What are your stims/what do you do as stimming?

[Dom529]

I think mine is playing with my hair (keep it short so I don't pull any out) - not really sure on how to identify what else could be one.

 

[Luca]

Same. Pulling and playing with my hair. But my hair is very long, most of the way down my back lol. I haven’t gotten a true haircut in over a year and I have extensions.

 

[Raggamuffin]

Dreadlocks are perfect for hair stimming. As is using the crochet needle to tighten them and dreadlock the roots.

I sit cross legged on the floor and sway from left to right. That's my most time consuming stim. Many hours each day.

Other than that - a myriad of verbal, physical ticks, hand flapping, hyperactive spells, and a lot of childish and joyful behaviour.

Ed

 

[autism-and-autotune]

My stims include flapping my arms when I am happy or content--most often before bed because I'm excited to fall asleep.

One of my first stims was imitating playing the keyboard--not random notes, mind you, but part of the first organ fugue I ever learned. Even nowadays it's the same thing; when bored I will 'play' a subject with one hand or the other.

 

[Dom529]

Hmm, that for the interesting insights (as always) - does mumbling/talking to yourself count?

 

[Aspychata]

Yes, when stressed l talk myself thru things. I can slap my hands on my body. Pick at my clothes. Click pens, chew gum, mess with my hair, flap my toes, wiggle my feet, or my legs.

 

[Dom529]

Yes, when stressed l talk myself thru things. I can slap my hands on my body. Pick at my clothes. Click pens, chew gum, mess with my hair, flap my toes, wiggle my feet, or my legs.

I do definitely talk to myself more when stressed/anxious/burning out - I do some of the others too.

Thought it was just fidgeting however.

 

[mysterionz]

I have a lot..

I fiddle/play with my hands a lot whenever I’m idle (think like butters stotch from South Park, see attachment below)
Classic rocking/flappy hands
spider fingers/moving of my fingers on any position of my body (mostly shoulders and back of head)

 

[Dom529]

A lot more different types of stimming than I would have thought of.

 

[Kisa the tea]

Twirling my hair in my finger.
Picking at my nails (unfortunately my nails are short because of this)
Shaking my leg. Usually my right leg for some reason. (To be fair this could be part of GAD)
Playing with the metal ring that connects my purse to the strap. (also bad. the strap is a bit frayed where it connects because of this)

Edit: Also a tangle. Very great for when I'm nervous especially.

 

[Dom529]

Thinking a bit more - I think another two that I have are: pulling up socks (not ankle socks obviously) + pulling down/tucking in pants legs afterwards & adjusting the bracelet/bangle on my right arm.

 

[tanoahsoka]

I shake my head up and down rapidly, mumble quietly. They are not so noticeable but i don't enjoy them for sure.
Whenever i wear long socks, i always pull them and use then like short socks.
When i'm nervous, my whole body starts shaking.

 

[kenaij]

There are plenty of different ones for me. I like to have something in my hands when in a social (stressful) situation. When we still had paper cups at work I would tear them apart with my hands and my mouth. Now I open and close the little flappy thing on my bottle. When I have a pen I will rip off a piece and chew on it. Or just tap the pen , or twirl it. I'll scratch my hair, or pull out hair from my beard, sometimes eyebrows. Nail biting.

Talking to myself
And I recently found out I love to hop/skip around when no one is around to get myself through the last couple of hours of a long day at work. Really Calms me down.

 

[Jenisautistic]

I pace i also flap and clap my hands

 

[Princess Viola]

I wiggle my fingers and click things like pens or my phone's stylus.

 

[UberScout]

I draw what I hide from everybody.

 

[MildredHubble]

Pacing, when my aches and pains permit it. Talking to my self an awful lot, like a hell of a lot. Drumming my fingers, fiddling with my hair or scratching my head. I also realise I crack my knuckles a lot. My girlfriend hates it when I do that.

I think I would go insane if I couldn't talk to myself. Sometimes it's hard to get privacy to do it. Of course the expectation in western capitalist society is that this is big "no no". Thankfully if I'm busy doing something like soldering or drawing or repairing something I can kinda chatter away to myself and noone seems to object in that context. I'm not sure why.

It's always a bit embarrassing if someone sees when I'm in "mid pacing, mid chatter", I try to make it look like I'm singing or something.

I don't tend to do this often anymore, but if I got a shock or there was a loud noise I would clap my fingers against the palms of my hands. I'd be like Doctor Zoidberg from Futurama if I made a "whoot, whoot" sound.

 

[Kalinychta]

Rocking

 

[tree]

 

[vergil96]

- fidgeting with objects
- clicking things on my phone
- moving my foot in different ways
- moving my leg
- clicking a pen
- changing position
- doing tricks with my fingers
- scratching one hand with the other
- lip biting
- scratching my head and pulling hair
- adjusting the watch