My quirky ways

[Scarlett]

When I am stressed, I begin to ‘type’ on my legs or whatever surface I am near.  I often don’t even realize I am doing it.  When I do realize it,  I find I am typing out all sorts of random and repeated words.  In the middle of the night recently I made myself laugh when I realized I was typing out the word anxiety over and over. 
 

I do other strange things….like outline all of the furniture or other objects in a room in my mind.  Like I am tracing all of the objects in a room.  I also count objects, like books or tiles.

Anyone else? 

[TheReader]

I haven't in a while, but I used to do this thing where I'd spell words on my fingers (counting the letters) until it got back around to the first finger again. 

[Indigo Blue]

I do the typing thing, and I thought I was the only one. I do that all. the. time. 
 

I also wiggle my bottom jaw back and forth rapidly under my top jaw. 

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I do the typing thing, and I thought I was the only one. I do that all. the. time. 
 

I also wiggle my bottom jaw back and forth rapidly under my top jaw. 

I had a lot of habits that affected my TMJ that I had to force myself to stop because I was holding all my stress in my jaw. 

[Lecka]

I also make up words or phrases that have the letters add up to a multiple of 5.  Or, repeat them 5 times.  I don’t do it that much anymore, but I have done it.  It works out the same as making them on evenly on the fingers of my hand.  But, I originally did it because that is the shape of a star (the way I would draw it), with 5 lines to get back to the starting point.  But it works out the same way.

So fun and relaxing!

I think I used to do it much more as an anxiety thing or when I was stuck somewhere I didn’t want to be.

But now sometimes there is a phrase and it’s fun to guess if the words add up to a multiple of 5 or not.  

[Eos]

I used to sign-spell the word "understand" - it has a soothing rhythm.

[Terabith]

21 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I also make up words or phrases that have the letters add up to a multiple of 5.  Or, repeat them 5 times.  I don’t do it that much anymore, but I have done it.  It works out the same as making them on evenly on the fingers of my hand.  But, I originally did it because that is the shape of a star (the way I would draw it), with 5 lines to get back to the starting point.  But it works out the same way.

So fun and relaxing!

I think I used to do it much more as an anxiety thing or when I was stuck somewhere I didn’t want to be.

But now sometimes there is a phrase and it’s fun to guess if the words add up to a multiple of 5 or not.  

I do the multiples of 5 thing, too!

[kbutton]

Sometimes I write words in cursive in my head as if I'm drawing them in the air. 

[Clarita]

I write things on surfaces. Not always even related to what I'm feeling or make sense (I've totally copied a takeout menu while stressed.)

[Jaybee]

I play the piano in my imagination, and sometimes with my fingers.

[Rosie_0801]

Stimming is normal.

[Pawz4me]

Showing my age here, but I know shorthand. Sometimes when I'm stressed I mentally write a word over and over in shorthand.

[alysee]

I count colours. Like, if I'm talking with someone I would start with their face and count all the colours there and work my way down to their shirt and then arms. If I'm bored by myself I find myself doing it too. 

[Arcadia]

I play the piano on any smooth surface when I am bored.

[Elfknitter.#]

Let's just say I wish fidget spinners and similar items were a thing when I was a kid. 😆

[SKL]

I fidget a lot, and I also trace outlines.  Could we be related?

I have developed some bad mouth habits from wearing Invisalign.  Grinding teeth, licking the backs of my teeth over and over ... I'm sure it looks like I'm nuts.  I try to stop these habits, but I keep catching myself at them.

I used to be constantly drawing abstract designs when I was supposed to be listening / writing / reading.

Now that I am at a computer rather than a notepad, if I'm on a conference call, I need to be doing a mindless puzzle in order to stop my mind from wandering too far from the subject.  I compulsively play quick computer games to chill when I'm stressing, which is often.  I think it's called procrastination.

