Always fidgeting? Discover the surprising reason why it is good for you
With increasing awareness of neurodivergence, one common trait that is being talked about more is stimming.
Standing for “self-stimulating behaviour”, stimming is the act of making repetitive movements or sounds, allowing individuals to self-soothe, express emotions, or expel energy.
But though stimming is typically discussed in the context of neurodivergence, with autistic people and individuals with ADHD often engaging in stimming more frequently or obviously, it is actually something that all humans do.
Do you often tap your fingers or chew your pen when you’re thinking? These habits aren’t random or just you ‘fidgeting’ – they’re classic stims that can improve focus.
Read on to learn how stimming is a valuable form of self-regulation and the stims you might be unconsciously doing every day (maybe even while reading this!).
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What is stimming?
The term “stimming” is short for “self-stimulating behaviour”. As Claire Law, psychotherapist and legal contributor at Custody X Change, explains, ‘It is a repetitive behavior that people engage in for their own regulation. When a person is under-stimulated or when their environment is too stimulating, their nervous system uses stimming as a means of regulation. When a person is under-stimulated, their nervous system is focused on a particular thing. When a person is in a highly stimulating environment, their nervous system is overwhelmed.’
If you haven’t ever noticed yourself stimming, you might be surprised to learn that you probably are – you’re just not aware of it. ‘A person may engage in a repetitive behavior of tapping their feet in a meeting when they are feeling overwhelmed,’ says Claire.
‘Another instance is when a person is thinking and engages in the repetitive behavior of twirling their hair. Such repetitive behaviors help people regulate their brains.’
People also use stimming behaviours to release pent up energy, for example by shaking their leg or pacing.
Claire identifies a number of other common stims, including:
- knuckle cracking
- stretching the fingers
- lip biting
- biting the inside of the cheek
- teeth grinding
- jaw clenching
- fidgeting with objects
- repeating sounds or words (echolalia)
As many of these stims are extremely common, you may not even notice them in daily life. Or, if you are aware of them, you might think of them as a habit that doesn’t serve a useful purpose – knuckle cracking, for example, is a classic ‘bad habit’ that is often discouraged.
But Claire emphasizes that you shouldn’t dismiss stims, saying: ‘It’s essential to note that stimming behaviors should not be viewed as a mere habit, but rather as a coping mechanism for the individual. This is because stimming behaviors have been found to have a positive effect on the lives of individuals who exhibit them, for instance, in relation to anxiety, focus, and filtering out excessive sensory information.’
A 2013 study examining participants’ attention while watching a lecture video showed that those who fidgeted retained more information from the lecture, suggesting that stimming can boost memory and is a helpful tool we use to stay productive.
In a 2024 paper, the author also concludes that stimming can aid learning by helping children to think and interact, and argues that stimming behaviours should be integrated into lessons and encouraged, rather than being labelled as disruptive behaviour.
Nevertheless, while practically everyone stims to some extent to regulate emotions and focus, stims of neurotypical people are often more subtle, easier to suppress, and in moments of extreme concentration or stress.
Neurodivergent people, in contrast, tend to stim more, and the stims are more noticeable, due to them not being considered “typical” social behaviours.
Neurodivergent people may also struggle to suppress their stims, and doing so can cause discomfort and increased stress, which can take a toll on their mental wellbeing.
Stimming in autistic people
Stimming is particularly common for autistic people and falls under ‘restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests’ (RRBIs), which is one of the criteria for receiving an autism diagnosis.
As mentioned, stims that autistic people use sometimes don’t adhere to social norms, making them more visible and negatively perceived as “unusual” as a result.
Common stims used by autistic people include:
- Hand flapping
- Rocking
- Spinning
- Pacing
- Walking on tiptoes
- Finger tapping
- Rubbing or scratching the skin
- Touching/playing with objects (e.g. fidget toys, stress balls)
- Humming or making repetitive sounds
- Repeating words (echolalia)
An autistic person might have visual stims, for example they might look at lights or patterns, or auditory stims, which could involve listening to the same song on repeat – the familiarity of the music providing comfort and allowing them to self-regulate. They may also have a collection of different stims they use.
These stims are sometimes used to express emotion – for example, hand flapping is a common stim associated with autistic people and is often exhibited when an individual is feeling happy or excited. Another reason is because they enjoy the sensation of the movement and so engaging in that stimming behaviour brings them joy.
Many autistic people experience sensory overload due to having differences in sensory processing. For example, they might be more sensitive in terms of sound, touch, light and smell.
Certain environments, such as ones that are crowded or particularly loud, can be overstimulating for autistic people, causing feelings of overwhelm, heightened anxiety, and sometimes leading to an autistic meltdown or shutdown. Autistic people therefore often use stimming behaviours to self-soothe and calm their nervous system in overstimulating environments.
Despite its stigma, research has shown that stimming can be very beneficial – so it shouldn’t be discouraged.
One study found that groups of autistic adults, undiagnosed autistic adults, and non-autistic adults all exhibited stimming, and that when allowed to stim, autistic people were just as able to cope with difficulties (self-efficacy) as the neurotypical participants.
So clearly stimming is an effective and powerful way for autistic people to self-soothe and cope with overwhelming emotions or overstimulating situations.
But while stimming is mostly helpful for autistic people, some stimming behaviours can cause injury, known as self-injurious behaviours. This might include banging the head, hair pulling, or picking at the skin or nails. If you know anyone who uses these stims, offer love and support them in finding alternative stims.
If you are concerned about the safety of an individual due to their engagement in self-injurious behaviours, seek professional help or support.
Stimming in people with ADHD
Standing for attention deficit hyperactive disorder, ADHD is characterised by an inability to focus and/or a hyperactivity that makes it hard for many people with ADHD to sit still or relax. Stimming is a useful tool that people with ADHD use to manage both of these traits.
For people who experience the hyperactivity side of ADHD, stimming behaviours allow them to burn energy, which can minimize the feeling of restlessness and help them focus. This might look like them bouncing their leg or tapping their foot while sitting, for example.
For those who struggle with inattentiveness, focus is a considerable challenge – particularly when the individual finds the task at hand boring.
Research suggests that people with ADHD have differences compared to neurotypical people when it comes to their dopamine levels, with a 2011 study drawing a connection between people with ADHD struggling to feel motivated and a dopamine imbalance.
That’s where stimming comes in: these repeated behaviours can help stimulate the brain and allow people with ADHD to concentrate more effectively – just as stimming is used by neurotypical people to help with focus.
As with other neurodivergent conditions (such as autism), people with ADHD have sensory processing differences, which means they also experience overstimulation. Individuals with ADHD often struggle to ignore environmental stimuli, such as sounds, smells, lights, and tactile sensations, which can lead to distraction.
They may also struggle to tune out mental noise and experience scattered thoughts or a racing mind. This makes it harder for people with ADHD to concentrate and causes them to experience feelings of overwhelm, frustration and anxiety. Stimming can help them cut through the internal noise and external distractions, calming their nervous system and allowing them to focus.
Anxiety is also associated with ADHD, with a study showing that over half of the participants, who were all adults with ADHD, had anxiety disorders. So, for people with ADHD, stims can help them to self-soothe and deal with difficult emotions, such as anxiety.
The bottom line is, although neurodivergent people have sensory differences, which potentially make them stim more or in ways that are not considered typical according to social norms, everybody stims, and it plays a crucial role in allowing people to regulate their emotions and focus.
So next time someone tells you off for biting your nails, let them know it’s the key to your productivity!
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