Conquer Anxiety with a Colander: Samantha the “Stressed-Out” Squirrel’s Unique Mental Health Warrior Tool
- Bruce Schutter
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
It was one of those days where my stress was doing cartwheels and my thoughts were racing like they were training for the Squirrel Olympics. I was standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at a head of cauliflower, when I heard a frantic tapping on the window.
There, perched outside on the windowsill, was Samantha the "Stressed-Out" Squirrel. Eyes wide, tail twitching and holding something shiny above her head like she just raided a pasta-themed treasure chest.
"Bruce! Open up! I brought the thing! The brand-new Warrior Tool to fight anxiety — the Colander!"
Yes. You read that right.
A Colander!
The Warrior Path
Samantha the “Stressed-Out” Squirrel isn’t your average tree-dweller. She’s got a mind that never shuts off, an acorn schedule color-coded in six shades of panic and enough emotional energy to power a small city. But beneath the over-caffeinated exterior is a deeply caring Mental Health Warrior who knows exactly what it feels like to be overwhelmed by anxiety.
And she knows my story too. She knows I spent 20 years battling Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — a fight that left me feeling so powerless I tried to end my life. But in that dark time, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
Armed with that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge — so you can take control of your emotions, triumph over your challenges and build the life you really want.
Samantha also knows that anxiety has always been one of my trickiest opponents. From GAD to Social Anxiety, and the pressure cooker of current events, it’s like the stress fairy keeps renewing my subscription without asking.
So, naturally, she wanted to share the latest unique creation from Marvin’s Warrior crew.
The Mental Health Warrior Colander Tool
“We made this,” she announced proudly, setting the metal colander on the kitchen table like it was Excalibur. Doug the “Depressed” Dog, Andy the “Anxious” Aardvark and Marvin all helped her develop it. “Everyone has one,” she chirped. “And we realized it can help you take charge and triumph over anxiety!”
I blinked at her. “You’re telling me this pasta strainer is now a mental health tool?”
“It’s a Warrior Colander,” she corrected, puffing out her tiny chest. “And let me show you five ways it works!”
Tool 1: Sift Through the Stress
“When your head feels like a squirrel convention,” Samantha said, setting the colander down with dramatic flair, “you strain it. You pour all the chaos in — deadlines, texts, squirrel-level panic — and let the small stuff drain out.”
“What stays? The real worry. The thing that actually matters.” She tapped the colander. “This little guy helps me stop spiraling and focus on just one thing at a time — so I can triumph over it.”
Our Turn:
I’ve lived those days where everything feels urgent and anxiety hijacks my brain like it’s trying to run in every direction at once. That’s when I use this tool — mentally pouring my thoughts into a “colander” and letting the noise drain out.
What stays behind? Usually one real emotion, one deeper fear or one decision I’ve been avoiding. And once I see it clearly, I can take action.
This practice helps me move from chaos to clarity — because when I focus on one thing I can control, I make progress.
Tool 2: Strain Out the Bad, Get Empowered
“Sometimes,” she said, “I imagine my bad emotions flowing out through the colander’s holes — stress, shame, squirrel spirals — leaving the day completely.”
“Then I picture the good stuff — confidence, gratitude, tiny wins — getting caught in the mesh. And when I see that, I feel empowered.”
Silly? Maybe. But does it work? Actually… yes!
Our Turn:
I’ve had plenty of days where frustration, regret or anxiety tries to set up camp in my mind. When that happens, I pause and use this tool.
I visualize the emotional overwhelm pouring out through the colander — like draining out all the gunk.
And what stays behind? The things that empower me: a small win, a moment of connection or simply the fact that I didn’t give up.
Tool 3: Catch Your Wins
“Anxiety loves to tell you you’re failing,” Samantha said, setting the colander down gently like it was sacred. “So when you feel that spiral starting, you catch your wins — on purpose.”
She lifted the colander. “Each time you do something right — no matter how small — imagine tossing it in here. A calm breath. A task you finished. The fact that you didn’t run from your feelings. These wins get caught in the mesh so your anxiety can’t wash them away.”
Our Turn:
Back when my anxiety was running the show, I never gave myself credit. I always felt behind, broken or failing. That mindset fed the anxiety — and kept me stuck.
Now I use this tool. I imagine my mental colander and toss in three small victories from the day. Maybe I stayed grounded during a stressful moment, made a healthy choice or just showed up when I wanted to hide.
Each win reminds me: I can handle this. I am making progress. And anxiety doesn’t get the final say.
Tool 4: The Warrior Megaphone
“Look, Bruce,” Samantha said, flipping the colander upside down like a helmet-meets-loudspeaker, “when anxiety hits, the worst thing you can do is curl up and suffer in silence.”
She tapped the colander. “This? It’s not just a strainer. It’s a Warrior Megaphone. I pretend I’m shouting through it to my tribe when I feel myself spiraling.”
“Not literally, of course — I don’t want the neighbors calling animal control. But mentally? I use it to push through the fear and reach out.”
Our Turn:
I get it. When anxiety hit hard, my instinct used to be to shut down, go quiet and try to “tough it out.” But silence became a trap.
Now I imagine the colander as a megaphone — a cue to speak up instead of shutting down. When I feel the panic rising or the shame creeping in, that mental image reminds me: It’s time to call a Warrior.
And every time I reach out instead of isolating, I chip away at anxiety’s power.
Tool 5: Check in with You
“Cooking time is check-in time,” Samantha declared, rinsing broccoli like she was prepping for battle. “Every time I use the colander, I pause and ask myself, ‘How’s my anxiety doing today?’”
She shook the colander with flair. “I don’t wait until I’m overwhelmed or twitching like a tail in a thunderstorm. I check in early — because anxiety often builds quietly, gaining strength in the background until it crashes in like a squirrel on espresso.”
“When you make a habit of checking in with yourself during simple, repetitive moments — straining pasta, rinsing veggies, washing fruit — you interrupt that buildup. It keeps you grounded, aware and in control before things spiral.”
Our Turn:
This one hits home. For years I didn’t check in with myself — I just reacted. And by the time I noticed my anxiety, it was already steering the wheel.
Now? The moment I grab the colander to rinse something, I take ten seconds and ask: Where’s my anxiety right now? Am I edgy? Spinning? Avoiding something?
Sometimes I’m doing great — and I give myself a mental high-five. Other times I realize I’m carrying stress I hadn’t recognized yet. But this reminder via the colander gives me the power to manage it before it runs my whole day!
Bonus Tool: Stronger Together
I stared at the colander. “So, you all made this together?”
“Yep,” Samantha said. “Took us three days, two emotional breakdowns and one lost acorn. Totally worth it.”
But what made it truly powerful wasn’t just the tool. It was the connection behind it.
Marvin, Doug, Andy and Samantha didn’t just design something useful — they built it together. They leaned on each other. Laughed through the stress. Cheered one another through the overwhelm.
And that’s what the Mental Health Warrior Program is all about:
✅ Finding your tribe
✅ Sharing your tools
✅ Lifting each other up
Wrap-Up
Samantha may be a little squirrel with a whole lot of tail-twitching energy, but her wisdom runs deep. Through the Mental Health Warrior Program, she’s learned how to turn everyday anxiety into something manageable — even meaningful.
The Colander might seem silly at first, but it’s more than kitchenware. It’s a Warrior tool that empowers you!
So the next time your thoughts start to spiral, grab your colander. Breathe. Sift. Reset.
Because you’re a Warrior — and even if a colander doesn’t fit easily on your Warrior toolbelt, it fits perfectly into your daily fight to triumph over anxiety!
Bruce Schutter
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!