March Mindfulness is our new series that examines the explosive growth in mindfulness and meditation technology — culminating in Mashable's groundbreaking competitive meditation bracket contest. Because March shouldn't be all madness.
Reaching for your phone as a distraction from uncomfortable situations has become a reflex at this point. It's a handy tactic to avoid eye contact in public, but bolting to social media or even self-care apps when you're stressed or anxious could subconsciously be making you feel worse.
It's time we find something to focus our energy that's more productive than listening for Twitter's refresh "pop" sound every five minutes.
Mindfulness and the focus on focus aren't new by any means, but have increasingly been in the spotlight due to a mass fixation on self care. Sure, being open and curious about the present without judging other ideas rattling your brain sounds great, but here's the thing: It doesn't come easy for everyone. Mastering mindfulness can take time — and the right level of expectations. For those who aren't ready to hop on the meditation train, there are other options to help you chill out.
Enter: stress toys. When social media has become a dumpster fire and self-care apps just aren't cutting it, something as simple as a physical toy can help you decompress. And while the fidget spinner is now just a memory rolling around on the floor of your car, its short life had a bigger impact than making Toys R Us airfreight tens of thousands of them to meet demand: It opened up the conversation about stress, nervous energy, and how seemingly useless little toys can affect how we focus.
There hasn't been a lot of peer-reviewed scientific research done on the science of fidgeting, but the mass obsession with the fidget spinner leads us to believe that stress toys are something people really want — and is hopefully opening the door for more research on the benefits. Forbes journalist Bruce Y. Lee dove into the idea of fidgeting:
"One thought is that fidgeting may occupy parts of your brain that otherwise would distract the rest of your brain with random thoughts. [...] Fidgeting may prevent your mind from being occupied by obsessive and unhealthy thoughts such as what is the meaning of life, what do other people think of you, why aren't you more attractive, why do others seem more successful on Facebook than you, and why isn't Justin Beiber [SIC] returning your phone call?"
The modern stress toy market has expanded past fidget spinners and long beloved stress balls in an attempt to satisfy all the different ways we can work through this excess energy: Whether that's squeezing, squishing, spinning, rolling, molding, building, or a mix. Similar to the way meditation apps guide you through breathing or have you stare at bubbles, these toys provide a way to regather yourself during an overwhelming situation or to simply channel some nervous energy.
A few seconds of focusing your energy on a stress toy — or simply giving your fingers something to do that's not nervously biting your nails or picking at your skin — can help you slow down. Toys may not free you of other thoughts like meditation aims to, but they're something that can help you pause when everything else is spinning. Plus, they're perfect for daily use.
TL;DR: Everyone needs an outlet for stress sometimes, and it's totally fine if yours is a stress toy. Here are eight of the best new stress toys you can buy on the internet.
