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Worry stones (palm stones,thumb stones) are smooth,polished gemstones,in the shape of heart about 40mm,used for relaxation or anxiety relief.They are used by holding the stone between the index finger and thumb and gently moving one's thumb back and forth across the stone.MultifunctionalFrom the perspective of cognitive behavior therapy,the use of worry stones is one of many folk practices that can function as psychologically healthy self-soothing exercises.Such techniques are imparted at an early stage of treatment,displacing any familiar but destructive coping methods(nail-biting,scratching,lip-biting,etc.)that the patient may have developed.This helps ready the patient to safely confront anxiety or trauma.Worry stones are simple and intuitive enough to be useful in therapeutic contexts where complexity and unfamiliarity are paramount concerns,such as when offering short-term treatment to refugees or children with post-traumatic stress disorder.After a patient has mastered a more sophisticated relaxation script for anxiety management,the worry stone itself can serve as a physical relaxation script reminder;the patient may notice an impulse to use the object,and thereby become aware of their own anxiety.