Feeling Jittery? Try Origami.

Origami, a form of artistic paper-folding that originated in Japan, is both beautiful, and a helpful coping mechanism for people experiencing anxiety and/or depression.

When I’m nervous, I usually feel it in my hands.

It’s like all the energy gathers there, and I have to tap, drum, or shake it all out. And I know a lot of people feel the same way as me when they’re stressed. These gestures and motions can give different levels of stress relief to people, so it makes sense that this would be a common reaction to nerves or stress.

Still, I personally feel pent-up when I’m tapping my fingers. I think it’s because it makes me feel like I’m doing nothing, or maybe it’s just that the action isn’t enough for me. I don’t like stress balls or fidget spinners either—I find them boring, honestly, and the finger motions involved with these products feel repetitive, not soothing.

But that’s where origami actually comes into play.

The Benefits of Folding Origami (Even When You’re Nervous)

Folding origami to help with anxiety and depression actually isn’t a new idea. A lot of people find it calming and grounding to fold familiar origami patterns, or even to learn and practice new patterns of folding while dealing with negative emotions.

In fact, origami has been found to help boost attention span, self-esteem, and spatial awareness skills. Plus, it has the added bonus of giving you a cool, 3-D form of art that you made by yourself. 

You can buy origami paper for less than $10 on websites like Amazon, and there are several good sites and videos that provide folding designs for all skill levels.

I personally find folding origami as a really effective way of managing my own nervous energy, and I encourage other people struggling with anxiety, depression, or other sorts of negative feelings to give it a try.



A selection of origami models is spread out across a white background. Origami is fun to practice, because not only is it a soothing, productive pastime, but it also means that you can explore a variety of different folding patterns to make countless different designs.

Developing coping strategies and outlets is crucial to continue leading a healthy lifestyle.

So even if origami doesn’t work out for you, it’s important to keep searching for hobbies or tools that can help you deal with life. Even if you don’t suffer from a diagnosed mental illness, everyone feels down or nervous, sometimes. 

Stay safe out there.

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