Finding a Tool That Helps
When I went to the hospital in Florida four years ago, they taught me how to be me and live with my anxiety. There is no cure for anxiety, but it is manageable. I put together an “go bag” with tools to help deal with anxiety. I learned to pay attention to my anxiety and use the things in my bag to help me cope when I am anxious.
A Desire to Help Others
Since then, I have had the desire to help others suffering from anxiety. Even if we are taught all the tips and tricks to calm anxiety, when we are in an anxious state, we can’t focus to remember what we have been taught. So, the learning goes unutilized. I had the idea to create Anxiety Bags so that others could have tools to reach for when in that state of overwhelm and to help people with anxiety and other mental illnesses have a way to refocus and calm their minds. At the time, I didn’t have the means to create bags for others, but I could share my story. That’s why Bob’s Bag of Tricks blog was born.
The Time Has Finally Arrived!
Since the COVID pandemic, it seems that feelings of anxiety have increased dramatically. My desire to help has also increased. My wife and I decided we needed to put that desire into action. Last weekend we went to a vendor event and sold the first Bob’s Bag of Tricks Anxiety Bags.
The Anxiety Bags contain serenity cards, a coloring book, a mental health maintenance journal, colored pencils, a pen, a fidget toy, and a squishy ball in a compact sling backpack. The Serenity Cards are a deck of 54 cards, which my wife and I created. One side features serene nature photos that we took. On the other side are helpful tips and tricks to help those with anxiety or other mental illnesses to use as coping tactics.
How I Use My Anxiety Bag
I use the Serenity Cards when I need to take a break from the anxiety. I look at the beautiful pictures to calm my mind and use the other side when I need a coping skill. This helps me to refocus on something besides my anxiety. The coloring book is one of my favorites. I get involved in the coloring and it frees up my mind to pay attention to the conversations around me, allowing me to participate in them. The fidget toys and squishy balls are good when I am on the go or in a meeting. They are less conspicuous. The journal helps me keep track of my thoughts and feelings, tracking patterns. It is also helpful, for example, when I start a new medicine to track any side effects. I can then share that with my doctor. Or, if something triggers me and I write it down, I can go back and see what may have caused it. The uses are endless.
A Great Relief
When we get anxious, we are in a mindset where we can’t think straight. Even when we’ve learned what to do, we can’t make that decision in the moment. Having an Anxiety Bag that is always there full of tools that we can immediately turn to is a great relief.
I take my Anxiety Bag everywhere.
How You Can Help
At the vendor event, we asked people if they knew someone with anxiety. Two typical responses were, “Yes, me!” or “Isn’t everyone!” If you know someone who is suffering with anxiety or other mental illness and want to help them, please share my blog. If an Anxiety Bag could help someone feel safer going out or be more confident in a group setting, please share this post. I can’t reach everyone, but together, we can reach many.