(Reused with permission from the Val’s Stage column in VISTAS, our community newspaper.)
Are you feeling anxious? Comfortably insert your finger in your ear, pull down, hold, and breathe deeply. This simple action is meant to help you reset and find your balance, reducing the tension caused by stress.
I saw this idea on an Instagram post in my feed, and I wasted at least thirty minutes trying to find it again. I did not. As a result, I cannot specifically give credit to the poster with this idea.
However, I did find the suggestion intriguing. The lady in the reel described how this worked scientifically, and I wish I could share that part. Alas, I do not have any more minutes to continue my search.
At this time of year, many things can cause us anxiety. For example, when a well-meaning friend asks one (or all) of the following questions:
“Have you done your spring cleaning yet? I did mine this weekend.” (Stick your finger in your ear… you know what to do.)
“How are your taxes coming along?” (Asked before the deadline!) (Ear jab.)
“You haven’t taken your winter tires off your car yet?” (A more forceful ear jab.)
“Have you registered your kids for summer camps yet? They’re likely filled up by now.” (Not too far—you could damage your eardrum!)
“Do you dry clean your winter clothes before you pack them away?” (Pack them away? Dry clean? Would the finger feel better if you licked it?)
“Do you have something in mind for your dad for Father’s Day?” (Isn’t that in June? Should we invest brain cells into this deliberation now? Consider trimming your nails before the ear treatment.)
If you try this finger-in-the-ear strategy for reducing your May stress, please heed the following warnings:
Avoid verbalizing your actions and telling your friend to “Stick it in your ear.” You might get a cold response since you essentially told them to “Shut up.”
Ensure your finger is clean since putting anything in your ear canal can cause an otitis externa infection. No one needs to add to their anxiety with otitis of any kind. There are also the risks of cutting your canal with your fingernail or forcing wax back into your inner ear to consider. By the way, most ENTs will tell you, “Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.” (I challenge you to try that.)
Never put your finger in someone else’s ear, thinking you will reduce their anxiety. Licking your finger first is an even worse idea. “Wet willies” are rarely ever accepted well.
According to scienceofpeople.com, “touching, rubbing, or scratching the ears is a self-soothing gesture that may happen when a person feels nervous or anxious.” However, they describe it as a more subconscious action than a known anxiety-killer.
With my tendency to keep my nails long, I will not be testing this theory on a grand scale. Instead, I will implement a more Biblical strategy for dealing with stress.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
Since God created my body, it seems logical to go to the source for my warranty work. Pulling my own ear will not solve my problems, but trusting in the all-knowing God to get me through them is a better plan.
Another verse I tend to cling to when I am feeling overwhelmed is Romans 8:28:
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Putting my faith in God makes more sense than damaging my ear drum.
What or who do you turn to when you are feeling anxious? Have you tried giving your cares to God and asking Him to take care of them? Can you trust Him enough to leave your worries in His capable hands?
Do you believe Romans 8:28?
Thank You for Your love, Father. Thank You for caring. And thank You for ears to hear Your Word.
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