If you all have been following along with me here for a while then you know that I am also a school counselor in a high school.  I love my job even though it can be pretty overwhelming at times.  What I love most about it is watching students who may have not been able to function to start to feel somewhat normal again and even sometimes to thrive! It is a long process, but there is such great joy in those moments.

There are a few gadgets I keep on hand in my office in order to help students talk to me, focus or just reduce anxiety.  It is so true that most of us can concentrate a little better when we are doing something with our hands.  This is why I love Tangle.  I have several Tangles in my basket in my counseling office and I even have one that I gave to my youngest son.  All students enjoy playing with them, but many students actually gravitate towards them first just to calm themselves.  I even have teachers that will show up and borrow one for their pocket for the day.

Tangle has several new and updated versions that were sent my way.  I love the size of them, however many of them would not necessarily fit in a pocket.  But the textures are wonderful and I know that the students are going to appreciate these.  The Tangle Therapy are probably my favorite just because of the texture and colors.  The Brain Tools line is also going to be great for everyone.

To see these in video form, head over to my Instagram “LIFE” highlights.

Even if you aren’t a school counselor, these are a great and inexpensive way to help your own child at home with focus and anxiety.  If you are looking for other skills you can do at home for your child who may be struggling with anxiety I would encourage you to look at doing a few basic grounding skills:

This is my go to:

Name 5 things you can see in the room.

Name 4 things you can feel.

Name 3 things you can hear right now.

Name 2 things you can smell right now.

Name 1 thing about yourself

You can also ask them to lean against the wall with all the weight in their arms pressing into the wall with their hands.  Have them hold this for 30 seconds and then relax their arms.  You can do this several times.

If you all have any questions about these therapy tools or about anxiety in general feel free to leave a comment below.