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I honestly do not know the difference between and a stim toy and I usually use the two terms interchangeably.

My favorite fidget toys is my flippy chain. I use this thing all the time and take it with me everywhere. And I love that it's discreet and quiet.

What's your favorite fidget toy, or thing yiu like to fidget/stim with?

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[-] Aeao@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Unfortunately mine is cigarettes

That’s no a joke I bet a lot of undiagnosed people smoke just because they have adhd.

Tap for spoilerIt gives you something to do with your hands you can also you have an easy out when in social situations or overstimulation. “I gonna have a quick smoke.” Boom ten minutes to your self.

You want to avoid eye contract with that stranger while walking . You ever look at your phone just to avoid eye contact. Smoking allows you to shield from the wind which means hands in front of face, looking down, sometimes even turning your back entirely to the person. And you can click that lighter as long as you need to. “Oh no the lighter is busted. I now have to immediately leave this area to go get another lighter!”

Also non smokers give you personal space when you smoke

The problem is it’s a subscription service of $10 a day and also are forced to enter a cancer lotto every day.

[-] camelwize@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Yeah been an on/off problem of mine for half my life now, something about both the nicotine and the ritual. I haven't really found anything to replace it with, chewing gum kinda does it a little bit but it's not quite the same.

I used to take my glasses cleaning cloth and roll it up like if I was rolling a cigarette, then run my thumb and finger down it because it has that nice velour(?) texture, that's another one that relaxed me but I haven't done it in forever.

[-] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 6 points 1 week ago

I feel you. I'm glad I quit and all, but I still miss smoking more days than not. You described it absolutely perfectly. Also you can watch the ember glow, flick the ash, turn the cigarette around in your hand...

Plus I'm one of those who really enjoyed the taste, too. Especially now that spring is coming I miss sitting outside in the warm sunlight with a coffee and a cigarette.

[-] Aeao@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I feel you on taste. I tried vape once and the only flavor I liked could be best described as Liquid ashtray. I could stand the “coconut mango “ type flavors “

Tap for spoilerHave you ever tried smoking while taking a shit? That’s is the best cigarette. I don’t smoke inside anymore tho ruins the paint, the dog doesn’t like, also it gives the kids cancer.

Sorry don’t want to portray smoking in too much of a positive light. It’s a deadly habit but it goes well with adhd. Except for the cancer.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

and also are forced to enter a cancer lotto every day.

don't tell me that on days like today

[-] Aeao@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Love you to death my guy but I did censor it. The rest is in you.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

oh, my meaning is not the usual one. it's more "Cancer? Where? Gimme!" it's been a month.

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Quit nicotine; vape live resin instead.

Ditched cigarettes for THC eight years ago and it's the best decision I've ever made. It tastes better, doesn't make you stink nor stain your teeth, and the buzz is a lot nicer too. Like a cozy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.

I rarely end up using actual fidgets because I always forget them… so I usually just fidget whatever object is within reach at a given time.

[-] QuandaleDingle@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

If you can, put them on your keychain! 🔑 Now you just need to remember your keys! XD

High bar. -_-‘

[-] KumaLumaJuma@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago

Every damn time. I did just find a bunch of mine that my husband put into a box, one ADHD person and one near-obsessive cleaner makes for a fun mix in our house 😅

[-] bigredgiraffe@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

I am not sure I could pick a favorite but here is my desk’s current fidget toy box hah! If I had to it’s probably the fidget cube or whatever is in my pocket. Also, I’m going to need to know more about this floppy chain most importantly where do I get one 😄

very random collection of fidget toys to quiet brain noise and hopefully concentrate

[-] KuromiGirl04@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Well, i got my flippy chain from Amazon.

