A comprehensive anxiety treatment is not a substitute. Anxiety is not a condition that you can simply wish away, and you should ideally focus on learning new and healthier coping strategies that will cure your anxiety once and for all.
However, it is also beneficial to have a tool that you can take with you to help you calm down during times of intense anxiety. A spinner ring, also known as a meditation ring or worry ring, is one such tool.
This article discusses the value of a spinner ring as well as how to use it effectively.
When it comes to managing anxiety symptoms, there are numerous options available. Meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication (under the supervision of a doctor, of course) are a few examples. What's a lesser-known technique? Anxiety is ringing.
Anxiety rings may appear high-tech, but they are not: Most are extremely delicate, with tiny beads or in the form of multiple bands that spin on your finger. In other words, you can find one that complements your individual style. But how do they help with anxiety?
"There is frequently a component of 'runaway' thoughts that occur when our adaptive anxiety (the anxiety we all need to survive) morphs into pathological anxiety and impairs our ability to do what we need or want to do," explained Arpan Parikh, a psychiatrist and senior director of clinical experience for Ro Mind, a digital mental health platform for anxiety and depression.
It can be helpful, he says, to find ways to bring ourselves back to the present in those moments. "Having a physical object to focus your attention and thinking towards, whether it's an anxiety ring, fidget toy, or stress ball, can help the mind refocus and re-center."
What is a Spinner Ring?
A spinner ring is a ring that you wear on your finger that has an inner band that is locked in place and can be spun while the rest of the ring remains stationary on your finger. The spinner ring is thought to have originated in ancient Tibetan meditation traditions and is known as a "worry ring" because spinning it to the right is thought to have a calming effect on the mind and body.
While some spinner ring supporters argue that the ring is an anxiety cure in and of itself, a spinner ring by itself is unlikely to reduce your anxiety. However, there are legitimate ways to use a spinner ring that can be extremely valuable.
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Do anxiety rings work?
If you suffer from acute anxiety — and the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that over 40 million adults in the United States do — you should never consider an anxiety ring to be a substitute for in-person therapy or an excuse to avoid seeking help when you really need it. (Source)
An anxiety ring, according to Cheyenne Bryant, a psychologist and life coach, may be useful for some people who are experiencing anxiety or even a panic attack.
"Anxiety rings are designed to aid in the treatment of panic and anxiety attacks by distracting and refocusing your brain from racing and overwhelming thoughts," she explained. "Signals are sent to the brain in order to refocus your thoughts on the pressure or beads on your finger rather than anxiety."
"Anxiety rings are designed to aid in the treatment of panic and anxiety attacks by distracting and refocusing your brain from racing and overwhelming thoughts," she explained. "Signals are sent to the brain in order to refocus your thoughts on the pressure or beads on your finger rather than anxiety."
Bryant stated that the spinners on a ring are best used as a preventive measure when you first notice an attack coming on, whereas the beaded rings work well when "fight or flight" anxiety is present. "When you're feeling anxious, just apply pressure to the ring with your fingers," she says, to refocus your thoughts.
While Bryant and Parikh agree that anxiety rings can be beneficial for some people, Bryant believes that more research on the subject is needed before she would use them in a clinical setting. "Although they appear to be a great coping mechanism," she said, "I'd need to better understand the effectiveness before recommending anxiety rings to my clients."
The spinner ring is unlikely to contain any magical power. It's far more likely that the spinner ring is just a ring, and that fidgeting with it is relaxing because fidgeting in general is relaxing. Similarly, people who suffer from anxiety tend to fight it and ignore it. Spinning an anxiety ring is a way of bringing yourself into the present moment and acknowledging that you have anxiety, which can be calming in its own right.
The spinner ring, on the other hand, is unlikely to have any mystical anxiety-relieving properties. However, there are ways to increase the ring's value, such as by associating it with a relaxing event, thought, or action.
How to Make Use of a Spinner Ring
Most people who suffer from anxiety are aware of the need to fidget when they are anxious. Some people pick at their nails or bite them. Some people reach into their pockets. Others tinker with their necklaces or rings.
Spinner rings are intended to be tinkered with. When you need to fidget, they're a healthy, less obvious way to move your hands. To achieve a calmer, more meditative state, simply spin the center ring with your fingers and take deep breaths.
Combination of Spinner Rings and Anxiety Treatments
Tibetan spinner rings are not a cure-all for anxiety, but they are an intriguing and valuable concept. When you're feeling anxious, having something to sit and play with is very useful, and if you can associate it with something that calms you, it can have additional benefits.
However, depending on the severity of your anxiety, you will still want to control it with other anxiety reduction strategies.