Stress Balls are fun little (and sometimes big) "toys" with two very serious sides.

These cute little balls really do help in stressful situations. Whether you are sitting nervously in a dentist's chair, irritated and bored out of your gourd at a somewhat contentious office meeting, or stuck dead still in yet another traffic jam, a nice squishy stress ball can give your hands something creative to work on, which somehow seems to relax your mind as well.

As I have previously written, I have literally sat and watched an elderly friend go from clenched up fear in the dermatologist's chair to somewhat (though not totally) relaxed as she started squishing the stress ball her doctor handed her.

Later, when I asked her if the stress ball help, she nodded her head big time and said, resoundingly, "YES!" As you can imagine, I'll make sure I pack a stress ball next time I take her to the doctor's or dentist's office.

Take a cute stress ball, add the name of your company, along with a URL and/or telephone number, and you have the beginnings of a fun little marketing campaign that can pay off for years to come.

Whether you choose a simple smiley face stress ball, a cute round stress ball that looks like a mini-globe, or really get into the holiday spirit with a creatively designed stress ball that matches the current holiday, it's going to be fun to pick, fun to give, and fun for your client to enjoy.

She may take it to the office where other employees can see it. He may take it home to share with his kids. Then he's bound to see it more often which means he's thinking of you and your company more often. She might even take it to a business meeting where future clients from other departments might get to see your company info. Any of these scenarios benefits you and your company.

Granted, the traditional promotional pen with your company info may seem like the better way to go as it is probably less expensive. In that case, I would say - spend more on the pen or stick with the stress balls. When that pen runs out of ink at the wrong time, who do you think the client will moan at? The company who's name is on the pen! The joy of the stress ball is that it can't run out of ink. :)  True, it can get lost. But eventually it will probably turn back up to remind them of you all over again.

Whether you use the stress ball to help a nervous friend, give it to a client as a promo item, or just keep them around to help you relax, you'll enjoy the selection process and getting to play with them yourself! They are great for your own kids and grandkids as well.

I love the many choices that are available online! There is pretty much a stress ball for any occasion and it's fun to let your imagination run wild! Holidays are especially fun to plan around. Can you imagine the great compliments your company will get when clients see a bowl filled with cute round Snowmen? Or how relaxed a deal elderly relative headed for the dentist will be when you present her with a sweet little Valentine heart?