More on Stuffed Animals and Anxiety

A few years ago, I wrote a post talking about how my love of stuffed animals helps me with my anxiety. To this day, I get more positive comments about that post than anything else I’ve written, and I’m glad that it has resonated with those who have read it. In this post, I want to continue talking about stuffed animals because they still play a big part in how I manage my anxiety.

I'm Collecting Little Stuffed Animals for Anxiety Management These Days

At this point, I don’t buy any full-sized stuffed animals. I already have a lot of them, and if I were to buy more, I don’t know if I would get much use out of them – it’s already hard enough to manage the ones I have. Instead, what I’ve discovered is how much I enjoy collecting smaller stuffed animals.

By “small,” I generally mean stuffed animals that are about the size of a dog toy. These smaller ones are much easier to manage – because of their reduced size, I can place them around on a table or other pieces of furniture where I live. This way, wherever I happen to be, I can see one, and that makes me happy.

In addition, smaller stuffed animals are cheaper to buy and, because of their size, do not cause any issues of storage, which to me is a relief as I am always looking to minimize what I have.

Traveling With Stuffed Animals for Anxiety Relief

The most important thing about smaller stuffed animals is, due to their size, they are easy to take with you when traveling or going out. I used to occasionally take one of my full-sized stuffed animals, but it was cumbersome and caused problems for me when I needed to pack other things.

With a smaller stuffed animal, this is not an issue. I can put it at the bottom of my shoulder bag, the space it takes up being negligible. I don’t even have to take it out of my bag if I don’t feel comfortable – I can just reach inside and hold it or squeeze it like a stress ball.

Traveling is often stressful by default, but sometimes going out causes unneeded stress too. I will often become highly stressed for what seems like no reason at all. When I am at home, this is easy enough to manage – I can lie on the couch and get underneath blankets and put on a movie or music, and things will generally get better. When I’m out somewhere, obviously, I can’t do any of this. Having a stuffed animal, then, is invaluable, as it’s something soothing I can take with me that reminds me of being in a safe place.