Do you have a favorite stim? And why do you do it?

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I pace, hand-flap, and scratch my head. Plus a bunch of others.

I do it because I can't NOT do it.

Please excuse my vagueness.

I know that stimming is not an option for most and I hope I have not offended anybody (even though I feel I may have) because that was not my intention. I guess I was more asking about intentional stims. My favorite stim is rubbing my feet together, it's hypnotizing for me and it feels wonderful.

My parent(s) always thought it was an option for me. They could not have been more wrong!
It prevented overloading emotional & otherwise...
And was a doorway to my inner world.
I also used the classic stick in the dirt as a child, tracing patterns and such, for an hour to three or more hours.

Sincerely,
Matthew

I agree with the above post- My parents thought it was optional as well. Stimming or whatever you want to call it, is not an option for me, basically, its going to happen whether or not I want to control it and whether or not I am in public or in private. But even though it isn't optional, that doesn't mean it doesn't feel good for me. When stressed in private, it is quite soothing, and when I am in public it is still soothing but I have the added stress of knowing intellectually the other people in the waiting room don't want to see it. When I am stimming in my waiting rooms and someone is sitting next to me, they usually get up and sigh and leave the room and come back after I go in.

Im pretty sure that the only thing I really do that would count as a "stim" is pacing. I often pace when I am have a lot to think about or when I feel anxious, upset, or overwhelmed. It's something about the rhythm of my steps that is really pleasant for some reason.

I've recently realized that I always talk out loud to myself when I pace, and I either walk back and forth in straight lines or counter-clockwise in a round pattern. I always refrain from pacing when I am in public or social settings or around other people; I usually do it at night once my family is asleep or I go outdoors in the yard by myself.

I wouldn't say that pacing is an unconscious thing for me, but I don't really ever say "Hey, I'm feeling this certain way, I think I'll pace." I just sort of find myself pacing after I've started, if that makes sense. I could choose to stop if I want, but I usually don't want to stop for a while. Sometimes I pace and talk to myself for and hour or two at a time. It helps me calm down and figure things out.

I have noticed that when I find myself beginning to pace or having the urge to pace, the way I feel is the precursor feeling to having a meltdown. As in, I've discovered that pacing is something I do to help me avoid emotional breakdowns - when I have to refrain from pacing because of the setting or situation, those are the times that I find myself retreating from the social setting because I am about to flip out or having a breakdown.

(Does pacing sound like a "stim" in my case? I'm still figuring all this out....."

So could talking to yourself be a stim?

I speak things out loud when alone, in a normal volume voice, but usually I repeat the same sentence or paragraph over and over and over. It can be a thought, a memory or something I wish I had said. Things get stuck in my head, and it soothes me.

Its better if I'm looking in a mirror, but I usually don't have time for that because I'll stay there for hours. This has been a problem looking in the mirror before going to work sometimes....late again.

If I'm out, then I know I can't do it, but stopping myself takes such an effort that it can bring tears to my eyes or just makes me run for somewhere private (like the toilets) where I can whisper at least, although I know I risk the sound being heard there, which makes it less comforting.

Its not voices in my head or me talking to someone else, it is just "thinking aloud". The repetitive thoughts are there already, i don't know why I need to hear them aloud.

Often in the car, when I've just come out of a social situation like work, I cover my mouth and talk, or just sing. I tried using an old bluetooth earpiece so it would look normal, but I couldn't stand the feel of it in my ear, nor earphones I'm getting brave enough now to pretend I have a "stand alone" phone kit in the car.

Its not listed anywhere as a stim, but I really can't help soothing myself this way, maybe its not listed because its a female stim? My mum is the same, tries to hide it, but often is heard from another room, then you walk in & she's sitting at a mirror.........

Wriggling toes\a foot. Very discrete and NTs also do it, so its socially acceptable.

I didn't know what stimming was until I found WP, despite having done it for so many years.

moving my head side to side due to a song stuck in my head. Spinning when im real happy and hyper and going up the stairs on all fours.

I like to rub my figures of iron. Man on my face and I tap on the table. I also sit and shake my leg up and down

Looking at lights can be a stim?! I love staring at many small lights collected at once, like on a Christmas tree, or a city skyline. I always have. It's just beautiful. <3

I also wasn't sure (until I saw this thread) that toe-wriggling and foot-wriggling were stims. I often find myself wriggling my toes. My little brother (who is also an undiagnosed aspie) has always "wagged his foot" (as I used to say, since to me it looks like the way dogs wag their tails, haha.)

I also pace when I don't know what to do. Alone, I sometimes find myself rocking front-to-back, but I know it's awkward in company. I think that's why I've also found myself rocking side-to-side when it public (usually if there's music on, so that if anyone asks, I can say I'm just swaying to the beat.)

Today, while really stressed on my drive to work, I realized I was brushing my hair even though I didn't need to... but it was relaxing me as I did it. It's not the first time I did that, either. Might that count as a stim?

As to my favorite? I think toe-wriggling is the least voluntary and just feels the most comforting. Although if staring at pretty lights really is a stim, that might be my favorite, since it's just the most captivating...

I tend to very often rub my feet together or move them from side to side. Sometimes intentionally but mostly unintentionally. Done it for years and years. Would you say that counts as stimming?

I also like to listen to my electronic Iron Man and electronic War Machine figures and watch the light as well in thir chests.

i pace back and forth and flap my fingers very fast. i shake a handkerchief of sock through the air and watch it. i do it because it helps me relax and concentrate.
i move my fingers a lot, clench my fists, or close one or two fingers, or rub my fingers with my thumb. i dont know when i'm doing it. someone told me about it and i throw a look from time to time when walking down the street, and see myself doing it.
i jingle my leg because i'm terribly impatient.

I'm new to this forum and questioning whether I have AS or not. Up until reading this thread I thought I definitely didn't have the stimming trait but I think some of these things may count. They do seem to have the affect of helping me relax and concentrate or reduce my anxiety until I can get away from the situation.

-hair twirling, in a spiral round my finger or when its long enough around my nose. I have done this as long as I can remember and my brother has told me he used to watch me do it for hours
- if my hair is tidied back I find I do it with other things e.g cord or a corner of clothing, string ribbon or anything nearby. I get told I 'fiddle' with things alot.
- I have also been told I rub the side of my nose and my cheek with my finger alot, but I have never consciously noticed myself do it
-I do put the palm of my hand over my eye and blink, so I can feel my eyelashes on my hand. I do this mainly at college when trying to concentrate on writing in class
- my favourite thing I like to do is rub the hairs on the back of my arm across my top lip. A couple of times I did this without thinking on my ex-boyfriend's arm. He wasn't impressed.
- I also do things similar to what other posters mentioned like wiggling my leg and bouncing my feet, also the singing when I'm alone in the car but these are usually when I'm feeling really happy about something

Do you think these could be stims? Like others said I don't really notice I'm doing it until after I already started it and I think I could stop if I wanted to.