Worry beads have been enjoying resurgence in popularity recently. Greek in origin, these strings of glass or semi precious stones are designed to relieve stress and to relax the user by the various methods of handling them.
Often referred to as “Komboloi” beads, worry beads are thought to have been derived from the ancient tradition of knotted prayer strands used by Greek Orthodox monks. Komboloi literally translates as “group of knots”.
It is not so long ago that worry beads were only used by men, as it was thought unseemly for a woman to be seen with a strand of them, but today the tradition is not limited and young, old, male and female are all welcome to use worry beads.
The beads come in a variety of styles and there are also different techniques for using them. Some worry beads are extremely beautiful to look at and older or antique sets can fetch very high prices at auction.
Whilst traditionally worry beads are in short strands and are made of Amber, these days one can find a plethora of styles and in many different materials.
Plastic, glass and ceramics are all common materials used in worry beads and one can find strands which vary in length from around sixteen to twenty beads.
Often strung on cord, worry beads can also be presented on leather or a fine chain. The ease with which the beads slip down the cord or chain and through the fingers is what makes them so pleasant to handle.
Usually the string of worry beads ends in a single bead tied near a tassel or sometimes a charm of some kind. The idea is to pull the string or chain towards you and then allow a bead to slip down the cord
and to land with a satisfying clink next to the previous bead.
Other people prefer to roll the beads together in their palm, or to swing the strand back and forth so the worry beads hit one another rhythmically.
There have been numerous scientific enquiries into whether or not worry beads actually do help to minimize stress and the overwhelming evidence appears to prove that they do.
Research in Cambridge concluded that repetitive tasks such as threading worry beads through the fingers or simply playing with them do in fact reduce the after effects of a traumatic experience.
Volunteers were exposed to disturbing images and in the following weeks found that they suffered from flashbacks; the volunteers who had been provided with worry beads reported fewer instances of flashbacks than those who had not.
So what does all this tell us about worry beads? The fact that these innocuous looking little strings of beads are in fact a powerful antidote to the stress of modern living is inescapable.
For many centuries, religions all over the world have utilised beads in some form or other to pray or meditate. Buddhist’s and Catholics also have their own versions of worry beads albeit for prayer purposes.
The tradition is an ancient and powerful one and in this modern and highly stressful world, a tradition which many of us might do well to try.
