Anyone here a hand flapper?

[dyl]

If so, does it make you feel excited or do you do it to calm yourself down? I personally don’t do it, which is why I want to know.

 

[MNAus]

I don't flap, but I do something similar which is slap my fingers against my palms (sort of... difficult to describe... imagine trying to grab something with a pair of mittens on without using your thumbs). Why do I do it? To me it feels like a closed circuit, some sort of relief in some way. Like there's too much going on but somehow it eases that. It's not relieving a pain per se, but a comparison might be if you've ever done something sore like stub your toe, and you try to deal with the pain by slapping your hand on a desk a few times or against your thigh. It eases the intensity. I'll also do things if foods are overwhelming, like rub my hands together while I'm eating. Same reason I think, it distracts from the intensity.

 

[dyl]

I don't flap, but I do something similar which is slap my fingers against my palms (sort of... difficult to describe... imagine trying to grab something with a pair of mittens on without using your thumbs). Why do I do it? To me it feels like a closed circuit, some sort of relief in some way. Like there's too much going on but somehow it eases that. It's not relieving a pain per se, but a comparison might be if you've ever done something sore like stub your toe, and you try to deal with the pain by slapping your hand on a desk a few times or against your thigh. It eases the intensity. I'll also do things if foods are overwhelming, like rub my hands together while I'm eating. Same reason I think, it distracts from the intensity.

I understand what you mean, I sometimes slap two fingers on either my right or left fingers. If that makes sense.

 

[Rodafina]

My hands are like their very own circus! Tapping, flapping, scrunching, waving. Squishing, twirling, flicking, snapping and clapping.

Usually for stress relief.

 

[AdamG]

I don't flap, but I fidget a lot. I especially like bouncing a tennis ball or solid rubber ball. Even tossing it from hand to hand, but better bouncing. It helps calm my mind.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

My version of flapping is usually drumming on my thighs. But sometimes at home I do flap, especially when pacing. This is when I am excited and want to calm.

 

[Aneka]

I only tap my foot when sitting down, extensively, or shift my weight when standing. Strangers in public have asked me if I need to go to the toilet or insulted me. Just had this lady recently who became really aggressive in a waiting room simply because of foot tapping lol.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

Just had this lady recently who became really aggressive in a waiting room simply because of foot tapping lol.

That would drive me crazy, too. Noise is never just noise for me.

 

[Knower of nothing]

I flap my hands a lot as well, though not as a means of calming, it's closer to dance in the category of expression. It leans into the excitement.

 

[Aneka]

That would drive me crazy, too. Noise is never just noise for me.

Not tapping on the floor, tapping in the air. No noises involved. I don't know what it's called.

 

[JDartistic]

I used to flap when I was younger & into my 20’s but people kept either grabbing my hands to make me stop or I was told to sit on my hands. Needless to say, I was pressured to stop by family & friends but I did it a lot when I was excited. Often I didn’t realize I was doing it cuz it was just so natural to me. I still talk with my hands & sometimes flap unconsciously & when it happens, people look at me weird or even tell me it’s rude.

 

[WildCat]

Not a flapper, it has never occurred to me to do that, but mostly a knuckle cracker and a fidgeter.

If there's an object in my hands for a good period of time, it gets toyed around with, flipped, switched, clicked, anything else that can be done with it. I've thought about getting one of those pairs of steel balls for when I need something to mess around with:

As for the why, it's an automatic sort of thing, done to calm my mind, and there are times when I'm not even aware that I'm doing it.

 

[Rodafina]

Not tapping on the floor, tapping in the air. No noises involved. I don't know what it's called.

I don’t know what it’s called either, but I’ve been doing what you described for the past 20 minutes while I read through forum posts.

 

[Xinyta]

I do tend to flap in cases of overstimulation. Namely excitment or from nervous energy. Exciting thoughts and/or otherwise get me hand flapping.