When Isabella Banos’s anxiety gets triggered, she tends to pick at her fingers and break the skin. So Banos, who works in communications, has started to “carry a magnetic ball fidget toy so I don’t,” she said. She also totes lavender oil, a portable fan, a rosary and sour candies in a small bag she takes everywhere. This kind of carryall has become known to her and others as a “panic pouch.”
These pouches function as emotional first-aid kits, stocked with items meant to ease acute symptoms of anxiety, from worry or dread to a racing heart and upset stomach. Such symptoms can “pull people out of the present moment and their body,” says Samar Ayyub, a Seattle-based clinical social worker and therapist.
Online, sharing what’s in your panic pouch—and how it helps to keep you grounded—has become popular. “It allows for people to not feel so alone,” says Jayme Cyk, cofounder of And Repeat, who’s written about her struggles with anxiety on her Substack “I’m On An Antidepressant.” Below, a sampling of what people ages 10 to 47 keep in theirs.
Isabella Banos, 22, Glendora, Calif.
Profession: Communications
Typical panic pouch uses: 3–4 times a day
- Speks mini magnet balls toy
- Sour candies—“The sour taste distracts my brain when I start to feel anxious.”
- Lavender essential oil
- Portable fan—“When I get anxious I tend to get hot.”
- Aegis Formulas dissolvable anti-anxiety strips
- A rosary and Bible verses
Emma Strachman, 39, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Profession: Makeup artist
Typical panic pouch uses: Depends on the day, but usually a few times
- Deodorant wipes—“If I’m shooting outside I use these at least once a day.”
- Ativan—“A couple times a month when my thoughts and emotions get too overwhelming, and I just need to slow down so I can process at a different speed.”
- Arrae bloat pills
- 1 mg THC gummies
- Band-Aids
- Tampons
- Diptyque perfume samples
- Jao hand sanitizer
- Extra contact lenses and eye drops
- Packets of Pique matcha, electrolytes, and ginger lemon tea
Jay Emmy, 10, Fanwood, N.J.
Profession: Fifth-grade student
Typical panic pouch uses: Once a day during school
- A stress ball shaped like poop
- Mini notepad and pens
- Magnetic clump of “rocks” in a tin
- Gummy-like earth worms—“For wrapping around my fingers.”
- Fidget spinner
- Toy with buttons that pop in and out
Eleni Solomou Wolf, 47, Athens, Greece
Profession: Journalist
Typical panic pouch uses: Once a day on weekdays, more during the school year
- Cuticle cream
- Small hair brush—“For nervous brushing. It’s also a discreet way to use pressure points. Pressed firmly against the inner wrist or palm, it feels incredibly grounding—like a tiny nervous system reset.”
- Ashwagandha stress-reducing pills
Holly Siegel, 44, Long Island, N.Y.
Profession: Writer
Typical panic pouch uses: “Once a week on my LIRR ride. Can’t get stuck in Ronkonkoma with no charger.”
- Hand sanitizer
- Antibacterial wipes—“Everything in my panic pouch is about preparation and comfort, particularly on my train commute.”
- Tissues
- Battery charger
- Corded headphones
- Various crystals
- Nausea medication
Jacey Adler, 28, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Profession: Content creator
Typical panic pouch uses: “A few times a week when I’m home, more often when I travel.”
- Mary Ruth’s relaxing L-theanine drops
- The Ginger People rescue chews—“Feeling nauseous can trigger my anxiety and these work fast.”
- Saje peppermint rollerball
- Speks mini magnetic balls toy—“It gives my hands something to do and it’s small enough to carry everywhere.”
- Unplugs earplugs—“For overstimulation. They have a toggle so you can close out your environment or keep one side open if you’re talking to someone.”
- Zicam cold medication
