#prettyace

asexuals:

if you feel the urge to stim, then stim!!

when i get anxious or overwhelmed or just plain bored, i tend to snap, spin, hum, click my tongue, rock back and forth, and more. up until recently, i tried to repress these urges to stim, but came to the realization that they aren’t unnatural or negative qualities. i like to think of it as my brain’s version of fuzzy blankets and warm hot chocolate- they’re just my internal coping mechanisms manifested in physical stimulation. stimming is not something to be ashamed of (even if many people don’t understand it), so if it makes your brain happy, then do it!

worried about people noticing your stimming? i understand. personally, i get uncomfortable stimming in front of people, but there’s 3 things i do to cope:

1) hold off stimming until i’m in a safe environment where i won’t have to fear for my emotional or physical safety (can get very uncomfortable though and sometimes builds up anxiety and makes it very difficult to focus)

2) try to stim in smaller ways that don’t draw as much attention to me. i’m fortunate in that i have many stims that work pretty much all the time, so i have a few in my toolbox that are quiet or even silent, for example tapping my fingers on my thumbs (or any surface, really). this allows me to get just a little bit of that stimulation and comfort that my brain craves while keeping the anxiety at bay

3) surround myself with people who are chill with my stims. i didn’t realize the power of this point until recently, but now i have a small group of people that i’m like 75% comfortable stimming around, which lessens the stress on me a lot. they also can help me get to a safe space to stim when i’m feeling overwhelmed

these are just my personal methods of coping, but every single person is different in how they handle it! it took me too long to figure out these and i’m still learning, but i figured i’d share for anyone who needs some advice