Fidgeting in ADHD

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses of FidgetingConstructive Fidgeting

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes of Fidgeting

Constructive Fidgeting

One of the telltalesigns of ADHDcan be a person fidgeting while in class or in a waiting room. While some assume that fidgeting means the person is distracted or not paying attention, the opposite is true for people with ADHD. Fidgeting is a sign that the person with ADHD is trying to stay focused, but the task they’re focusing on isn’t providing their brain with enough stimulation.

One common feature of ADHD is strongdelay aversion. The time spent waiting for something to happen without anything to do can be excruciating. Mundane or repetitive tasks that don’t have an immediate payoff—like learning chords and finger positions before learning to play a song on the guitar or saving money toward a big vacation—can make us want to give up before reaching the finish line.

Delayed rewards, no matter how big or worthwhile, just don’t seem to activate our motivation the way immediate rewards do—even if we really, really do want to learn guitar or go on that big vacation. The less stimulating the time spent during the delay before the payoff, the more difficult it is for someone with ADHD to tolerate it.

The Meaning of Delayed Gratification

Multiple studies have found that children with ADHD are more likely to fidget or seek out other forms of stimulation (like playing or talking to others) in environments with low or no stimulation. In one example, children with ADHD were better at sitting still in a waiting room when there was a video to watch compared to when there was no form of stimulation.

Take studying as an example. Even if you’re learning about your favorite subject or studying something that will put you closer to getting your dream job, the process of studying typically involves sitting still in a quiet room alone for hours. You might as well be in one of thosesensory deprivation chambers.

To cope with that feeling of deprivation,ADHD brainslook for ways to increase the sensory stimulation they’re getting from the task. It’s essentially a self-regulating mechanism.

While people without ADHD might have an easier time self-regulating internally—if they need to do something boring, they can simply will themselves to do it—people with ADHD often need to seek out external stimulation, like tapping their foot or doodling in the margins of a notebook, to keep themselves on task.

Researchers suspect that this has to do with the fact that the delay doesn’t feel as much like a delay if the brain is receiving optimal stimulation.While everyone is liable to feel bored during unstimulating tasks, ADHD brains are less equipped to resist impulses and will themselves to get the task done anyway.

It’s no surprise, then, that the research shows people with ADHD focus better when they’re allowed to fidget during the task. More telling, those improvements in the ability to focus are most noticeable on tasks that require low to moderate cognitive effort—in other words, on boring tasks.

Stimming in ADHD

Constructive Fidgeting and Stimulation Tactics for People with ADHD

Because fidgeting is actually a mechanism for staying focused, it’s not really something you should worry too much about stopping. You may have gotten criticism or punishment for it growing up since it’s misinterpreted as distraction, butfidgeting is actually a helpful coping skill.

Instead of trying to stop fidgeting, you just want to make sure you’re finding ways to meet your brain’s need for stimulation without creating further distractions for yourself or others.

In general, a good fidget activity is one that doesn’t require your visual or auditory focus so you can keep your brain tuned into the task you’re actually supposed to be doing. It also shouldn’t interfere with your ability to do the task. If you’re writing a report, for example, any fidgeting involving your hands would keep you from actually writing.

Here are some tips for finding constructive fidgeting activities and tapping into other stimulation tactics to improve your ability to focus on under-stimulating tasks.

The Link Between ADHD and Boredom

Add Non-Distracting Stimulation to Boring Tasks

This can be useful as a substitute for fidgeting in tasks where you can’t really do it, like physical work where your hands and feet are occupied. But it can also be used to enhance the focus benefits of fidgeting.

Listening tomusic, for example, can help. In one study, children with ADHD were better at solving math problems while listening to music than they were when in a silent room.

If you have the option, try these tactics for making your environment more stimulating, without making it distracting:

7 Tips for Becoming More Mentally Focused

Find Discreet Ways to Fidget When Other People Are Around

Fidgeting shouldn’t be a source of shame, of course. But noisy or disruptive fidgeting, like clicking a pen or tapping your nails on a table, can be distracting for others. You don’t want to improve your focus at the expense of taking away another person’s ability to focus.

With that in mind, have some more discreet fidget activities ready to go for meetings or sitting in class. If you have already disclosed your neurotype to the people in question, you can use visible but non-disruptive strategies like doodling, chewing gum (or chewabletoysand jewelry), or using noise-free fidget jewelry or fidget toys.

