If you see a Gen Zer holding onto their necklace, chances are they are feeling uneasy.
The latest “trend” declared by those born between 1997 and 2012 is “comfort necklaces” as a way to ease anxiety, nerves and other unsettling emotions.
Simply put, it’s any necklace — whether worn for fashion or sentimental value — that people touch for comfort.
But as Gen Z does, they put a name to the common action — many people often subconsciously reach for their necklace and dangle it in between their fingertips — and declared it a “trend.”
Now, TikTok is full of videos of women clutching their neck baubles. Videos of creators touching their pendants when they feel “nervous or scared” have gone viral, with the hashtag #comfortnecklace garnering 4.9 million views on the platform.
One person in the comments of a video showing a girl “holding her necklace for comfort” admitted that they “broke two necklaces from doing this so much.”
Another video sees a group of girls showing off their comfort necklaces, stating that “everybody needs one.”
A content creator posted a video over a sound saying, “I don’t know if I like it,” with the caption, “Any necklace that isn’t my comfort necklace.”
But the so-called trend isn’t limited to just necklaces — with Gen Z redefining all kinds of jewelry and attaching emotional status to them for a sense of ease.
“Touching my earrings and necklace for comfort,” someone posted on X.
According to a psychologist, necklaces can provide sensory and sentimental aspects that provide reassurance and touching it actually utilizes principles of cognitive behavioral therapy.
“The ‘comfort necklace’ trend among Gen Zers aligns with the key pillars of cognitive-behavioral therapy which focuses on how our thoughts (cognition), feelings and behaviors interact,” psychologist Amelia Thompson told Yahoo’s In The Know. “Often, people are advised to use grounding objects as a form of ‘self-soothing.’ Grounding objects are those that help someone to stay connected to the present moment.”
For example, sensory stimulation can help relieve anxiety symptoms and allow the brain to deflect from a state of anxiety, and sentimentality can bring up positive memories or feelings.
Thompson also mentioned that reaching for your necklace could be a coping mechanism — possibly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for Gen Z.
“This trend can be a form of self-regulation, especially during a time of increased isolation and uncertainty due to the ongoing pandemic. The chosen necklaces serve as tokens of comfort, providing a sense of security and helping them manage their anxiety and enhance their mood,” Thompson told the outlet.
She added that this trend could be Gen Z’s way of dealing with anxiety without any stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness.
“While professional services and medication are sometimes necessary, having these kinds of self-organized methods are also important. They are paving a way for coping and promoting mental health in ways that feel authentic to them.”
However, this mechanism shouldn’t be used in place of seeking professional help, Raul Haro, a marriage and family therapist, emphasized to In The Know.
“Seeking professional help and developing a strong support network can help people manage their emotions and improve their overall well-being.”
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