Stress Balls or Pick Apart Corks to Relieve Anxiety/Stress

Stress Balls or Pick Apart Corks to Relieve Anxiety/Stress

                  This mode of therapy is well suited for the school atmosphere since it does not require any additional supports from other students or staff members. Stress balls or pick apart corks are used when students are experiencing levels of anxiety that they are either not able to control or that leads (or can lead) to trichotillomania or excoriation. Trichotillomania is defined as a compulsive desire to pull out one’s hair. Excoriation is defined as the repeated urge to pick at one’s own skin. Research has been documented to show that with this desire is the body’s reaction to stress. The stress balls or corks are given to the student to keep and can be used in and outside of the school setting to help distract their hands when they feel the need to start picking at their skin or hair. Since both of these alternatives focus on something simple to keep your hands busy, in a repetitive movement, it eventually relieves your stress on to the ball or cork versus internalizing feelings and self-harming. Stress balls can be used to crunch or block the stress or anxiety you are feeling, in a repetitive motion which can become a subconscious movement. As the social worker you will have to guide and explain how and when a stress ball is used (to reduce the urge to pick or pull). A pick apart cork is used in the same manner. It is a cork that can easily be picked apart to stimulate the same action as if the student was doing it to themselves, yet in a non-harmful manner.

The Social Social Work practice model this emulates the most is that it provides evidence-based education, behavior, and mental health services. This treatment should be used to ensure the most effective outcomes. This is also an activity in which you can monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness. This can and should be achieved by check-ins with teachers and through classroom observations, also by checking with the student and their progress with either the stress ball or pick apart cork.

Stress balls come in a variety of styles, sizes and types. They can be purchased in a store or online easily searched through google. Stress balls can also be made very inexpensively by purchasing a pool “noodle” and cutting it into smaller circular pieces to be easily, inexpensively, distributed. Pick apart corks may been purchased at this link: 

 https://www.therapyshoppe.com/category/P3389-fidgets-tools-fidget-toys-for-skin-pickers-dermatillomania-trichotillomania