Indulge in a new activity book to help you bust your stress

Stress regulation strategies can help you feel grounded and balanced. Representation Pic/istock

Thane-based stress strategist, physiotherapist, and behavioural health coach Anuja Luniya's self-published book, Relax, Play, Thrive, is a collection of 111 dynamic activities that help regulate stress. Luniya was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) about 20 years ago.

"In 2020, when I had a flare-up, the doctors told me that I had to go on immunosuppressants. Being a therapist, I've been trained not to think of life as survival, but [to think of] living the best quality of life." After making a switch in her medication, she began searching for alternative therapies that would help heal her holistically too.

Calm Trails: Pick a token, roll the die, and set out on a stress-busting adventure. Landed on a de-stress activity? Chill out and have some fun. If you land on the same square as another player, enjoy the activity together. The first player past the star square wins

"Stress is a trigger for my flare-ups," she says. It was the first thing to be tackled. While she found some solace in understanding broad ideas of circadian health, gut microbiome, and biohacking, she found answers in a book she discovered purely by chance. "I was looking for a fun novel online, and came across an interactive activity book." She found plenty of such books, but soon realised that none were comprehensive enough in dealing with all the important aspects of stress regulation. These involve engaging with multiple systems in the body. This inspired her to create a book herself. Within 45 minutes, Luniya had drawn up a plan. It took her 10 months after ideation to research and put the material together.

The activities in the book include drawing repetitive mindfulness patterns, listening to calming music, moving, tracking energy, solving mazes and word-searches, playing games based on resilience, and filling reflection pages. Luniya followed science-based techniques to produce an ideal book for those who wish to manage their stress better.

From Empty to Happy: Is your glass feeling half-empty today? Draw, doodle or write everything good and positive, in this moment, in the glass, and start to see your glass half-full. ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY/ANUJA LUNIYA

"Most of the techniques are focused on regulating your nervous system because stress is a response from it. This is based on the polyvagal theory. The play part of the activities is, therefore, to help you shift into feeling more grounded and balanced, without any effort. Once you feel better, then you start engaging with the activity-based tools in it, like strategies and techniques which can be scanned through the QR codes in the book."

The book works on regulating one's gut, blood sugar, circadian rhythm, and lifestyle habits, among other things. One of its striking qualities is that it contains well-detailed explanations of these concepts at the beginning, should a reader be interested in understanding how exactly they work.

At the same time, these do not interfere with the activities in the rest of the book, which are well planned, creative, and delightful to attempt. For Luniya, all of these factors play an important role in balancing the body and living a healthier and happier life.

COST Rs 1,699
AVAILABLE At leading e-stores