We all feel stressed in a city of hustle and bustle. So how do you relax in a city that never sleeps? Keep reading to explore:

• 10 Relaxing Places in New York to Relieve Anxiety
• Scientifically Supported Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
• Fun Facts and more! 

10 Relaxing Places in New York to Relieve Anxiety. Scientifically Supported Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety. 

1. The Cage – West Village 

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Sports/Exercise

The Place: This place is famously known for its basketball, handball, and close-by attraction sites. This area is beautifully elaborated on by Geoffery from the Local Spotters of New York. You can grab a bite at a local pizza shop right across the street, and watch other people play basketball/handball. 

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: Many studies have shown promising results for exercise’s effects on reducing anxiety. 

Exercises have been shown to lessen anxiety in people with raised anxiety. It even works for people with anxiety disorders!  

Intense aerobic exercises work better to reduce anxiety in both kinds of people. So, playing a good game of basketball and handball is a wonderful way to help with stress and anxiety. It is a great activity to help burn some calories as well. So grab a ball and enjoy yourself!

2. Brooklyn Bridge Park

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Exercise and Interaction with Nature

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: We’ve talked about the wonderful effects of exercise on anxiety. 

Fun Fact: The study that I talked about earlier was set up interestingly. It compared people who joined exercise programs for 2 weeks with people who normally treated anxiety.  So, it is interesting to see that exercises can have such a good effect!

Scientists have also found that parks can have a wonderful effect in reducing anxiety. How cool is that? 

A team of scientists found that water bodies and flowers have a relaxing effect on people. The people participating in the study said that these things in nature helped them feel less pressure and stress. 

3. Bryant Park

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Meditation and Interaction with Nature

The Place: Bryant Park is famous for hosting a lot of yoga sessions with some of the best yoga teachers in the world! There are many classes that you can join for free. 

There are also paid classes that you can take. These classes are scheduled weekly or daily. You can find the one that’s right for you.

So if you love nature and want to unwind through yoga and meditation, Bryant Park is the way to go. 

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: We’ve talked about how nature can help reduce stress and pressure on you. 

Meditation has always been recommended for stress and anxiety. But can we scientifically show that? I got you. 

In 2018, an experiment was done to see if meditation can help with our body’s reaction to stress. And guess what? It did! 

The results show that people who meditated had fewer stress hormones. These hormones can cause our bodies to feel stress. In other words, meditation can help you cope with stress. 

4. Clove Lakes Park – Staten Island 

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Interaction with Nature

The Place: Clove Lakes Park is a relatively secluded area of New York. But its beauty speaks for itself. It has been a favorite spot of the Local Spotters of New York. 

Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: The beautiful lake and trees have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and pressure.

5. Thain Family Forest – New York Botanical Garden

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Interaction with Nature

The Place: The New York Botanical Garden is a place of wonder. Stop by and walk down the peaceful Thain Family Forest trail for a hike through nature. 

Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: As mentioned above, a natural and peaceful scenery is helpful. A casual walk through nature can help you feel less stressed and pressurized!

6. Kadampa Meditation Center

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Meditation 

The Place: The Kampa Meditation Center is one of the most highly reviewed meditation centers on Google Maps!

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: As mentioned above, meditation can help your body relax. It helps lessen the stress hormones in your body. 

7. Brooklyn Zen Center

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Meditation

The Place: The Brooklyn Zen Center is another highly reviewed meditation center on Google Maps. Help yourself to meditation lessons and let your spirituality flow. 

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: As mentioned above, meditation can help your body relax. It helps lessen the stress hormones in your body. 

8. Washington Square West Chess Tables

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Socialization and Interaction with Nature

The Place: The chess tables at Washington Square West are a famous spot in New York! People from so many different places gather together to play a game they love. Their love of the game can also help them bond with the other person. 

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: Interacting with others is nothing new. But it is interesting to see that scientists have just started to see how helpful socialization is. 

We have always known that man is a social animal and science proves it! Studies show us that interacting with other people like friends and family helps lessen our stress. In other words, just talking to other people helps you feel less anxious. 

9. Columbus Park

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Socialization and Interaction with Nature

The Place: Columbus Park is famous for having many Chinese singing, dancing, and casually playing with each other! Hop on over and chime in!

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: As I’ve mentioned before, socializing and playing with others has stress-relieving benefits. 

10. David Rubenstein Atrium – Lincoln Center 

Scientifically Supported Way to Relieve Anxiety: Music

The Place: Chime in with many musical concerts happening at the David Rubenstein Atrium. Entry is free so feel free to explore the area!

The Science Behind Relieving Anxiety: Scientists have found music to help patients calm down before surgical procedures! Safe to say, music can help you calm down too! 

Key Takeaway

There are many ways to relax in the hustle and bustle of New York! Exercise, meditate, or socialize to help reduce your anxiety and charge your battery for the next day.