Our team here at Sensory Toys have always been focused on improving the lives of our customers. Therefore, we wanted to begin publishing in-depth ‘opinion pieces’ about how our toys have improved the lives of those who are now using them.
Please see our first opinion piece by Sophia Cardellino who suffers with stress and anxiety.
I have struggled with stress and anxiety since around 15 years old and whilst over the years I have discovered valuable ways to control a number of ‘irrational’ negative feelings that come with this, I have always been open to looking for other options that I may not have seen before. Especially due to the fact that as I get older some previous techniques no longer seem to give me the sense of ‘calm’ that I am seeking.
Since both lockdowns, like many others, I have felt myself beginning to feel extremely stressed and anxious again, a feeling I thought I had finally gained control of since finishing university. The tightening in my chest was back and my ‘irrational’ thoughts would not seem to let me have a moment of peace. These feelings would come at random moments, springing up on me and often forcing me to suppress the urge to cry. My usual strategy would be to focus on something productive but recently when working from home I would begin to feel overwhelmed, unable to ask my friend to go for a cuppa and a breath of fresh air and not wanting to bother my partner with what I saw as my ‘silly’ emotions. Until recently it had been something I had simply been ‘getting on with’ and supressing, which is not usually the greatest way to handle things at the best of times! So, I knew I needed to look into potentially new ways of relieving this feeling that I may not have tried before…
For me personally I had always assumed sensory toys were for children and had therefore never considered them as an option to calm my anxiety. However, after speaking to Zak Hirst, the owner of Sensory Toys, about his sensory products and how they can help with stress and anxiety in all ages I was intrigued. He explained to me how visual stimulation can create a sense of calm, as you are focusing on the motions, thereby helping to clear your thoughts and make you feel relaxed. Another item that he mentioned to de-stress was of course stress balls, however I had previously always found them to be uncomfortable to grip, although I cannot say I have ever brought high quality ones before.
With this in mind I began using:
Both the ooze tube and liquid timer have been ideal for visual stimulation. I often will have them sat by my laptop whilst I work and when I feel like I need a moment of calm I sit back and simply watch the liquid flow through them both. It is something that I never would have thought to try before but it has really helped to clear my mind, allowing me to take a moment to myself throughout the day, as I will often say to myself ‘once the liquid has reached the bottom carry on with work’. The sensory DNA ball is also brilliant, and the first stress ball that I have found to be of use! It is really soft and as there are smaller balls inside it is great as a fidget / stress toy. I often find myself squeezing it when I am reading through particularly long emails that I really need to focus on. It has also helped me to stop jigging my leg under the desk, as I instead seem to be projecting my nervous energy into the squeezing of the sensory DNA ball.
Overall, they have helped me a lot with both my stress and anxiety, especially when teamed with talking more openly with my partner, as well as my other coping techniques that I previously used too. Sensory Toys has definitely aided me in relieving my stress and anxiety, and I can safely say that these ‘toys’ are not just for children! If you are struggling with stress or anxiety, then I would thoroughly recommend trying some sensory toys as an added coping mechanism.
If you would like to write an opinion piece for us, please get in contact with us asap.
The Sensory Toys Team
Sensorytoys.co.uk
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