If you search "bike chain fidget" or "flippy chain fidget", you should be able to find some 😊

[-] FilthyShrooms@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

I have a metal mini slinky that I love to fiddle with, it's definitely the best fidget toy I have

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[-] Dearth@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I recently got a hard plastic smush toy i really enjoy

I also really enjoy the classic 3 lobed spinner fidgets. My longest enjoyed fidget is a bit smaller than a switch joycon and has a bunch of buttons and switches on it. I often have it in my pocket at work as i can easily fiddle with it quietly with 1 hand while speaking with someone

[-] SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago

I'm afraid I'd try to eat that by accident. It just looks so appetising

[-] lime@feddit.nu 7 points 1 week ago

i've tried finding one i like for a while now, ever since i got a 3d-printer... i feel like i need something with more heft to it. weirdly the thing that has worked best so far was a cylindrical pill box which opens with a spiral motion. flicking the top makes it spin all the way open and it's smooth enough to close on its own.

[-] fahfahfahfah@lemmy.billiam.net 2 points 1 week ago

Maybe you could leave some space in your print for some kind of weight you can glue in

[-] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 1 week ago

probably, 608 skate bearings are pretty commonly used as weights. i'm not good enough at designing stuff yet though, i'm just browsing for other people's stuff.

[-] bigredgiraffe@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

If you find one you really like and want heavier you could have it printed in metal with like shapeways or PCBway or something I bet! Or even metal-fill filament depending on your printer!

[-] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 1 week ago

i probably could yeah! that's clever.

[-] definitemaybe@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

It's really easy to add holes. One way is to just pop the shape you want into TinkerCAD, export as an STL, import into your project, add the part to your model as an assembly, toggle the shape type to a negative part, then position it where you want it. Then slice the plate, find the layer where you want to insert the weight, and right-click to add a pause. Then pop it into the hole and resume the print

Okay, yeah... I guess that is a lot of steps, now that I see it written out. But none of those steps are hard, lol. Takes like 5 minutes, once you've done it a couple of times.

I often put 4.1mm by 1.6mm cylinder holes into tiny prints to add 4×1.5mm magnets. If you want to add bearings for weight, I'd suggest trying a cylinder hole so it slides in easily. (I haven't tried it myself, but it makes sense in my brain that way).

I'm not sure the best way to keep it from sliding around in there, if your tolerances aren't right. Maybe put some glue in at the same time? If you leave it paused for a couple of minutes, I imagine the bed heat would dry the glue quickly, so it shouldn't ruin your print with moisture, I wouldn't think.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 1 week ago

i could use tinker... but i'm trying to learn freecad. i found a model for a gearbox that turned out to be very badly optimised and to use waaaaay too much filament, so i'm trying to recreate it. hopefully that will learn me enough.

[-] definitemaybe@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

I use "better" CAD software for "real" projects, too, but TinkerCAD is really quick for popping out a simple shape, like a prism.

[-] OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Honestly nothing beats tapping drum beats with my fingers to my favourite songs all day. Also made my typing insanly fast and (mostly) accurate at work lol

[-] camelwize@piefed.social 2 points 4 days ago

I just realised typing itself almost functions like a fidget toy to me. Sometimes I just write a comment or type just for the sensation. Especially feels good to try and type as fast as I can.

[-] OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

That moment when your fingers feel like they're dancing so fluidly and you didnt make one mistake

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago
[-] definitemaybe@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Seriously. I trim mine close, but any tiny bits that are slightly longer or shorter become my stim until the next time I trim.

That and running my tongue above the inside of my teeth, or fingertips along my thumb.

[-] Novamdomum@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago

Infinity cube. I've got loads of them. It really helps me listen when people are talking to me.

[-] salvaria 3 points 1 week ago

Do you know of any that aren't so noisy? I love the one I have, but they do make a lot of noise

[-] Novamdomum@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

I know what you mean. I always go for this one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V43JNZ7

It's got a hard but velvety finish and the hinges are quiet. I also find that using it one handed means I can have it out of sight by my hip which makes it less obvious and noisy too.

[-] moondoggie@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I have a small, pocket-sized fountain pen. In meetings I can take “notes” (draw), then spin the cap on and off. Some of the other people below mentioned smoking and it’s good for that too. I just say “sorry, I need a smoke” as I put the pen in my mouth. Nobody bothers me and nobody asks for a light. Worked a lot better before vaping was a thing though.

