Understanding Stimming: What Is It and Why Do We Do It?

Do you bite your nails? Crack your fingers? Twirl your hair around, or tap your feet? All these actions could be a sign of stimming. Everybody can develop stimming behaviors and everybody does it from time to time.

So, what is it? Why do we do it? And how can you better manage stimming behaviors when you find yourself doing them. In today’s article, we’re going to break down stimming and everything to do with it. Keep reading to learn more!

What is stimming?

Stimming usually involves repetitive sounds or movements. This could be anything from foot-tapping or chewing on objects to more intense forms of stimming like rocking back and forth.

It’s not necessarily a cause for concern. Most people stim from time to time, and you might not even notice you do it. You could find yourself in deep concentration and chewing on your pencil, or tapping your fingers on a table.

It might become an issue if it causes disruptions within your surroundings and the people in it. And there are rare cases where it can be dangerous.

Although everybody does it, stimming is common amongst people with developmental disabilities. ADHD stimming and Autistic stimming are just a few that fit the criteria.

It’s also a part of the diagnostic criteria for Autism, but that’s not because it’s always related to it. The reason it’s part of the diagnostic measures is that stimming in Autistics can sometimes become unmanageable and it could cause issues.

Why does it happen?

There are many reasons that stimming may occur. People stim due to different emotions and they might even stim to help them concentrate. As time progresses, it becomes a habit associated with a certain emotion or task.

For instance, when you find yourself feeling nervous about something, you might chew your nails. This might help somebody ease their feelings of anxiety and nervousness.

When you’re deep in concentration and doing a task you could find yourself tapping your feet or even cracking your knuckles.

Stimming can be totally unique to each individual. And the reasons we stim can vary from person to person. Whether you do some form of vocal stimming, or you do it for mental stimulation, we all have our own different reasons for doing it and why.

How to manage it

Although stimming isn’t a bad thing. If it becomes distracting or harmful in any way it’s best to learn ways to better manage it.

One of the first steps that you should take, is figuring out why you’re stimming to begin with. Do you start chewing your nails every time you’re nervous? Or do you tap your feet when you’re writing on your laptop to help concentrate?

When you figure out what triggers your behavior, you can take steps to manage it better:

• Stop or reduce exposure to your trigger
• Become more aware of when you begin to stim, and stop yourself
• Find a healthier/alternate behavior to take part in, like squeezing a stress ball

You could even replace your behavior with a habit like meditating. Instead of chewing your nails, tapping your feet or fingers you could practice mindfulness meditation. BetterSleep can help get you started with meditation for beginners and breathing techniques. Learn to calm your nerves, and meditate with BetterSleep today!