8 Things That Are Relaxing For A Normal Person But Stress Really Smart People Out
Pressmaster | Shutterstock Stress affects really smart people differently than it does average minds because it tends to seriously impair cognitive abilities like concentration and focus. That means things that might not be stressful for a regular Joe make a smartie-pants want to pull their hair out.
A normal person might deal with stress by letting off steam with friends at a local pub or indulging in a little doomscrolling or a YouTube deep dive. For anyone with a high IQ, however, those tried-and-true relaxing activities are anything but. Their minds simply won't quiet down in the same way.
Things a normal person does to relax that stress really smart people out:
1. Watching ASMR videos
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Intelligent people are often overstimulated easily by sensory information and input that others find easy to ignore. In some cases, like with ASMR videos, they’re even relaxing for normal people, while being completely overwhelming and stressful to someone with a sensitive mind.
They hear and experience things much more intensely than most people, which is why ASMR eating, whispering, and scratching sounds are not always as relaxing as they’re promised to be.
2. Meditating
Many intelligent people have naturally deep-thinking minds. They’re wired toward thoughtful conversations and depth because they are constantly entertaining a million different thoughts. That’s part of why meditation can be especially difficult for them. Simply stopping those thoughts can feel futile and stressful.
Yes, meditation improves cognition and stress levels, but it’s not always the easy release for smart people that it is for their average counterparts.
3. Getting their hair done
Yes, the overstimulation of blow dryers, a million people talking, and having their hair touched can be overwhelming for a sensitive person, but sometimes the simple tendency smart people have to overthink can strain these seemingly normal activities. Yes, intelligent people are prosocial, but when they’re already overwhelmed, overthinking and anxiety can take over.
Especially when conversation feels strained, or they’re not sure how to relate to someone new, it can feel impossible to avoid the mindless small talk that normal people tend to find relaxing in these situations.
4. Going out after a long day
For some people, letting their hair down and going out to a social event after a taxing day is actually relaxing. They can bond with people, make small talk with strangers, and avoid all their stress from the workday. However, for intelligent people who tend to prefer alone time, these distractions usually create more stress than they’re worth.
Especially when they’re less interested in small talk over deeper, intentional conversations, of course, they don’t want to strain their social battery after a long day.
5. Crowded parties
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Crowded parties might feel relaxing to someone who enjoys being around other people or dancing to process their emotions, but for a smart person, they’re just stressful. Especially when the music is too loud or it’s too packed to have a thoughtful conversation, they’d probably prefer to just stay home.
Yes, they might occasionally battle loneliness because of their preference for seeking out alone time, but most of the time, this space is necessary for them to relax, unwind, and process what’s been floating around in their minds all day.
6. Watching movies in bed
If you’ve had a long day at work, it’s not uncommon to crave the escape of a comfort show or movie from bed. However, given that intelligent people are often at greater risk of sleep deprivation, they have to be careful about the habits they make time for before going to bed.
For everyone, using screens and consuming content online from bed can seriously damage sleep quality and duration. However, for high-IQ people who already need to be quite intentional to get a good night’s rest, it can derail their routine. It might be relaxing in the moment, but when it creates more exhaustion the next day, it’s rarely worth it.
7. Mindless busywork
In all parts of their lives, intelligent people tend to benefit most from depth. They appreciate deep conversations and hobbies that actually make them think. Ironically, this kind of effort and intention is more relaxing than distraction.
That’s why mindless busywork like doing the dishes is rarely reenergizing. If they are doing these kinds of tasks, it’s usually because they’re avoiding something bigger or procrastinating a project they’re still unwinding in their heads, leading to more long-term stress than the average person may experience.
8. Complaining
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Yes, for some people, venting and complaining before taking action and making a change can be healthy. In small doses, of course. However, when someone frequently relies on venting and pity for comfort, they’re sabotaging their mental health.
Especially for intelligent people who are often natural problem-solvers at heart, refusing to take accountability isn’t relaxing. Complaining only winds up their already busy mind even more, and without action on the other side of a venting session, they end up more stressed than they started.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
