Stimming

That thing you do with your hands? The rocking, humming, clicking, spinning?

That's stimming. And it's not a problem to fix—it's your nervous system doing what it needs.

"When I finally let myself flap my hands when I was happy, I cried. I'd spent 30 years suppressing a natural expression of joy." — Late-diagnosed autistic adult

What Is Stimming?

Repetitive movements, sounds, or behaviors that provide sensory input and emotional regulation.

Type	Examples
Visual	Watching patterns, spinning objects
Auditory	Humming, clicking, repeating sounds
Tactile	Rubbing textures, fidgeting
Vestibular	Rocking, spinning, swaying
Proprioceptive	Jumping, squeezing, pressure

Why We Stim

Stimming regulates your nervous system—calming when overwhelmed, expressing emotions when words don't work. You might think BETTER when you're allowed to stim.

Types of Stims

Calming: Rocking, swaying, soft textures, deep pressure.

Alerting: Jumping, spinning, intense textures.

Joyful: Hand flapping, bouncing, happy sounds.

Happy flapping is real. When joy bubbles up and your body just DOES something—that's authentic emotional expression. It's beautiful.

The Suppression Cost

Every time you suppress a stim, you're using energy and denying yourself regulation. Stim suppression is linked to burnout.

You're Allowed To

Stim in public. Stim at work. Stim when happy. Have obvious stims. Not explain them.

Your stims are not shameful. They're your body's natural, intelligent way of regulating. Let yourself stim.