# Plagued Anxiety Relievers Take Frustrations Out on the Infectious Disease Stress Ball By Matt Ho | Published 2011-08-03 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/infectious-disease-stress-ball References: [gearfuse](http://www.gearfuse.com/relieve-stress-with-squishy-bubonic-plague-balls/) & [thinkgeek](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/e8f1/) Before you punch the pillow, chain smoke or curse at someone like there's no tomorrow, take a deep breath and let the Infectious Disease Stress Ball deal with your anxiety. ThinkGeek has once again brought another strange, but wonderful item that's practical for everyday life to the masses. The Infectious Disease Stress Ball will let you take your frustrations out on it. The idea behind the name is that every time you squeeze the item, a cluster of pustule will pop out. There are four different colors, each of which respond accordingly to a disease. For example, there's smallpox for green and orange and red and green for the zombie virus. It's fun, quirky and a better way to deal with stress during the difficult times. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 59% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Humor](https://www.trendhunter.com/humor) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Stress Relief Toys:** The rise of stress relief toys as a way to deal with anxiety. - **Novelty Items:** The growing demand for unique and quirky everyday items. - **Themed Relaxation Products:** The trend towards relaxation products based on specific themes. ### Who This Affects Most - **Toy Industry:** Opportunity for toy companies to create stress relief products with creative and unique designs. - **Retail Industry:** Retailers can offer a variety of novelty, stress-relieving products to customers. - **Health and Wellness Industry:** The potential for introducing more themed relaxation products into the health and wellness industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Memory Gel Stress Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gel-stress-ball.md) - [Ultra-Soft Silicone Stress Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/silicone-stress-ball.md) - [Stress-Reducing Breathing Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breathing-ball.md) - [3D-Printed Stress Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lettuce-ball.md) - [Therapeutic Fidget Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/speks-magnet-balls.md) - [Malleable Stress Relief Mouses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vent-wireless-mouse.md) - [Volcanic Rock Fidget Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zenlet-lava-ball.md) - [Stress-Alleviating Desktop Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anger-management-toy.md) - [Educational Plush Clips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plagues-from-history-backpack-clips.md)