Get moving...

We all move in different ways, sometimes due to our neurotype and sometimes based on preference. Movement can be influenced by time, setting and surrounding, schedules, commitments, beliefs in ourselves, stigma, patterns, injuries, seasons, resources, and support systems among so many other things. When we move and engage in stimulation, it impacts our nervous system. When we look at stimming behaviors, they can appear (though not always and this certainly is not an exhaustive list) in the following ways:

• Visual-staring, blinking, turning lights on and off

• Auditory-listening to the same song or sound on repeat, snapping fingers, making oral noises on repeat

• Tactile-hand rubbing, squeezing, rocking, creating pressure on the body, rubbing something soft/smooth like the binding on a blanket or pulling at a string

• Verbal-repetitive vocalizations/echolalia, saying or singing the same phrase or word, whistling, humming, tongue clicking

• Oral-chewing (including the insides of cheeks), licking (including lips), sucking, tongue movements inside the mouth

• Olfactory-sniffing objects, seeking specific scents/smells

• Vestibular-spinning, rocking, jumping pacing, swaying, testing balance in other ways

• Proprioceptive-deeper jumps, throwing, flapping, feeling the body in space and time to ground

  
  

Essentially engaging in these can foster regulation and a sense of safety.

Movement in the more traditional sense, such as walking, lifting, sports activities and the like also boosts neurotransmitters which can reduce stress and increase cognitive function and memory. Energy levels, regulation, and sleep can benefit from movement and secondary effects of deterring other behaviors, habit stacking for overall health benefits, commitment to self-care, and creating appropriate boundaries for your schedule where you include time to move are all positive, brain boosting enhancements from a mental health perspective.

It’s important to remember that movement matters and consistency is the biggest part of that. One can feel stuck when deciding which movement to engage in, potentially adding stress in the decision making of what and when to start. Bottom line…move in a way that makes sense to you, is approachable yet challenging, and is something you can continue…because it’s in the ability to continue that you will see the biggest benefits.