower, a smooth stone, or anything that represents calm, gratitude, or happiness. The team that gathers and showcases the most items on camera within the dedicated time wins the game. You can also customize the game around themes like stress relief, mindfulness, team bonding, or wellness to create a personalized experience.

15. Community Gardening Projects

If your team enjoys spending time outdoors, a community garden can turn a simple patch of soil into a long-term team project. Teams can plant herbs, vegetables, flowers, or pollinator-friendly gardens in a shared outdoor space and return regularly to help maintain them. You can even create sensory gardens filled with lavender, mint, rosemary, and other fragrant plants. Community harvest projects are another popular option, where teams grow produce and donate or share the harvest once it's ready. Unlike one-time activities, gardening gives employees an ongoing project they can revisit throughout the season.

16. Nature Painting

If your team enjoys creative activities, taking the paintbrush outdoors can make the experience even more relaxing. Nature painting gives employees a chance to slow down, spend time outside, and draw inspiration from the world around them. You can set up the activity in a garden, park, rooftop space, or any location with natural scenery. Participants can experiment with styles like wet-on-wet watercolor skies, botanical line drawings, fluid acrylic pours, abstract nature mandalas, seascapes, wildflowers, and forest trails. At the end of the session, participants can share their artwork and the natural scene that inspired it. Check out the Virtual Nature Painting Class by Hooray Teams, which includes a facilitator and curated kits, perfect for both remote and hybrid teams.

17. Al Fresco Meditation

Al fresco translates to "in the fresh air," and that's exactly what this activity is about. Al fresco meditation gives teams an opportunity to step outside and slow the pace of the workday. You can host the session in a park, garden, courtyard, rooftop space, or any quiet outdoor setting. Teams might practice mindful breathing, guided visualization, mindful listening, grounding exercises, or slow-walking meditation while paying attention to sounds, scents, and the natural surroundings. Combine the session with a short nature walk to give employees time to re-energize before returning to work.

18. Mindful Music Breaks

Music can be a powerful tool for helping employees decompress and refresh during a busy workday. Mindful music breaks give teams a chance to pause, listen, and focus on calming sounds that encourage relaxation and mental clarity.Create themed playlists featuring nature sounds, instrumental music, lo-fi beats, classical compositions, or ambient soundscapes. Employees can listen individually or join a shared session where everyone enjoys the same playlist together.Popular themes include:

Rainy Day Relaxation
Focus Flow Lo-fi
Acoustic Coffeehouse
Nature Sound Escape
Classical Calm

Quick Tip: Invite employees to contribute songs to a collaborative wellness playlist that the entire team can enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best stress relief activities for employees?

The best workplace stress relief activities are easy to join, require minimal preparation, and fit naturally into the workday. Guided breathing exercises, desk stretch breaks, gratitude reflection sessions, laughter yoga, and outdoor scavenger hunts are popular choices because they help employees realign their thoughts without taking too much time away from work. Mixing creative, social, and physical activity for stress relief can keep employees engaged and prevent activities from feeling repetitive.

What are 5-minute stress relief activities for work?

Some of the best 5-minute stress relief activities for work include desk stretching, deep breathing exercises, mindful music breaks, gratitude reflections, and quick walking breaks. These activities require minimal preparation and can help employees realign their focus, reduce tension, and return to work feeling refreshed.

What are stress relief activities for remote employees?

Stress relief activities for remote employees include virtual mindfulness sessions, desk yoga, guided meditation, digital detox hours, virtual coffee chats, and employee wellness challenges. These activities help combat isolation, reduce screen fatigue, and encourage a healthier work-life balance.

What are indoor stress relief activities for offices?

Popular indoor stress relief activities for offices include walking meetings, desk yoga, mindfulness exercises, adult coloring sessions, wellness challenges, and relaxation rooms. These activities promote movement, reduce workplace stress, and create a more positive office environment.

What are stress relief activities for large groups?

For large groups, activities such as company-wide wellness challenges, virtual fitness competitions, guided meditation sessions, gratitude walls, mindful music breaks, and team step-count challenges work particularly well. These activities are easy to scale and encourage participation across departments and locations.

How do activities to relieve stress improve workplace culture?

A well-planned stress-relief activity gives employees a chance to take a break from work pressures and interact in a different setting. Over time, these experiences can strengthen relationships, encourage open communication, and create a more supportive work environment.

Can virtual activities to relieve stress be effective?

Yes. Virtual activities can be just as effective as in-person sessions when they are interactive and thoughtfully designed. Activities like virtual forest bathing, guided breathing exercises, gratitude reflections, and online bingo help remote employees disconnect from work stress and reconnect with colleagues. Many companies use virtual stress relief activities for groups to support distributed and hybrid teams.

How often should companies offer activities to relieve stress?

There is no one-size-fits-all schedule, but many organizations find success by offering short activities weekly and larger wellness events monthly or quarterly. Frequent, low-effort workplace stress relief activities are often more effective than occasional large programs because they help employees manage stress consistently throughout the year.

What are low-cost activities to relieve stress for teams?

Many effective stress-relief ideas require little to no budget. Guided breathing sessions, desk stretches, gratitude reflections, creative writing prompts, and walking meetings are all examples of diy stress relief activities that can be organized internally. Team bingo games, improv challenges, and outdoor nature walks are also affordable fun activities for stress relief that encourage participation without high costs.

How can managers reduce workplace stress?

Managers can reduce workplace stress by setting realistic expectations, encouraging regular breaks, supporting time off, and creating opportunities for employees to recharge. Offering a mix of workplace stress relief activities, promoting healthy work habits, and recognizing employee contributions can also help prevent stress from building up over time.