Squeeze Away Your Stress

On March 26th, 2026, the YOUfirst team hosted a stress ball making workshop to promote self care and relaxation. Our peers created their own personalized stress balls, which served as a both fun and effective activity for managing stress! The workshop was an instant hit, with our peers eagerly joining in to create their own stress balls. Each participant got to design their stress ball however they'd like, from the color of the balloon to what message or crazy face it might have. Soon enough, we ran out of stress balls, but got crafty and used latex gloves as an alternative! We hope all of our participants learned that self care is never selfish! Follow along below to find out how to make them yourself!

DIY stress balls: How to make them

Gather all needed supplies:

• Balloons

• Rice

• Empty plastic water bottle

• Scissors 

• Markers and stickers (optional but adds a fun touch!)

Directions:

1. Cut the bottom of the plastic water bottle using scissors, leaving just the neck, mouth, and the spout as shown in the pictures above. This acts as your funnel!

2. Attach a balloon to the mouth of the water bottle.

3. Using the "funnel," scoop or pour rice to fill up the balloon. Fill the balloon to your desired size and fullness. If you want a firmer stress ball, pack in more rice!

4. Once your balloon is full, carefully remove it from the bottle and tie the balloon.

5. Now, decorate! Use markers or stickers to customize your stress ball however you'd like. Enjoy and SQUEEZE AWAY YOUR STRESS!