Can someone explain stimming?

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What is it?

My guess is that it's a compulsion to do something with the intended result of feeling normal or better?

Stims are sensory input that is pleasurable and calms us down. Stims may cause certain chemicals to be released in our brains. I think it's a way of self-medicating the brain's natural anti-anxiety chemicals.

Stims sometimes blend into fidgeting, and about 20% of NTs also stim.

Some classic stims are rocking back and forth, moving your hands in strange, contorted ways, pacing, and walking on tip-toe.

Rocking and bobbing ones head to music is probably a stim that is shared with most NTs.

Stims are semi-voluntary (not compulsive or reflex), and can be altered into forms that don't disturb other people.

Stims are good.

Things I thought were normal but now realise is stimming - constantly touching my face/lips/nose, constantly rubbing my head touching my hair, crossing my toes, cracking joints in hands, not being able to stop moving to the music even when wearing headphones in public, constant cups of tea, smoking, scrolling the mouse, rolling things between fingers. Those are the main ones I guess

None of those on their own or even in clusters have anything to do with autism but when they're all happening all the time and not doing them is tough to impossible then I guess it's a bit different. When I caught myself rocking very slightly for the first time I had to laugh

So, sometimes when I make a strange sound with my mouth or just up and tell my wife to shut up even though she's not saying or doing anything that's making any noise whatsoever (as a joke) could be a stim?

I dunno, I've never really paid much attention to my little habits or idiosyncrasies.

wasn't but I can see how it's funny.