Alternative Ways to FidgetKeep a smooth rock or stress ball in your pocket so you can fidget with your hands out of sight.In virtual meetings or classes where you can turn the camera off, pace around the room or do stationary exercises.Wiggle or flex your toes inside your shoes in lieu of tapping or shaking your footTap your fingers on your leg instead of on a deskWear a textured shirt or blazer and brush your fingers over it. Velvet, wool, or anything with a more tactile fabric that you find pleasant will work.

Alternative Ways to Fidget

Keep a smooth rock or stress ball in your pocket so you can fidget with your hands out of sight.In virtual meetings or classes where you can turn the camera off, pace around the room or do stationary exercises.Wiggle or flex your toes inside your shoes in lieu of tapping or shaking your footTap your fingers on your leg instead of on a deskWear a textured shirt or blazer and brush your fingers over it. Velvet, wool, or anything with a more tactile fabric that you find pleasant will work.

Turn Mundane Tasks into Fidgeting Activities

In my experience, some of the most tedious, impossibly boring chores make for some of the best fidgeting activities when the situation is right. Mopping, folding laundry, dusting shelves, or finally fixing that wobbly drawer are all tasks that keep my hands busy but require minimal cognitive effort.

Ordinarily, that makes them way too unstimulating to do on their own. But as a “fidgeting” activity while I’m on the phone, in a meeting, or listening to a recorded lecture, they’re perfect.

I have an especially hard time with listening. I find myself tuning out much sooner than I do when reading or becoming more focused on resisting the urge to interrupt than on what’s actually being said. So being able to combine listening tasks with chores has made enormous improvements in my ability to actually listen—and increased the odds that I’ll actually get those chores done. It’s a win-win.

Learn “Fidget” Hobbies

Like chores, there are some hobbies that work well as fidgeting activities while also making you feel like you’re getting something done. That’s useful for those who find themselves getting bored with other fidgeting techniques.

Tapping your foot or squeezing a stress ball help for a bit, but, in my experience, they eventually become too repetitive and unrewarding. As the effects wear off, the fidgeting is no longer enough to keep me focused on the task.

A great example of that is knitting. It’s a simple, repetitive motion you can do to keep your hands busy. It’s quiet enough that you can likely convince your boss to let you do it during meetings. And, in the end, you’ll have a new blanket or hat to show for it!

Similar hobbies include:

Not all of those can be done at work, but when studying or working from home, you can find ways to work them into those boring tasks where you need to fidget.

How to Focus With ADHD

Exercise Before Boring Tasks

When you know you’re about to do something where you can’t fidget even though you need to, getting some vigorous exercise ahead of time can help improve focus and reduce the need to fidget. Research shows that aerobic exercise, or anything that gets your heart pumping, can improve focus andreduce hyperactivity.(Of course, hyperactivity and attention regulation differences are not inherently “bad.” But you may find aerobic exercise can help you on days when you want to concentrate on a specific task, for instance.)

Aerobic exercise is a broad category so you have a lot of freedom to choose an activity you actually enjoy if the thought of “working out” sounds awful. Swimming, cycling, playing basketball, dancing, and hiking can all be enjoyable ways to get some physical activity in that will make it easier to stay focused during the more boring parts of your day.

For those who don’t want to or cannot exercise, there are other options that produce similar effects as aerobic exercise. For instance, try cleaning the house or taking a walk. Any type of movement, however that feels good to you, is beneficial.

Overstimulation in ADHD

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Antrop I, Roeyers H, Van Oost P, Buysse A.Stimulation seeking and hyperactivity in children with adhd. J Child Psychol Psychiat. 2000;41(2):225-231. doi:10.1017/S0021963099005302Adamou M, Asherson P, Arif M, et al.Recommendations for occupational therapy interventions for adults with ADHD: a consensus statement from the UK adult ADHD network.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03070-zZentall SS, Tom-Wright K, Lee J.Psychostimulant and sensory stimulation interventions that target the reading and math deficits of students with adhd.J Atten Disord. 2013;17(4):308-329. doi:10.1177/1087054711430332Koiler R, Schimmel A, Bakhshipour E, Shewokis PA, Getchell N.The impact of fidget spinners on fine motor skills in individuals with and without adhd: an exploratory analysis.JBBS. 2022;12(03):82-101. doi:10.4236/jbbs.2022.123005Abikoff H, Courtney ME, Szeibel PJ, Koplewicz HS.The effects of auditory stimulation on the arithmetic performance of children with adhd and nondisabled children.J Learn Disabil. 1996;29(3):238-246. doi:10.1177/002221949602900302Waldera R, Deutsch J.Adhd and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Rassovsky Y, Alfassi T.Attention improves during physical exercise in individuals with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2019;9:2747. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02747

