Stress Management Thumball

Look under your thumb and share your reaction to whatever prompt lies beneath it. Thumball is a soft, 6" stuffed ball pre-printed with 32 prompts and LOADS of interesting applications for meetings, training, and employee relations.

With the Stress Management Thumball, explore the causes of stress and  various ways to manage its impact. Teams can discuss what affects their stress level, how they can help each other out, how they can better manage their own approach to stress, and more.

** TIPS **

Facilitation Suggestions

This Thumball contains both prompts that address causes of stress and others that promote discussion and reflection on responses to stress. This is really meant to be a tool to build awareness and enable conversations about stress.

If you want to kick it up a notch, try these creative twists:

1. Ask first recipient to select an answer panel to which all players must respond or contribute.
2. Have players recall the responses of others.
3. Use each answer as a prompt to discuss broader aspects of stress-management including time management techniques, diet, exercise, sleep, ways to say "no", etc.

Prompts include. . .

1. Which "urgent" tasks most distract you from important ones?
2. Where is your favorite "quiet" place?
3. Is saying "I'm sorry" hard for you?
4. Is your space usually organized or cluttered? Do you care?
5. What's your most stressful month of the year? Why?
6. For how long can you comfortably unplug?
7. If you found $5000, how would you use it?
8. What work task would you most like to avoid?
9. What activities cause you to lose track of time?
10. Who do you hope will cut you some slack?
11. How does your mood affect your stress?
12. Is trying something new more energizing or stressful?
13. What forms of exercise are most enjoyable?
14. Do you get as much sleep as you need?
15. Is there a new hobby you're hoping to start?
16. What are your most dreaded household chores?
17. When you're busy, what's first to get cut from your routine?
18. If you took a "1-minute mental vacation," where would you go?
19. If you had one day left to live, what would you do?
20. When stressed do you prefer company or solitude?
21. What most stresses you out?
22. Do you know when to say "NO"?
23. How would you use two extra hours per day?
24. When I'm stressed I __________.
25. Who or what makes you laugh?
26. What most relaxes you?
27. How many emails do you delete daily?
28. What's your favorite time waster?
29. What are your favorite comfort foods?
30. How would you like to change your diet?
31. Toss Again
32. Catcher's choice

©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

• All about Silver Series Thumballs
• Tips & Suggestion on Facilitating Thumball Experiences
• How Deep to Discuss
• 7 Tips to formulate great questions
• More tools for great conversations
• Discover Your Thumball Style
• How Deep to Discuss Infographic
• Ground Rules Signs
• Tips for facilitating difficult situations