Improve Your Concentration with Focal Jewelry

Lexa Olick

Not all of us can dazzle people with our wit, but a dazzling piece of jewelry can work just as well to stimulate some chitchat. A bracelet is a crafty conversation starter because it catches the eye and is another tool for us to use to identify ourselves. My sister’s medical identification bracelet gives her peace of mind, and its modern, stylish design lets her bring awareness to women’s health issues. I remember as a child, medical ID bracelets were only available in one basic design and my sister would never want to wear it because it made her feel different. Nowadays, medical ID bracelets come in an endless variety of styles and my sister finally has one that she is proud to wear.

My mother was also on the lookout for some peace of mind and she found it in the form of a paracord bracelet. Paracord, or parachute cord, is a lightweight nylon cord that originally was used in parachutes and now is fashioned into bracelets that can be unraveled to use in emergency situations. My mother may never need this bracelet, but it makes her feel more secure just to know it’s there.

My sister sometimes pairs her medical identification bracelet with silicone bracelets. These bracelets support many causes and their colorful appearance ensures that they are spotted and talked about. Bracelets have uses that extend beyond fashion and make them part of our identity.

For as long as I can remember, jewelry has always been more than just some shiny objects to me. Whenever I felt stressed or anxious in my youth, I could always reach out and touch an earring, twirl a necklace between my fingers, or rearrange the rings on my hands. I didn’t need to see the jewelry to know it was there. I just had to feel it. Focusing on its presence brought me comfort, which boosted my concentration. The significance of the shape, size, weight, and texture of the materials that made up a piece of jewelry rivaled its visual beauty (as well as its ability to coordinate an outfit!). Relief was hidden in the shape of each bead, and all I had to do was touch it.

I started using jewelry to strengthen my concentration back in grade school. I felt a lot of pressure to do well in my studies, so stepping away from the computer screen was not always an option. I experienced carpal tunnel syndrome before I even hit middle school. Nevertheless, I only had to look to the fingers before me to find relief. Of course, it wasn’t actually my fingers that caught my attention. My eyes were drawn to the rings that dazzled on each pinkie.

Working nonstop put so much pressure on my mind and body that it became harder for me to focus on the task at hand, but when I directed my focus to the silvery bands around my fingers, I felt like I’d hit a reset button. Simply rubbing each gemstone allowed me to focus on my breathing, clear my mind, and relax. In the end, I became more productive and tasks were easier for me to complete.

Stress and anxiety typically grow throughout adulthood as we’re faced with increasing responsibilities, but jewelry continued to help me meditate. Just like my mother’s paracord bracelet, keeping something around my wrist gave me peace of mind. The convenience of wearing a bracelet ensured that I would always have it with me. Jewelry would always be a comforting presence.

As a child, I didn’t care what my jewelry was made out of. Whether it was plastic, pewter, resin, or silver-plated alloy, all that mattered was that I liked it. Unfortunately, there comes a time—or so I’m told—when we can no longer run around in junk-drawer jewelry. As we age, there is always someone in our lives, whether it’s a parent, professor, or employer, who urges us to be more mature or look more professional. So sometime after college I had a garage sale to say goodbye to all my old belongings.

My front yard had a table that displayed all the accessories I grew up with. Each necklace, bracelet, ring, and earring had a story to tell. Most people might have grouped the jewelry by color, designer, or style, but I grouped them by their memories and sealed them together in plastic sandwich bags.

A young woman immediately went to the table with the jewelry and started fishing through the items. She pulled out a bag, opened it, and dug her finger inside. She held out a necklace by its clasp and told me that she would pay full price for just that single strand of beads. I told her she could have everything inside the bag, but she only wanted the necklace. She wouldn’t take anything more. She told me that she wanted the middle bead specifically so she could make her own bracelet from it. My eyes sparkled at this information. We then continued to talk about jewelry, recycling, and crafts. This bracelet hadn’t even been created yet and it still managed to spark a conversation. Delighted to find a fellow crafter, I gave the girl the necklace for free.

Although I was sad to see my childhood necklace torn apart, I was happy to know a part of it would live on. The young woman who bought it wasn’t turned off by junk-drawer jewelry. What the necklace was made out of didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was the single bead that called out to her. Perhaps years of being worn by a happy child had filled the bead with palpable positive energy.

I’ve participated in many garage sales over the years, but because I’ve always relied on jewelry as a tool to help me concentrate and unwind, I never sold another piece. The need to strengthen concentration or lessen stress is something people will never outgrow. So each bead, stone, and charm that I thought I’d outgrown was reinvented and refashioned into something new and stronger. I discovered that I could weave fond memories and pleasant experiences together to create new jewelry. Now, when I hold that jewelry in my hands and meditate, I can feel all that positive energy. That energy helps build my confidence and rids my body of stress.

Beads with a past help create meaningful jewelry, because each bead chronicles a part of your life. All those wonderful feelings are joined together. The piece of jewelry the beads create becomes a part of your identity. Gazing at the beads or feeling them with the pads of your fingertips is like reading a story. Each bead is readily recognized and brings you back to happier times. You can focus on jewelry to balance your breathing, calm an overstimulated mind, or break down mental and emotional barriers.

Create Your Own Piece of Focal Jewelry

To create a piece of focal jewelry, you will need as few as three components: string, beads, and a button. The most important part is finding beads that are important to you. You should choose beads that you can recognize even with your eyes closed. The beads should have a shape or texture that your fingertips can easily tell apart. When you can identify each bead simply by touch, it becomes easier for you to focus on your breathing and clear your mind.

Supplies

• .5 mm beading cord (at least 50 inches)

• Beads

• Button

• Scissors

• Bead caps and spacer beads (optional)

Step One

Take your beading cord and fold the length in half. This will double the cord and help create the clasp at the end. Elastic cord works great because it gives the bracelet a little more stretch, but I don’t recommend it if you’re using heavier beads such as genuine stones. Heavy beads will weigh down the elastic cord and make your bracelet floppy. If your beads need more support, look for natural fiber braiding cord, such as hemp or bamboo.

Step Two

With the folded length of cord in your hand, tie an overhand knot to fit the size of your button. Do not make the loop too tight or too loose. Try to make the loop the same size as the button. After you tie your knot, check to see that the button can easily slip through. The knot should be large enough to prevent the beads from sliding off, so you may have to tie several overhand knots on top of each other.

Step Three

Hold the cord together and begin to string your beads. Be creative with your patterns, colors, and materials. Try mixing faceted beads with smooth beads to vary the textures. Use different colored beads to symbolize emotions or wishes. Add spacer beads or bead caps to create distance between the textures and colors. They can help group and separate beads that hold different meanings.

Continue to string the beads. Feel your stress and anxiety melt away as you concentrate on the task. If you’re recycling old beads, think about the memories they hold. Focus on your breathing and your intentions as you add each bead, and feel the energy within each one. The longer you handle the beads, the more focused you will become.

Step Four

Once you have finished stringing all your beads, secure them in place with an overhand knot. Thread the remaining cord up through the bottom of your button, then thread the cord back down the top of the button. Knot the cord together on the underside. You can add a dab of craft glue to the knot to help keep it in place. Trim off the excess cord. The button slips through the overhand knot from step two to secure the bracelet on your wrist.  

Lexa Olick is the author of Witchy Crafts: 60 Enchanted Projects for the Creative Witch. She has contributed to several Llewellyn annuals and is a graduate of the University of Buffalo, where she studied art and art history. When she is not writing or crafting, she spends her time traveling, gardening, and adding to her collection of antique glassware. She currently lives in New York with her family and several hyperactive pets.

Illustrator: Tim Foley

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