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Antrop I, Roeyers H, Van Oost P, Buysse A.Stimulation seeking and hyperactivity in children with adhd. J Child Psychol Psychiat. 2000;41(2):225-231. doi:10.1017/S0021963099005302Adamou M, Asherson P, Arif M, et al.Recommendations for occupational therapy interventions for adults with ADHD: a consensus statement from the UK adult ADHD network.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03070-zZentall SS, Tom-Wright K, Lee J.Psychostimulant and sensory stimulation interventions that target the reading and math deficits of students with adhd.J Atten Disord. 2013;17(4):308-329. doi:10.1177/1087054711430332Koiler R, Schimmel A, Bakhshipour E, Shewokis PA, Getchell N.The impact of fidget spinners on fine motor skills in individuals with and without adhd: an exploratory analysis.JBBS. 2022;12(03):82-101. doi:10.4236/jbbs.2022.123005Abikoff H, Courtney ME, Szeibel PJ, Koplewicz HS.The effects of auditory stimulation on the arithmetic performance of children with adhd and nondisabled children.J Learn Disabil. 1996;29(3):238-246. doi:10.1177/002221949602900302Waldera R, Deutsch J.Adhd and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Rassovsky Y, Alfassi T.Attention improves during physical exercise in individuals with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2019;9:2747. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02747

Antrop I, Roeyers H, Van Oost P, Buysse A.Stimulation seeking and hyperactivity in children with adhd. J Child Psychol Psychiat. 2000;41(2):225-231. doi:10.1017/S0021963099005302Adamou M, Asherson P, Arif M, et al.Recommendations for occupational therapy interventions for adults with ADHD: a consensus statement from the UK adult ADHD network.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03070-zZentall SS, Tom-Wright K, Lee J.Psychostimulant and sensory stimulation interventions that target the reading and math deficits of students with adhd.J Atten Disord. 2013;17(4):308-329. doi:10.1177/1087054711430332Koiler R, Schimmel A, Bakhshipour E, Shewokis PA, Getchell N.The impact of fidget spinners on fine motor skills in individuals with and without adhd: an exploratory analysis.JBBS. 2022;12(03):82-101. doi:10.4236/jbbs.2022.123005Abikoff H, Courtney ME, Szeibel PJ, Koplewicz HS.The effects of auditory stimulation on the arithmetic performance of children with adhd and nondisabled children.J Learn Disabil. 1996;29(3):238-246. doi:10.1177/002221949602900302Waldera R, Deutsch J.Adhd and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Rassovsky Y, Alfassi T.Attention improves during physical exercise in individuals with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2019;9:2747. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02747

Antrop I, Roeyers H, Van Oost P, Buysse A.Stimulation seeking and hyperactivity in children with adhd. J Child Psychol Psychiat. 2000;41(2):225-231. doi:10.1017/S0021963099005302

Adamou M, Asherson P, Arif M, et al.Recommendations for occupational therapy interventions for adults with ADHD: a consensus statement from the UK adult ADHD network.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03070-z

Zentall SS, Tom-Wright K, Lee J.Psychostimulant and sensory stimulation interventions that target the reading and math deficits of students with adhd.J Atten Disord. 2013;17(4):308-329. doi:10.1177/1087054711430332

Koiler R, Schimmel A, Bakhshipour E, Shewokis PA, Getchell N.The impact of fidget spinners on fine motor skills in individuals with and without adhd: an exploratory analysis.JBBS. 2022;12(03):82-101. doi:10.4236/jbbs.2022.123005

Abikoff H, Courtney ME, Szeibel PJ, Koplewicz HS.The effects of auditory stimulation on the arithmetic performance of children with adhd and nondisabled children.J Learn Disabil. 1996;29(3):238-246. doi:10.1177/002221949602900302

Waldera R, Deutsch J.Adhd and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563

Rassovsky Y, Alfassi T.Attention improves during physical exercise in individuals with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2019;9:2747. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02747

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Constructive Fidgeting and Stimulation Tactics for People with ADHD#

Add Non-Distracting Stimulation to Boring Tasks#

Find Discreet Ways to Fidget When Other People Are Around#

Alternative Ways to Fidget#

Turn Mundane Tasks into Fidgeting Activities#

Learn “Fidget” Hobbies#

Exercise Before Boring Tasks#