[J-rap]

I don't get stressed, but I get fidgety.  I type things in the air, I apply the proper finger positions for playing an invisible violin, I bounce my hands to a rhythm that only plays in my mind.  I rarely sit perfectly still.

[Elizabeth86]

4 hours ago, Scarlett said:

When I am stressed, I begin to ‘type’ on my legs or whatever surface I am near.  I often don’t even realize I am doing it.  When I do realize it,  I find I am typing out all sorts of random and repeated words.  In the middle of the night recently I made myself laugh when I realized I was typing out the word anxiety over and over. 
 

I do other strange things….like outline all of the furniture or other objects in a room in my mind.  Like I am tracing all of the objects in a room.  I also count objects, like books or tiles.

Anyone else? 

I used to do that tracing thing when I was around middle school age I guess. 

[Brittany1116]

4 hours ago, TheReader said:

I haven't in a while, but I used to do this thing where I'd spell words on my fingers (counting the letters) until it got back around to the first finger again. 

One of my kids told me recently that he did this, and randomly the next week, one of my sisters told me she did, as well. I didn't tell her about him doing it. It just came out of nowhere both times. 

3 hours ago, kbutton said:

Sometimes I write words in cursive in my head as if I'm drawing them in the air. 

I did this at some stage, maybe high school?, but haven't for many years. 

[wisdomandtreasures]

4 hours ago, Scarlett said:

like outline all of the furniture or other objects in a room in my mind.  Like I am tracing all of the objects in a room.

I do that too, and count each line as I go. 😛

[Scarlett]

I am very surprised so many of you do similar things.  Is this a WTM thing or just normal for everyone?

[popmom]

8 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I am very surprised so many of you do similar things.  Is this a WTM thing or just normal for everyone?

Ha! I was actually just thinking the same thing. Is this why we are drawn to this community?

I can relate to some of these things. I--for ages--did this rhythmic motion with my jaw that involved minor teeth grinding. I eventually made myself stop because I was worried I was damaging my teeth. 

I do have other "stims" though.

Totally agree with @Rosie

Edited June 1, 2023 by popmom

[popmom]

2 hours ago, SKL said:

I fidget a lot, and I also trace outlines.  Could we be related?

I have developed some bad mouth habits from wearing Invisalign.  Grinding teeth, licking the backs of my teeth over and over ... I'm sure it looks like I'm nuts.  I try to stop these habits, but I keep catching myself at them.

 

I do a thing with my mouth-- not even the jaw thing I mentioned above--it's a sensory thing. I saw myself do it on video, and I didn't like how it looked, so I try not to do that anymore. lol It's something that happens when my lips are too dry. It's kinda the thing some women do when they put on lipstick and smash their lips together. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by popmom

[Scarlett]

18 minutes ago, popmom said:

I do a thing with my mouth-- not even the jaw thing I mentioned above--it's a sensory thing. I saw myself do it on video, and I didn't like how it looked, so I try not to do that anymore. lol It's something that happens when my lips are too dry. It's kinda the thing some women do when they put on lipstick and smash their lips together. 

I do that!  And I also don’t like the way I look.  I saw it in a store mirror recently.  I have been focusing on relaxing my face so I don’t do it.  

[Melissa Louise]

Yeah, I do quirky stuff.

Sort of a vocal stimming, mostly, but I only do that at home, or if I'm really comfortable with someone else, I might have a bit of a singing sort of....thing.

I only really vocalize at home or with ds, weirdly, who also does it.

He and I sometimes use German words and phrases to each other, which is a bit random.

There may or may not sometimes be some mild (very mild!) rocking - I'm conscious of how annoying it is to others, so I keep it minor.

Really, sit me in a rocking chair (or a moving car), let me make my eyes go a bit blurry, and let me sing/make my slightly eccentric sounds, and I'm in a happy place. Lol. I am a bit of a freak.

[Melissa Louise]

7 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Stimming is normal.

