Tried in the past

@Kristianvoorhies I too have had other "things like this" (non-Aneros toys) and they are all either discarded or unused. Now I'll reach for a genuine Aneros! You can be sure of it!

@Kristianvoorhies Compared to other anal toys, the Aneros is pretty small. It should be easier to use than things you may have tried in the past. If you’re anxious, try to relax beforehand. Have a nice hot bath, a cup of tea, listen to relaxing music, etc. Whatever works for you to chill out.

Set your expectations low. I specifically mean your expectations of yourself. You CAN enjoy this activity, but that doesn’t mean it will go smoothly the first time. That’s okay! Give yourself a break.

The main things to remember about inserting anything in your anus are:
1. Lubrication: use plenty! Better too much than too little.

2. Relaxation: the anal sphincter muscle will tend to tighten automatically if it detects intrusion. Over time you can and will learn conscious control of this muscle, but at first it can seem to have a mind of its own.
3. Take your time: there’s no need to rush. Practice with a finger first (nails clean, trimmed, and sharp edges filed down). If you feel pain or discomfort, back off. Take some deep breaths. You don’t even need to insert your finger (or anything else) right away. Rub the outer rim of your anus. Gently massage it. This will help the muscle relax and can be a pleasure on its own. As your sphincter begins to relax, you will be able to begin pushing into your anus.

If you can’t insert without discomfort the first time, don’t give up. Try again another day. You’ll need to be patient with Aneros usage in general, so this is a good time to start. That includes patience with yourself. If you start to get frustrated, you’re probably trying too hard and should consider stopping and trying again another day. It takes time for your body to adjust.

Some additional tips that might be helpful:
1. Cold things in your rear can feel unpleasant. Some people like “temperature play,” but that’s a whole other ballgame. If you’re ready to try inserting your Aneros (or anything else) try running it under warm water to warm it up. It’s recommended that you wash your Aneros before (and after, of course) use anyway.
2. Try your exploration while highly aroused. You could try rubbing your anus while masturbating, particularly when you’re approaching orgasm. That can feel pretty good. You may even find that it feels good enough that you want to penetrate yourself with your finger or whatever you’re rubbing down there. Near and during orgasm, your body is more likely to interpret sensations as pleasure instead of pain.

3. Vibration can help relax the anal sphincter. For getting comfortable with putting things in there, it may be helpful to start with something buzzy.
4. The shape of the Aneros will cause the device to be pulled into your body automatically (and potentially quite rapidly if the muscles around it contract) once it’s inserted past a certain point. That rapid and unexpected pull-in could be uncomfortable, so watch out for that. Maybe hold on tight to the device and slow its entry.
5. Once it’s in, give your body time to adjust to it. If the initial insertion was uncomfortable, it may take longer to adapt. If it was cold, it takes time to warm it. If it caused pain on the way in, it will take time for that to subside. If you immediately yank it out you’ll be in even more pain. So just take some deep breaths. Focus on relaxing your sphincter, and if you don’t know how yet just try to relax everything you can.

Just take it easy. Stop if your body says stop. Go if your body says go. Set yourself up for success but accept failure as just another step toward success. You’ll get there eventually!