Oh, how these holidays can be jolly is beyond me sometimes. This year, however, I found a way to be calm. If the spirit of this time of year is to be giving of one's self, then why not find a way to use it to your advantage?
For instance, I have collected a lot of plastics in the hopes of recycling ♻ to help the planet be more green. So, this year, when the holidays snuck up seemingly out of nowhere, I got them all together - with some other items - to see if there was anything which could be of use... and inspiration came in the form of my need to stim away my anxieties.
My whole family suffers through anxiety and other issues which cause the former to materialize. My baby brother tends to tap his fingers on nearly every surface. It drives some of us insane. Still, I know he's just stimming in one of many ways. So, when he asked for some bubble wrap instead (which I didn't have) in an attempt to be "less annoying," it inspired me.
While he was out, I gathered what I needed:
- Sewing kit
- fabric scraps
- plastic candy wrappers
Then, I sat and thread my needle. Chose a piece of fabric he would like (Cotton/Lycra blend) in a nice color and pattern (blue stars). After sewing it 4/5 of the way, I began crumbling the wrappers and using a pencil (unsharpened) to shove them into the soon-to-be "Stim-Stress Pillow" and, once finished, sewed it shut and then folded it over the edge a little and stitched it to be the size of my fist.
Whether he uses it in a stress ball fashion (squeezing & releasing) or similar to bubble wrap (crinkling it beside his ear) he has an easier way to stim when anxious.
The point is, I found a way to help others while simultaneously relaxing during the holidays - with the exception of the occasional finger-prick via needle. Why stress out over gifts when you can meditate instead?
*Note: In my family we pick a random day to give gifts if we think they'll be useful rather than fun. Since I knew he was stressing over how he stims, something one shouldn't have to do, I gave it to him when he came home. He smiled and thought it was really "cool" and began using it within 30 minutes of receival.
