{"id":566459,"date":"2026-08-12T05:56:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T05:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/566459\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T05:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T05:56:19","slug":"keycap-keyrings-stress-relief-collectibles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/566459\/","title":{"rendered":"Keycap keyrings: stress relief & collectibles"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE \u2013 A holiday to South Korea in early July left me hooked on a new collectible \u2013 it now dangles from my phone as a keychain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Enter the world of \u201ckeycap keyrings\u201d \u2013 fidget toys made from mechanical keyboard keycaps, shrunk down into a portable form.<\/p>\n

In South Korea, Gen Z and millennials have relied on them as a coping mechanism<\/a> and stress reliever, at home and in the workplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I can understand why. In an increasingly fast-paced and digitalised world, it feels good to unplug, even for a brief moment.<\/p>\n

Having lunch at home? Click. Need extra focus to complete a deadline? Click click. Waiting for the bus? Click click click.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also nice to tap something that isn\u2019t a screen. It reminds me of the good old days when I played Snake on a Nokia phone or Tetris on a game console.<\/p>\n

As I learnt from Frisca Iskandar, a clinical psychologist at Singapore-based therapy and counselling service Talk Your Heart Out, simple physical actions like holding, squeezing or fidgeting with an object engage the sensory system, redirecting attention away from anxious thoughts and back to the present moment.<\/p>\n

She likens this to grounding, a technique used to help individuals manage overwhelming emotions. \u201cIn clinical practice, we often talk about the importance of having healthy coping resources, and for many people, these objects become one of those resources,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It turns out the phenomenon is not new, and takes many forms, such as carrying an emotional support water bottle <\/a>or clicking a favourite pen. For my mother, it is the satisfying, addictive feel of popping bubble wrap.<\/p>\n

Frisca says: \u201cWhat has changed is how visible these objects have become. Social media has made them part of everyday culture but, psychologically, the underlying need remains the same \u2013 people seek small reminders of comfort, familiarity and emotional safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her colleague at the counselling service, Carmen Yoong, points out that it is the same reason people bounce their leg or twist a ring on their finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually an old regulation strategy, where the body is trying to discharge something on its own,\u201d says the professional counsellor, adding that there is a rhythmic element to it that many people find soothing.<\/p>\n

Novel way to express yourself<\/p>\n

What I also find appealing is the experience of customising my own keyring. Those pop-up stores have a way of drawing you in with their extensive keycap designs, from colourful letters of the alphabet to popular Disney characters.<\/p>\n

Back home in Singapore, I\u2019ve seen keycap keyrings at department stores and independent retailers, with some creators putting a local spin on the designs \u2013 such as kaya toast and mahjong tiles.<\/p>\n

I like how some designs take a playful approach to life\u2019s little reminders. The clicker I bought from a South Korean stationery shop called Small Wins Club has keycap designs featuring advice like \u201csave money\u201d, \u201cgo out\u201d and \u201cdrink water\u201d.<\/p>\n

A Hong Kong-based e-tailer called Pretty Useless Club sells sports-related designs such as those involving pickleball, tennis and badminton. \u201cWe tried all the tricks \u2013 meditation, yelling into pillows \u2013 but discovered something cute, like a quirky clicker toy, reminds us life\u2019s still got charm,\u201d say the founders on its website.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps what this generation craves are subtle ways to show their identity and style through hyper-personalised and exclusive designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yoong says: \u201cChoosing the character and colour is like saying something about yourself without having to explain anything out loud, which for many people, especially younger folks who are still figuring out who they are, feels a lot safer than having to put it into words.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the clever part of this trend \u2013 it\u2019s doing two jobs at once. It\u2019s a comfort object and a little flag that says this is me.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Frisca cautions against overstating the effects of fidget items like keycap keyrings, which offer only a momentary sense of calm.<\/p>\n

Rather than viewing the trend as \u201csuperficial\u201d, she suggests identifying the emotional need the object fulfils, whether that is wanting to carry a small piece of joy every day, or wanting to express one\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cA keychain doesn\u2019t reduce anxiety on its own,\u201d she says, suggesting that these objects work best as supportive tools alongside other sources of emotional well-being \u2013 such as healthy coping habits and meaningful relationships \u2013 rather than as solutions in themselves.<\/p>\n

How to avoid compulsive buying<\/p>\n

As trends come and go, I am trying to resist buying more collectibles that I don\u2019t exactly need. Just scrolling through Instagram makes it extra challenging to pass on new, limited-editions and exclusive designs.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s always something newer, cuter and nicer. But do I really need more?<\/p>\n

Even though some designs are less expensive than others, the costs add up \u2013 some clicker sets start from $25, depending on the design and the number of additional charms or clickers.<\/p>\n

Frisca says that even though collecting can be a healthy hobby, one should be concerned when buying more becomes the primary way to manage difficult emotions or seek temporary relief from stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cAm I buying this because I genuinely like it or because I\u2019m hoping it will change how I feel right now? Healthy collecting comes from enjoyment. Compulsive collecting often comes from emotional urgency,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

She recommends setting a realistic budget for hobbies and allowing for a \u201ccooling-off period\u201d instead of making impulse purchases. If the emotional urgency fades after a day or two, you will have a clearer sense of whether you truly want the item, she says.<\/p>\n

She adds: \u201cI don\u2019t think the goal is to stop collecting \u2013 it is to make sure we\u2019re collecting because it enriches our lives, and not because we\u2019re trying to fill an emotional gap that requires something deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Yoong rightly points out: \u201cWanting comfort isn\u2019t the issue. It becomes something to look at only when the buying starts outrunning the comfort the object is actually giving you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINGAPORE \u2013 A holiday to South Korea in early July left me hooked on a new collectible \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566460,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-566459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}