Gentle Movement & Stimming for Calm: Finding Rest Through Motion | NeurodiverseNights Blog
Often, advice around relaxation focuses heavily on stillness – sit quietly, lie down, don't fidget. But for many neurodivergent people, and indeed anyone feeling restless, enforced stillness can feel counterintuitive, even agitating. What if calm doesn't always mean motionless? What if gentle movement is actually a pathway *to* rest?
At NeurodiverseNights, we celebrate different ways of being and finding comfort. This includes recognizing the profound regulatory power of movement and sensory input, sometimes referred to as stimming (self-stimulatory behaviour).
Why Movement Can Be Soothing
Repetitive, rhythmic movements can provide crucial sensory input that helps regulate the nervous system:
- Vestibular Input: Gentle rocking, swaying, or swinging engages the vestibular system (related to balance and spatial orientation), which can be inherently calming and organizing for the brain. Think of the comfort of a rocking chair or a gently swinging hammock.
- Proprioceptive Input: Actions like squeezing a stress ball, pulling a blanket tightly, gentle stretching, or even tapping fingers provide proprioceptive input (awareness of body position and movement). This can feel grounding and centering, helping to counter feelings of anxiety or being overwhelmed.
- Predictability and Rhythm: As explored in our post on the Power of Repetition, rhythmic actions create predictability, reducing cognitive load and offering a steady anchor for the mind.
- Energy Release: Sometimes, restlessness is simply excess energy or tension needing a gentle outlet. Small, repetitive movements can help discharge this energy without being overly stimulating.
Reframing Stimming as Self-Care
Stimming often gets misunderstood or discouraged, but it's frequently a natural and effective way individuals (particularly autistic people and those with ADHD, but not exclusively) regulate their sensory experiences and emotions. When approached gently and mindfully, behaviours like hand-flapping, tapping, rocking, or using fidget tools can be part of a healthy winding-down process.
Instead of trying to suppress these urges when seeking calm, consider embracing gentle, non-harmful stims as a valid relaxation technique. Could rocking gently while listening to a story be more calming for you than trying to lie perfectly still? Could tracing a pattern on a soft blanket help focus your mind?
Incorporating Gentle Movement into Your Routine
Consider adding movement to your "menu" of options, as discussed in Creating Your Cozy Cocoon:
- Gentle rocking in a chair or on the edge of the bed.
- Slow, mindful stretching or yin yoga poses.
- Using a weighted lap pad while listening or reading.
- Engaging in a quiet, repetitive craft involving hand movements.
- Mindfully walking or pacing slowly in a calm space.
- Experimenting with fidget tools designed for quiet use.
The key is finding movements that feel genuinely soothing and regulating *to you*, without judgment. Sometimes, the path to stillness is found not by forcing it, but by allowing your body the gentle motion it needs to feel safe and grounded.
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