I Have to Poop
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every time I get in any type of line. I've been like that my whole life. Airports, amusement parks, car lines---if I don't know how long I'll be in line, it's inevitable. It took me many MANY years to figure out my IBS sometimes was triggered by my anxiety. After the pandemic, like many others, we couldn't wait to take our vacation that had been on pause for 2+ years. During the airport security line, my oldest daughter pulled out this hand held fan to fan herself. This was the most genius thing I had seen in a long time! I spent the first few days of our trip searching for a similar fan. I found a plastic cheesy one in the back of a souvenir shop but I didn't care, I LOVED this idea of having a fan that didn't need charging or batteries. That fan didn't long and I was on the hunt for another one. Turns out they aren't easy to come by. Our last day of the trip, I met a lady that made them for the local farmers market. I bought one and thought that was all she wrote. I had no idea how this fan would turn into my "security blanket". My fan was helping with my anxiety every time I was in a line, or sitting on a plane with a delay or walking through the latest nature trail. Every time I would be in a crowd, someone would ask me where I got my fan or if I knew where to get one. I started researching, how to make them? why does it help with my anxiety? Could this help other people with anxiety? After several months and lots of late nights and mistakes, I started making them for gifts! I also learned that studies show that hand held fans providing facial airflow can help reduce feelings of anxiety and breathlessness, giving the sensation of getting more air in. This air stimulates small nerve receptors in the face which in turn stimulates the brain to slow down. So there you go! I hope you enjoy and will share this story to hopefully help others with the line between anxiety and living life out in the world.