Sometimes at school, I forget I'm not supposed to get too comfortable around my stimming students! 🙂

[mmasc]

9 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

I do that too, and count each line as I go. 😛

I do this, too. Especially if it’s hard lines, like picture frames, bookcases, mirrors, wood furniture, windows, etc. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by mmasc

[GailV]

13 hours ago, Arcadia said:

I play the piano on any smooth surface when I am bored.

Me too, but sometimes I mix it up and do it with my toes instead of my fingers. 

I just sit there with an alert expression on my face as though I'm fascinated by whatever's going on, my toes discreetly ensconced in close-toed shoes, having a party.

[Heatherwith4]

 I do a lot of stuff like this, and I have since I was a kid.  I didn’t realize it was called stimming.  

[marbel]

13 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Showing my age here, but I know shorthand. Sometimes when I'm stressed I mentally write a word over and over in shorthand.

Yes! I have done that too, when stressed or bored. I don't write on paper, just with my finger. 

[Arcadia]

22 minutes ago, GailV said:

Me too, but sometimes I mix it up and do it with my toes instead of my fingers. 

I just sit there with an alert expression on my face as though I'm fascinated by whatever's going on, my toes discreetly ensconced in close-toed shoes, having a party.

For me that would be a blood circulation issue. My feet would start feeling numb so I would have to wriggle my toes before my feet are numb and painful. 

[GailV]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

For me that would be a blood circulation issue. My feet would start feeling numb so I would have to wriggle my toes before my feet are numb and painful. 

No turning back now. From this moment you'll not do random wriggles - you'll do little patterns, maybe just a simple left-to-right across all the toes, which you'll then realize is an arpeggio. Up the scale, down the scale, up, down ... and, hey, if you're doing an arpeggio, why not a simple sonatina? 

[Arcadia]

2 minutes ago, GailV said:

Up the scale, down the scale, up, down ... and, hey, if you're doing an arpeggio, why not a simple sonatina? 

That would remind me of the stress of taking ABRSM piano exams 🤦‍♀️

[kbutton]

17 hours ago, kbutton said:

Sometimes I write words in cursive in my head as if I'm drawing them in the air. 

As I sat on the couch last night, I realized that I also do this with typing--while many of you do this with your hands on a counter, I do it in my head, just like the writing, lol!

17 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Stimming is normal.

For sure!

9 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

There may or may not sometimes be some mild (very mild!) rocking

I forgot that I sometimes rock a wee bit, usually when I'm really tired or have to stand in one place. It helps me stay awake, and I am a person that can fall asleep in public, especially while sitting (no trouble driving, but in a lecture? I'll be out like a light, lol!).

I also find that I need to have my hands in pockets or held together behind my back if I have to stand for long. The sitting version is that I tuck hands under the edge of my thighs. Lose arms/hands makes me feel a bit like I might float off into space. 

[Pawz4me]

18 minutes ago, kbutton said:

 

I also find that I need to have my hands in pockets or held together behind my back if I have to stand for long. The sitting version is that I tuck hands under the edge of my thighs. Lose arms/hands makes me feel a bit like I might float off into space. 

Ditto. I cross my arms a lot. I think body language experts say that's supposed to signal being closed off, anxious or defensive or something similarly negative, but I catch myself doing it when I'm alone and relaxed. I also do it when I'm concentrating hard. Mostly I think it's a comforting or grounding feeling for me, kind of like giving myself a hug.

[Melissa Louise]

3 hours ago, kbutton said:

I also find that I need to have my hands in pockets or held together behind my back if I have to stand for long. The sitting version is that I tuck hands under the edge of my thighs. Lose arms/hands makes me feel a bit like I might float off into space. 

Same.

[Melissa Louise]

Actually, loose arms/hands makes me feel like an alien who has forgotten how to work the human body. Like, what are these appendages meant to be doing?

A co-worker told me yesterday I'm 'normal-odd', which was nice of her, so clearly I manage these quirks at least somewhat well in public.