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
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
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.
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.
- 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.
I trace the outline of my thumbnail with the pad of my index finger…
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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.
Toys. I have a speedcube and several Transformers by my computer at all times.
Bouncing my foot, rocking, or playing with my hair
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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Rocking, shaking my leg, tapping my finger, watching YouTube even when there’s nothing interesting on.
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)
When my feet are available for this, such as laying down or dangling, I like to push one down while pushing it up with the other foot, then switching feet.