Mine are:
- Turning the spark wheel on a lighter in my pocket
- Biting a finger
I like to pull the corner of my phone case off and snap it back on
Yes. I do that too. Also clicking the latch on my wrist watch
Finding a soft lock of my hair and twirling it around my fingers. Both for the softness and the gentle tugging at my scalp. And as a bonus it’s fairly socially acceptable.
There’s been a song stuck in my head for as long as I can remember (decades) that only comes out of the recesses of my brain when I’m alone, and I hum it over and over. Usually this is during driving or focusing on coding. Kinda frustrating that I don’t even know if it’s a real song or just something my brain is doing for fun. (It sounds a bit like the civil war song, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, I guess?) I’m too self-conscious to do it around other people.
Have you tried using something like SoundHound? I’ve hummed songs using it and had pretty good success.
Not exactly my favorite, but my most done is biting/peeling my lips.
Stretching is probably my favorite. Like those good ones after waking up
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It’s more just biting off already dry/dead skin, doesn’t seem like I’m doing any damage
- jiggling pectoral or glute muscles (usually to music)
- opening and closing the lid of an inhaler
- grinding the folded tags in clothing
- stroking beard
- peeling top layer of skin off finger nails
- plucking overly long eyebrow hairs
As an adult it is a mix of leg jiggling and rubbing my finger nails against my thumbs. As a child I used to tap out rhythms with my heels and toes, much to the chagrin of my teachers and classmates.
Thumb to finger taps. I do this often, more when getting nervous. I tap teeth to each other, too, feeling like I’m tapping one top to one bottom at a time. Going all the way around to tap all my teeth. I realized I’m tapping multiple teeth each time, but it’s a tap for each pair of teeth.
Bouncing my foot, rocking, or playing with my hair
Toys. I have a speedcube and several Transformers by my computer at all times.
Probably shaking my leg slightly, or stretching
Usually when I notice I’m doing something (stroking my beard or moving my legs are the most common ones) and I have to be discreet, I try to focus on moving my toes
When COVID hit and I started working from home, I decided to try growing a beard. After all, I didn’t need to look 100% presentable during that awkward phase when it looks like you just forgot to shave a few days in a row.
Now, it’s become a permanent part of my face and I love stroking it or pulling at the hairs (not enough to pull them out, just enough to play with them).
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Rotate left & right on my desk chair Pacing around my living room puffing on my nicotine vape & talking to myself Stroking my walrus mustace (I blame Jamie Hyneman lol)
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I do this too. I actually keep a pair of metal cuticle nippers nearby for just this purpose. Using those means that I get a cleaner cut and am less likely to bleed afterwards.
I also have some chain finger toys. It’s a small ring sized circle of bike chain with rubber on each section. You can put it on a fingertip and roll it around. It puts pressure on the cuticle area and gives a sensation which fills the need for stimulation in that area without ripping off skin.
me, a person who’s recently begun to suspect i might be autistic:
óoooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
yep.
