What Are Worry Beads

I am often asked what are worry beads and can anyone use them. Worry beads are a stress relief toy that have no religious significance so anyone can use them.

It is thought that they originated in Greece where for many years they were only used by men.

They are now used by men and women all over the world.

They are used to give you something to do with your hands.

When we are stressed we tend to stiffen our bodies in preparation to fight or run.

Distract Your Mind From Worrying

Day to day the stress we feel is often about small things that don't warrant that fight or flight response.

We can help to remove that tensed up feeling by occupying our hands and directing our thoughts to help clear our heads.

Worry beads do this job as you can fiddle with them or use them as a meditation aid.

Just counting the beads can be enough to help you relieve some of the stress, so you start to feel calm again and to think clearly about your problems.

What Are Worry Beads Made From?

Worry beads are made from a single cord that is about twice the length of your palm.

They usually have an odd number of beads threaded onto the cord.

The number of beads is usually in multiples of four plus an extra one.
So you could have 17 beads (4x4+1=17) or 21 beads (5x4+1=21) etc.

The beads are usually made from natural materials such as amber or wood but can be made from any smooth material.

As the worry beads are supposed to be handled regularly then the material should be tactile, it needs to feel nice and comforting in the hands

What Beads Should I use?

Wood is warm to the touch and if varnished it feels smooth and silky.

Glass can feel cold when you first pick up the beads which can be pleasant if your stress is making you feel hot and bothered.

The glass will warm up as it's handled and you can almost feel the transference of your stress into the beads. You cool down as the beads warm up.

Metal beads will take on the temperature of their environment, so if you leave your beads on a sunny window sill they will be hot when you pick them up. 

Metals are not really recommended for worry beads as many people have allergies to certain metals and some metals such as nickel or aluminum can be poisonous .

As you are handling the beads regularly the metal can seep into the skin through your fingers. If you really want to use metal beads only use pure, safe metals and do make sure the recipient has no allergies or sensitivity to the metals before you choose the beads or make your gift.

Plastic beads are usually warm to touch and they are very light. They do not make a particularly nice noise when the beads hit each other. But they can be used by children though to make their own first set of worry beads. The bright colors and hardiness of the beads make them great for a child's first set of worry beads.

Find out more . . .

I hope you enjoyed this article on what are worry beads and I have answered your questions. If you would like to know more click on one of the links below.

Learn How to Make Worry Beads

Learn How to Use Worry Beads

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