For many people, resisting the urge to fidget during the day remains a constant battle, especially for those who spend most of their time around co-workers. However, recent studies have shown that fidgeting may help offset some of the negative health effects associated with sitting for long periods.
Sitting at your computer, attending meeting after meeting, or spending time sitting down while talking on the phone can cause various health issues from increased blood pressure, inadequate blood flow to your lower extremities, muscle deterioration, and blood clots.
However, moving your legs, tapping your toes, shuffling your feet when sitting can help reduce some of these health issues. Fidgeting allows your body to keep moving throughout the day. And even though these movements may seem small, moving your legs, fingers, toes, and other body parts helps keep blood flowing normally while maintaining muscle movement.
Since some people find fidgeting annoying or distracting, you should try to limit your movements when around other people or use an adult fidget toy such as a discreet fidget strip that allows you to move your fingers without causing disruptions to others.
Physical Health
Even though technology has made certain aspects of life easier, technology has caused people to become more sedentary. Sitting in front of a computer, relaxing in front of the television, talking on the phone, and relying on vehicles for transportation have greatly reduced physical activity.
Drastic or prolonged reductions in physical activity can lead to various health issues including high blood pressure, obesity, heart problems, diabetes, digestive issues, motor function issues, and much more. The best way to overcome these physical health problems is by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
Unfortunately, many people have difficulty sticking to a diet and fitness regimen. And while fidgeting during the day won’t have a huge impact on physical health, small movements provide some relief and may help prevent or reduce the severity of serious health issues.
Moving your feet, legs, arms, and fingers help keep blood flowing through your body. Healthy muscles and tissue need oxygen regularly to remain active and healthy. Your blood transports oxygen, nutrients, and other materials to every part of your body. So, in a small way, fidgeting helps keep your body functioning without stress or strain.
Fidgeting also helps prevents muscles and joints from weakening. Bending your toes and using your fingers to manipulate paper clips and other objects found on your desk help keep your foot and finger joints limber.
Keeping your body in motion when sitting for long periods may also help prevent illness by helping your body maintain its natural immunity. Sitting motionless for hours on end causes a decrease in your body’s ability to fight off germs and other invaders. Fidgeting helps your body maintain its immunity while reducing inflammation.
Brain Health
Fidgeting helps you stay focused and alert when sitting through long meetings and other public events. Sitting still for long periods can cause your brain to ‘fall asleep.’ If you’ve ever sat through a long meeting only to forget what you’ve heard a few minutes afterward, this indicates that you weren’t paying attention because your brain went to sleep.
Keeping the brain alert and active typically requires people to move their body around, focus on and manipulate small objects on their desk, or look around the room for visual stimulation. Some people only need a little stimulation to keep their brains awake, while other people need continued movement or visual stimuli to remain alert.
When you fidget, you’re requiring your brain to process information. This keeps your brain active which prevents boredom. Since it usually isn’t possible for people to move around during a meeting, fidgeting remains the only option. Unfortunately, some people view fidgeting as a nuisance or a distraction.
Yes, fidgeting is a distraction – it’s a distraction for your brain! Distracting the brain helps prevent it from falling asleep. If you need to fidget when sitting for long periods during the day, consider investing in small sensory toys for adults that help distract your brain without distracting those around you.
Other ways to engage your brain include completing crossword or number puzzles, learning a new skill or taking up a new hobby, exercising regularly, and changing up your habits. When you keep your brain awake and engaged, you will notice improved focus, improved memory and memory recall.
Emotional Health
Many people suffer from stress and anxiety. And while many factors contribute to these feelings, over time, stress and anxiety can take their toll on your emotional health and well-being. A traumatic event, sudden change, or the accumulation of small issues can cause stress. When left untreated, stress can morph into anxiety which can lead to depression, loneliness, and social isolation.
Fidgeting helps reduce feelings of stress and anxiety while promoting feelings of calm and relaxation. Drumming your fingers on your desk or moving your feet around provide a small way for you to feel in control of what’s going on around you. Fidgeting also helps your brain remain focused on finding the right solutions to the issues causing stress.
Maintaining a stress-free lifestyle helps promote emotional health and well-being. Learning how to cope with negative situations, people, and events allows you to live a longer, healthier life. Making small movements throughout the day can help you remain calm and relaxed. Whether you go for short walks, stretch your legs, bend your toes, or lean back in your chair, these movements help keep your body and your brain active.
An active brain regularly releases hormones that improve mood, brain function, and help you remain focused throughout the day.
3 Ways to Engage in Productive Fidgeting
Productive fidgeting allows you to remain both physically and emotionally healthy by keeping your brain and body active. Here are three ways to engage in productive fidgeting when at work or in public:
– Invest in a small adult fidget toy that you can keep with you during the day. Select a sensory toy that’s discreet, but one that provides visual and tactile stimulation. Avoid toys that make noise or have flashing lights as these toys aren’t appropriate for most work or social situations.
– Develop fidgeting habits that incorporate small movements like toe-tapping or gently moving your fingers up and down on armrests, tables, or desks. Small movements provide less distraction for those around you. In many cases, people won’t notice that you’re fidgeting if you keep your movements small.
– Schedule fidget sessions throughout the day. This may seem silly, but take some time to fidget when eating your lunch, before or after a meeting, at the beginning, or the end of the day. Scheduling fidget times allows you to fidget without anyone noticing. If you’re under stress, you may find these scheduled fidgeting times as relaxing as deep breathing exercises and meditation.
As you can see, productive fidgeting helps you maintain your health and well-being during times of stress and during times of happiness and prosperity.
About Fidget Strips
Fidget Strips provide a discreet way for adults and children to fidget when out in public. Made from durable materials with a strong adhesive backing, these sensory toys for adults feature a rough or satiny texture that people can rub, scratch, or touch whenever they want. Place these strips on the back of cell phones, laptops, computer tablets, or on any smooth surface to use.
Available in varying colors, these strips also provide visual stimulation to help prevent boredom, reduce stress and anxiety, or allow the mind to simply wander for a few minutes. These strips help keep people engaged in sedentary activities including business meetings, school assemblies, lectures, and other public events.
Our strong strips provide years of stress and anxiety relief when maintained properly. To clean, gently rub the strip with a little warm water and allow it to dry. Fidget Strips provide the perfect distraction when traveling, when sitting for long periods, or when faced with a stressful situation at work or home.