What do stress relief squishes look and feel like, what are they for and what are they for?
Due to constant agitation and stress, the body of children and adults is exposed to daily stress. He accumulates adrenaline, from which it is difficult to find a way out. Getting rid of anxiety is not easy, but you can solve the problem in quite original ways. If you not only familiarize yourself with what the squish antistress is, but also use these cute toys every day, then the nervous system will be in perfect condition.
toy story
Japan is considered the birthplace of squish creation, but real interest in anti-stress trinkets was born in 2016, when the McLachlens brothers created a small cube-shaped toy that keeps hands occupied by queuing, a boring conference or a long trip. From this moment, discussions began on the topic of fidgeting - the unconscious playing of an object with the hands in order to calm the nerves, distract or, conversely, to concentrate on a specific thought.
At the same time, a spinning top appeared, a bearing with weights, designed to occupy the hands of those who cannot achieve concentration and concentration. But the popularity of spinners did not last long.They were replaced by anti-stress squishes, interest in which increased in 2017. They began to be bought as gifts for the Christmas tree, souvenirs for schoolchildren.
Children love these soft and flexible anti-stress toys because they help them deal with negative emotions. If earlier at such times the child played with buttons, turned the handle, now the pleasant tactile sensations of how the squish toy wrinkles and returns to its previous shape, relaxes and soothes. In addition, its appearance is attractive and its smell is pleasant. Adults have not remained indifferent to anti-stress squishes either.
What they look like and how they are arranged
Squishies are small Japanese-style toys. They can be crumpled to your liking - they will always spring back into shape. The process of returning to the original shape is soothing, interesting.
There are several types of anti-stress squishies. The most popular are these.
silicone balls
A large ball contains a viscous substance. After being pressed, small balls appear from the holes of the mesh placed on top.
stuffed animals
These squishies come in the form of small toys - elephants, cats, hares, dogs. They are often filled with polystyrene beads.
small objects
Simple shaped anti-stress toys - a sponge, a ball, a ball, vegetables. Made of soft and flexible material.
Kaomaru's faces
Small character figurines, made of highly deformable rubber, which allow the expression on the figurine's face to change from sad to happy and vice versa.
Anti-stress handles
They can be bent, twisted as you like, after which they get their original professional look.
The main material for making an anti-stress squishy is polyurethane foam. There are foam rubber, rubber or silicone toys. Different materials give different tactile feelings from each other. Inside the silicone there may be plasticine, water.
Anti-stress squishies vary in size. The smaller ones are made as trinkets or balls. They easily fit in the palm of your hand. They are attached to phones, keys. Giant squishies are the biggest stress relief toys up to 30cm. Their design is diverse - cartoon characters, animals, vegetables and fruits, food.
why are we
Squishies aren't just fun or useless as it might seem. An anti-stress toy helps improve the nervous system and can be a distraction if a person is under high emotional stress. It helps to forget the difficulties of everyday life, to face the blues. By using the touch method, you can reduce anxiety and contain your emotions. Anger, bad mood and irritability are eliminated with all their might on the squish, which will "bear" and "survive" everything, and the person will improve his mood, overcome depression and continue his activities.
Anti-stress squishes are useful in various situations. Pillow toys are used at home, pens are useful in the office, silicone balls can be used if there is a long wait or an informal meeting.
Squishies are useful not only for calming and concentrating adults and school children, but also for toddlers. By using shiny toys, crushing them, children train their fingers, contribute to the development of strength and dexterity and improve motor skills.With the help of them you can study colors, swim with them, collect different types.
Reasons for popularity
The toy is popular with children and adults alike, as there are many ways to have fun with the anti-stress squishes:
- it can be wrinkled by applying any effort;
- stretch without fear of injury;
- throw one to the other or from the right hand to the left;
- kids can use squishies as food to play "cooking";
- the brightest and most popular to use as decoration on school backpacks;
- they do not deteriorate after a long stay in water, they can be taken with you to the bathroom.
The advantages of the toy include some of its features:
- it does not stick to the hands;
- has a pleasant aroma;
- want to hold in the palms;
- relieves stress;
- made of soft material;
- has a beautiful, interesting design;
- the toy is compact, you can take it with you, put it in a backpack or a children's bag.
How to take care of toys
Like any toy they are constantly engaged with, stress squishies can get dirty, dust settle and germs accumulate. To clean and restore their original appearance, they must be washed periodically.
To prevent the bright colors from fading, you should wash the anti-stress squishies by hand in warm water with shampoo. Pillow stuffing is removed in rare cases - only if buckwheat husks or flax seeds are used in this capacity, which cannot get wet. Most often, toys are filled with polystyrene balls. They are not removed from the cover, since the material practically does not absorb water and tolerates washing well.
After rinsing, the pillow is placed horizontally, the water drains and evaporates quickly, leaving the squishies dry and clean.
Anti-stress toys can be machine washed. In this case, the following procedure must be followed:
- Rub the soap on the blanket or toy.
- Leave the soapy solution on for 20 minutes and rinse.
- Put the squish in a lid so the polystyrene balls don't come out and clog the washing machine's drain filter.
- Pour a gel-type detergent for wool into the drawer.
- Set the "Delicate wash" mode, temperature 40 ⁰С and 400 rpm.
- Start the process.
- After the end of the cycle, perform an additional rinse.
Interesting facts
Translated from English squishy (spongy) means "crush". Those familiar with anti-stress toys find interesting:
- squeaky emoticons - when pressed, liquid “flows” from their mouths;
- a collection of animals - beautiful, gentle, help relieve stress;
- a cow with bulging eyes - will be able to amuse any user;
- a ball with small colored balls inside - it is nice to squeeze and stretch the toy;
- transparent egg - what is inside, they recognize after pressing;
- container with "mucus" - it is interesting to twist, squeeze and stretch a mass of unusual consistency;
- grape ball - an anti-stress toy that restores nerves and strengthens fine motor skills.