Do You Always Know That You're Stimming?

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After reading lots, and lots of posts about stimming on here I'm really surprised at the number of stims that I've never even thought about while doing them. I didn't even know that they'd be classified as stims, and I don't consciously think about it while doing it. There's only been a handful of times in my life that anyone has said anything about the ones that involve movement. (Though I have had lots of complaints about the ones that affect others, like listening to the same song over, and over again) Stimming seems almost involuntary to me, and I don't think about it before, during or after. It's just something I do. How much conscious thought do the rest of you put into stimming?

Know-tising a stim topic

I am conscious of stimming when I am agitated, and this is the only time I do the hand flap. At the same time, I stutter and lose my words.

I realize when I hand flap that I do it however I really cant control it.

To realize you're stimming also takes a certain idea of what stimming is, or at least that you're doing these things for reasons other people don't. I had no idea that flapping or rocking were anything significant about me (except for, you know, embarrassing me) until I found out about AS and HFA.

Is it possible to get worse. Since therapy has started up I started flapping and having more sensory problems. Everyone gets irritated by this but I cant help it. My case manager told me because I am high functioning people sometimes think I have control over something such as hand flapping.

Try doing something a little less noticable to the beat of a favourite song, like tapping your foot, when you realize you are flapping. I am always tapping, and when I do it so that people notice it, not that I want them to notice it, it really bugs them, but I can't help it that much. Tapping is my stim, if I am not tapping, something is probably wrong. I have spent 3 hours at my laptop today, and the entire time I have been at it, I have either been tapping my feet, tapping my hands on the desk/my knees, or typing, or drinking my coffee. Haaving a drink in your hands or something else, that you are drinking I have also found a good way to make stimming less noticable, if I have a drink in my hands, I can focus on it rather than actually stimming, as the stim is channeled through the drink rather than tapping. Try twirling a pencil like you're bored, it may look rude, but it looks better on you than flapping. just try to find something else to occupy yourself with and the stimming becomes less noticable.

I only do it when excited or angry.

You're lucky then, as it is very rare that I am not stimming in some way.

Thats my more unusual thing I do. I sometimes bounce my legs. Never realized that was a stim as I saw other people do ti too.

From what I understand, "bouncing legs" or foot tapping is done by most people when they are either enjoying a song, or really bored. It is when the tapping becomes annoying to other people that other people do not find it normal. I also live my life to a beat of some sort.

Sometimes.

Yeah I've had it brought to my attention that I was stimming at work when I didn't even realize it. I was just kinda twiddling my finger while reading the newspaper. And she said "are you still reading the paper or just playing with your finger" meaning she thought I should give her the paper to read because I was stimming even if I was reading it.

I also hand flap when I'm scared or excited.

There are stims I have that I have only recently noticed..i rub my face...for example..

I find that I will play with my hair... Although I can't really do this since I cut it short. I want my long hair back...

I wasn't aware that I was always stimming until I came to this board and found out all these things that were considered stims. Like I'm always rubbing my face, I always have my hand tapping my chin, I sometimes carry a washcloth with me and rub my face on it.. etc.

Sometimes I'm aware of other things like rocking and stop immediately, other times not.

I hand-flap alot. So much, in fact, that my fiancé has started to flap a little too! Sometimes when he points it out to me when I'm doing it, I wasn't even aware until he pointed it out! My hands have minds of their own.

When I am frustrated, I also slap my face, hit my head, or pull my hair. I can't help it; it just happens before I can stop it.