Want to learn more about fidgeting?
I have compiled some of my favorite articles on the subject. Each quote below is from one of the articles, and you can click the link below each quote to read the whole article. But fidgeting isn’t just for kids anymore, with the rise of people realizing that they are neurodivergent, we are seeing fidget toys around the office more and more. My goal is to make fidgets that are more discreet and less distracting to those around you.
“Fidgety people tend to daydream, which can distract them at school and work. But fidgeting, like doodling, can also provide physiological stimulation, which can help some people focus on a task. In one experiment, people who doodled throughout a phone call remembered 29% more details than those who did not, suggesting the activity may aid cognitive performance, although more research is needed.”
— https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230814-why-fidgeting-is-good-for-you
“Cognitive research suggests that fidgeting is associated with how stimulated we are. That is, fidgeting may be a self-regulation mechanism to help us boost or lower our attention levels depending on what is required – either calming or energizing us.”
— https://theconversation.com/the-surprising-science-of-fidgeting-77525
“Harnessing fidgeting (not stopping it) turns uncontrolled tapping, leg shaking, etc. into controlled movements. In turn, this can lead to increased focus.
To harness fidgeting to improve focus, the first step is to identify what the person does to fidget. For example, many people fidget with their hands by tapping them on the table, moving a pen around quickly, or by picking at things. Others fidget with their feet or legs by tapping their feet, shaking their legs, kicking them against something, or with some other physical movement involving their feet or legs.”
— https://chadd.org/attention-article/harness-fidgeting-to-improve-focus/
“Our results align with anecdotal accounts about fidget toys helping children with attention or anxiety issues to stay focused and calm in the classroom. In fact, fidget toys have been available for kids for quite some time.
There hasn’t yet been a definitive study of the impact of these toys in the research world. In one preliminary study looking at stress ball use, sixth graders who used these fidget toys during instruction independently reported that their “attitude, attention, writing abilities, and peer interaction improved.””
— https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fidget-toys-arent-just-hype/