Worry Beads
Breathe in slowly. As you breathe out, slide one bead along the string.
Tap the beads, drag the glowing one, or press the space bar. There’s no hurry and no score.
0 of 21 beads
How it helps
In Greece you’ll see people passing a komboloi through their fingers at café tables, bus stops and in queues. Not for prayer, just to keep their hands and minds a little steadier.
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Breathe in
Slowly, through your nose if you can. Let your belly rise.
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Slide one bead
As you breathe out, move one bead along and listen for the click.
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Go round, or stop
When the string comes back to the tassel, begin another round, or simply stop there.
Strings of beads for counting and calming appear in many cultures, from the komboloi and the misbaha to the mala and the rosary. There’s little formal research on worry beads themselves, but pairing a small, repeated movement with slow breathing gives a busy mind something simple and steady to hold on to.
If your thoughts wander, that’s normal. Notice where they went, and come back to the next bead.