Fidgeting for Anxiety Relief and Improving Focus: 8 Subtle Habits for Adults

As a child, you were likely told that fidgeting was a distraction. That squirming around in your seat, bouncing your knee, or tapping your fingers were causes of disruption. These responses to fidgeting probably made you develop a negative connotation with fidgeting. 

Over the past decade, many behavioral scientists, therapists, and psychologists have conducted research to prove that fidgeting actually can be beneficial. It can help relieve anxiety, enhance focus, and eliminate unhealthy habits. 

CONQUERing was founded on the idea that fidgeting is a necessary and beneficial part of life. Our fidget jewelry was created as a way for people to fidget discreetly anywhere they go. We are committed to regularly conducting research to understand why people fidget and what type of fidgeting actually works. 

What Does Fidgeting Mean? 

Fidgeting is any unintentional, repetitive movement you make. Usually, it's a result of restless energy or unconsciously regulating attention levels. Typically, fidgeting happens in your hands and your feet, however, it can really happen in any part of your body. 

You likely fidget more in your daily life than you even realize. Since it's something that happens involuntarily, you might be fidgeting for an extended period of time before you even notice you're doing it. 

Many people associate fidgeting with being disruptive. We are here to debunk that idea. Most people can't control when they fidget and there is always an underlying reason that is causing it. Understanding why you fidget and developing subtle habits to fill the need can drastically improve your life. 

What Does it Mean When You Fidget? 

If you find yourself fidgeting, it could mean that you're stressed, anxious, struggling to focus, bored, or nervous. There are many causes of fidgeting—when you catch yourself in the act, assess your surroundings and figure out what drove you to fidget. This can help you develop healthy fidgeting habits when you're dealing with scenarios that will likely trigger the need. 

Stress and anxiety can cause excess energy to build up in your body. The act of fidgeting is a way that the body releases that energy. 

People who struggle to focus have found that fidgeting actually helps improve concentration. Fidgeting balances the chemicals in your brain that control your attention. Having something to distract that part of your brain that easily loses focus can help you stay on track. 

Nerves and boredom are additional scenarios where you might find yourself fidgeting. Some people have developed the habit to keep themselves entertained when they're bored or to stay calm when they're feeling nervous.

Keep an eye on what you're feeling when you do catch yourself fidgeting and make note of it so you can employ healthy habits when you know you'll feel the need to fidget. 

What Are Examples of Fidgeting? 

Common examples of fidgeting are clicking a pen, bouncing your knee, and playing with your hair. Tapping your fingers and curling your toes are other common habits you might have caught yourself doing. 

Some types of fidgeting can be harmful to your body, like skin picking or nail biting. If your go-to method of fidgeting is hurting you, it's important to develop healthier habits. 

Many of these examples can distract the people around you which is why many have a negative perception of fidgeting. If you spend a lot of time around others, you might be itching to develop more subtle fidgeting habits that fill your needs without causing disruption to the people around you. 

Eight Subtle Effective Fidgeting Habits for Adults

There are plenty of fidgeting tips and tools out there that can work for you. Sometimes, it just takes some trail and error to figure out what method works for you. 

After trying a few methods and conducting research, we developed a list of 8 subtle and effective fidgeting habits for adults: 

1. Fidget Rings: Fidget rings are portable, fashionable, and allow you to fidget without distracting anyone around you. You can spin the interchangeable Elements, click them in and out of place, and run your fingers over the ring band. 
   
2. Doodling: If you're not talking one-on-one with someone and need to focus while in a meeting, mindlessly doodling can give your hands a task to allow you to focus on what's important. Even just using your fingers to trace lines on your leg can be enough to distract your mind. 
   
3. Worry Stones: Worry stones are smooth and provide a surface to rub when you're feeling stressed or anxious. They can be a great tool to have if you're someone who experiences a lot of stress or anxiety. 
   
4. Putty: Having a ball of putty or slime on hand gives you something to play with while you're trying to focus or release energy. Make sure to choose something that isn't too messy or loud.
   
5. Ankle rolls: If you find yourself bouncing your knees a lot or tapping your toes, ankle rolls could be a great subtle way for you to fidget. Bonus points for getting your blood circulating if you spend a lot of your day sitting down.
6. Chewing gum: Chewing gum or sucking on mints can be beneficial if you find yourself clenching your jaw a lot. I've also found hard candies, like lollipops or butterscotch, to be effective. 
7. Shoulder rolls: Shoulder rolls are great if you find yourself squirming a lot. Stretching out your shoulder and neck can also prevent pain caused by sitting at a desk for a majority of the day. Many people also hold their stress in their shoulders so rolling them out can help relieve some of that tension. 
8. Stress balls: The OG fidget toy for adults. Stress balls help you release excess energy and improve grip strength. 

These are just a few habits you can develop when you feel the need to fidget. Try out a few different methods and figure out what works for you. 

Interchangeable Fidget Jewelry for Women and Men

Fidget jewelry is proven to reduce anxiety and improve focus. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina used CONQUERing to prove that fidget rings are an effective method of regulating anxiety and attention levels. 

Check out our interchangeable jewelry to begin your fidgeting journey today.