Accidental Stims

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I don't know if any of you remember this - but not too long ago I stopped biting my fingernails (after 50 years), but the caveat is that now I have to keep them manicured or I start biting again. And at first I was having trouble every time I went to the nail salon because it was so foreign to me. Well I'm used to it now and more relaxed.

I went last night and because I had a gel manicure (which is baked on to your nails), they had to put a little cotton piece soaked in polish remover on my nails and then wrap them up in foil so that the that remover would soak in. The woman did that to all 10 of my fingers and it was the weirdest sensation, it was like a stim! It felt so good, that pressure wrapped snug but not tight on the tips of my fingers. It tingled all the way through my body. I want to go do it every night now! I wonder if you can buy like rubber tips to put on your fingers to do the same thing?

Anyway, I was wondering if anybody else ever found an accidental stim?

I guess stroking Dory or my Calico Critter was sort of an accidental stim...I just keep Dory in the front pocket of my hoodie at all times, and one day I discovered that sticking my hands in the pocket and stroking her when I was nervous helped me feel calmer.

I've struggled with biting/picking at my fingernails for just about forever...I've tried manicuring them with mixed results. Stroking Dory is what really helps. I'll have to try that "gel manicure" you mentioned, wozeree - it sounds great!

One "accidental stim" I can think of is when I'll pick up random objects and start playing with them, like the time at a previous job where I walked around fiddling with a staple remover for most of the day. I didn't even really realize that I had picked it up.

THe elevator...that's priceless.

It really is funny how much some of us love to touch things. I have been thinking about this lately because of my moose plushie that I bought for my desk (one of my coworkers named him Bullwinkle - very imaginative, but at least I love Bullwinkle).

Anyway, I mentioned before how it is made for a baby so it has different textures that compare and contrast with each other, and that is exactly why it so successful in calming me. That textural variation. I keep wondering if it's just us, or if nonAspies would benefit from that too. But people keep asking me about it and when I explain how I use it, they look at me like I'm from Mars. But a non aspie will use those squeeze balls, but not a toy that makes crinkly or noises or squeaks.

I think they would benefit, but we are just somehow harder wired to NEED it. Like the difference between someone who has been outside on hot day and is kind of thirsty and somebody who has been lost in the dessert. Our fingers actually have touch deficit or something and has to be replenished. It's very interesting.

its never accidental for me, its simply can just happen at the wrong time,

[quote="wozeree"]THe elevator...that's priceless.

It really is funny how much some of us love to touch things. I have been thinking about this lately because of my moose plushie that I bought for my desk (one of my coworkers named him Bullwinkle - very imaginative, but at least I love Bullwinkle).

Anyway, I mentioned before how it is made for a baby so it has different textures that compare and contrast with each other, and that is exactly why it so successful in calming me. That textural variation. I keep wondering if it's just us, or if nonAspies would benefit from that too. But people keep asking me about it and when I explain how I use it, they look at me like I'm from Mars. But a non aspie will use those squeeze balls, but not a toy that makes crinkly or noises or squeaks.

I think they would benefit, but we are just somehow harder wired to NEED it. Like the difference between someone who has been outside on hot day and is kind of thirsty and somebody who has been lost in the dessert. Our fingers actually have touch deficit or something and has to be replenished. It's very interesting.[/quote]
Oh yeah the baby toys ! They look so nicely and are sooo good to touch and smell good too. I also have an urge to bite them, but that would be too weird
This comparison of the desert is awesome. When I reach out to touch things people don't understand, it sure is an urge I have to control.

I am the same way about handling objects and accidently losing them in the course of the day. Often because I unknowingly pick up another object, fiddle with it and end up walking about with it until I put it down for another object. End result: not knowing where the bloody hell I put anything.