[-] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 week ago

I like wearable fidget toys. I have an enamel pin of centrifuge tubes, which actually spins^[1]

I also have a couple of cool interactive pins from AtelierEumori (currently on break). I have this social battery pin and this TTRPG dice pin

There's a couple of rings that I have long been coveting, such as this one, this one, or this one^[2]. I don't own any of these, because they're super expensive, but they've inspired me to learn how to make stuff like this — I've been learning how to use a jeweller's lathe.

I like wearable stuff because otherwise I will forget them or lose then. I do have some begleri, which are as much as a skill toy as a fidget toy. This aspect of skill is why I like them — I like the feeling of practicing stuff. For this reason, a standard deck of cards is also something I like to fiddle with. Unfortunately, I tend to forget to take them with me, so I'm not actually very good at this stuff.


[1]: From dorbitalgames, but out of stock

[-] nightspawn@literature.cafe 5 points 1 week ago

Without thinking, I pick at the skin around my fingernails. Sigh. But when I do reach for a fidget, I have a spinner and one of those Needoh gumdrops that is satisfyingly squishy.

[-] Strider@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Oh absolutely. The fingers automatically search for uneven skin and start picking...

[-] Alejandro_P@mathstodon.xyz 2 points 1 week ago

@Strider @nightspawn so true. Just the other day without realizing I was bleeding a little from my finger, exactly because of this

[-] nightspawn@literature.cafe 2 points 1 week ago

Exactly. I have to carry nail clippers all the time to try and keep myself from picking to the bleeding point.

[-] ViaGetty@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

A dog clicker they gave me at my dogs training course a few years ago. It's louder than any clicky pen. So satisfying!

[-] rowinxavier@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Rubik's cube was my favourite for a few years when I was commuting by train. I had a 40-60 minute trip each way for work and it was an amazing way of killing time without going mad.

Then podcasts and audio books came in and honestly, I can manage sitting still with audio playing. I need it to be stimulating enough, but running everything at 2x speed is fantastic and really makes a huge difference.

That said, I also have a notepad and pen so I can write things down while sitting, so I plan projects and write questions to be answered later. That helps a lot. I also have my phone which is great for passing time, Offline Games is a fantastic set of games that dont require purchases or ads. I also have my first aid kit on my belt and I regularly go through it and make sure all is well, along with my tech pouch. Organising those and cleaning them out works well.

[-] als 2 points 1 week ago

For ad free games I can highly reccomend Simon Tatham's Puzzle Collection. It's been ported to most every platform under the sun but I mainly use the android port.

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[-] Nemo@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 week ago

I want to say clicky pen, not just for the clicking and spinning but also dis- and re-assembling them.

But the real answer by time spent is probably cocktail tray.

[-] Twinklebreeze@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I really like using a Rubik's cube.

[-] Vengefu1Tuna@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago

I have those too! They're fantastic!

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 3 points 1 week ago

The zit on my neck that won't heal because I keep picking at it.

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago
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[-] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Whatever trash I accidentally left on my desk. When that isn't around, I tend to grab my phone.

[-] MIDItheKID@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Ooh, that flipoy chain looks fun. I'm going to have to get one of those.

My favoritrs are a nice heavy metal 3 prong fidget spinner I got bacj when that craze first started. This bike chain gear sprocket one - not sure how else to describe it, but it's two gears, one bigger than the other, and a bike chain going around them. It's neat.

But my real favorite? My absolute love it to death favorite? Some Stimagz. They are little magnet rods and they are infinitely amazing. I do not use them anymore and it honestly took a while to break the habit. Why don't I use them anymore? I swear I started to develop hand pain. It's like I was on track to give myself carpel tunnel. My right hand was starting to get stiff and painful and I couldn't figure out why, and I realized it started happening about a month after I got my Stimagz. I had them in my pocket 24/7 and no matter what, when, or where, I was fidgeting with them. I put them away in a drawer and stop using them, and bam, hand pain cleared up. They were like fidget heroin. I wish I could trust myself around them, but I know I would just get carried away. The safest way for me to use them is to not use them at all.

[-] Hazmatastic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I'm a drummer, so mine is usually just finger-drumming to whatever is stuck in my head at the moment. But when I do use an object, spinning a pencil/pen or bic lighter around the thumb will keep me busy for hours

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this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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