Focus-Boosting Fidgets for Adults with ADHD
Feel calmer: Find a fidget that works for you!
Do you constantly look for what to do with your hands, especially during non-essential meetings?
Or is that just me?
A good fidget toy that suits your needs might be just the ticket.
Fidget Toys: A Helpful Tool for Adults with ADHD
I have had a couple that I have enjoyed, but wanted to learn more about some other options. I will include my impressions of how they worked.
Hopefully this will help you to make a choice as well!
Fidget toys can be tactile, squishy, or textured objects designed to keep your hands busy. They can spin and create vibrations or flap back and forth.
Think about all those staff meetings we did on Zoom. How many of us had something to keep our minds sharp? I certainly did.
These toys come in various shapes, sizes, and textures, offering a discreet way to channel restless energy and decrease anxiety.
Benefits of Fidgets
- Improving Focus: Engaging with fidget toys can help redirect excess energy, allowing you to concentrate better on tasks at hand.
- Reducing Stress: The repetitive motions involved in using fidget toys can have a calming effect, reducing anxiety and stress levels.
- Enhancing Productivity: By satisfying the need for movement in a discreet manner, fidget toys can help boost productivity and task completion.
Types of Fidget Toys
- Tactile Fidgets: These include stress balls, cubes, or raised stickers that provide sensory feedback through touch.
- Fidget Spinners: These handheld gadgets feature spinning components that can serve as a visual and tactile stimulant.
- Sensory Rings: Designed with textured surfaces, sensory rings offer a discreet way to fidget and soothe nerves during stressful moments.
- More Types: Magnetic fidgets, manipulative, bendable, or smooth feeling ones that you can roll around in the palm of your hand.
One of the best things about them is that you can find some that are silent and kind of hide in the palm of your hand. So if you're wanting to keep a little lower profile, like during a class or a meeting, you can probably find one.
This one (above) looks like one my son picked out from a local grocery store. It was actually surprisingly well-made and satisfying to hold.
I kind of ‘borrowed it' to be honest. (Don't tell him!)
The one on Amazon is likely a different model, but you can see the basic idea.
How Fidget Toys Help
Fidget toys come in a range of textures, shapes, and sizes, appealing to different sensory preferences. Do you like heavier weight? what about clicks? The way the joystick fits by your thumb?
Fidgets can sometimes calm your nerves in ways that are more subtle than others.
Instead of repeatedly tapping a pen on the table, it could be that the bike chain model could satisfy that same need to move. You just might feel less self-conscious doing so.
(Obviously there is nothing inherently wrong with fidgeting; it's natural and important to do. I just mean that sometimes some people may feel uncomfortable or like others are noticing.)
Top Fidget Toys for Adults with ADHD
Here are some top fidget toys for you to check out. Or jump straight to Amazon to pick up some today!
1. Fidget Cubes
Fidget cubes are compact and versatile gadgets that offer various sensory activities like clicking, spinning, and rolling for tactile stimulation.
They provide a way to fidget during meetings or tasks that require concentration. The different features (e.g., rolly ball, joy stick, rounded edges) engage multiple senses, aiding in focus and reducing restlessness.
My thoughts: these have been useful for me, when I remember them. I like the texture, the choices of what to do (roll, click, etc.). The size is perfect for my hands which are smallish in size.
You can find a decent one for under $15-20, so they are perhaps less pricey than some other choices.
2. Stress Balls
Stress balls are classic fidget toys that can help adults with ADHD release nervous energy and tension.
Squeezing a stress ball can provide a calming effect and improve concentration.
These soft, malleable balls are perfect for discreet fidgeting in stressful situations or while deep in thought.
Personally, I haven't found many that appeal to me. The best ones have been from dollar stores and aren't labeled as stress balls.
I got some from an online marketplace that were more like more occupational therapy. Did not enjoy those as they didn't actually squish.
3. Spinner Rings
Spinner rings are stylish and functional fidget accessories that offer a constant outlet for restless energy.
The spinning motion can be soothing and help folks feel calmer or more focused. If you like wearing jewelry, which lots of people don't, myself included.
4. Tangle Toys
Tangle toys are portable and flexible fidget tools consisting of interconnected curved sections that can twist and turn.
I haven't done much with these as I think they would honestly drive me crazy, which would defeat the whole purpose. But maybe I'm mistaken?
What do you think? Would you enjoy untangling this? Maybe so.
Choosing the Right Fidget Toy
When it comes to selecting, there are some considerations to keep in mind. (And try to get a good return policy, because you really won't know until you try it.)
Here are some tips to guide you.
1. Textural Preferences
Do you want something bumpy or smooth? Soft or rough?
2. Noise Tolerance
If you have super-sensitive hearing like me, don't buy toys that click loudly.
Consider items like smooth stones, stress balls, or rings to avoid distractions.
3. Portability and Durability
Choose a fidget toy that is easily portable so you can use it when you're out and about.
Look for durable options that can withstand frequent use without losing their effectiveness. Or ones that will withstand small children grabbing them from you!
4. Experiment with Shapes
Explore fidget toys with a variety of shapes and sizes to determine what feels most comforting.
5. Seek Input from Other Adults with ADHD
Reach out to friends or join online communities to gather recommendations. Teach with ND has a Facebook group which is perfect for this!
Check it out! It's called Teaching While Neurodivergent: Support for ADHD, Autism, and Sensory Needs
Ask your students, too, which ones they most like.
Photo by Anil Sharma
Incorporating Fidget Toys into Daily Life
Here are some ways to use fidgets throughout your day.
1. Desk Essentials
Once you find a fidget or two that you like using, consider having a few on hand in multiple locations.
If you already have them at your desk, you won't need to go hunting for them during those lovely afternoon meetings.
Pro tip: set a reminder to leave them at your desk when you get up, so they don't get lost.
(That's what I try to do. Does it happen? Maybe.)
2. Travel Companions
If you commute to work or travel frequently, throw an infinity cube in your backpack. That way you're ready if you need it.
3. Stress Relief Breaks
When feeling overwhelmed or anxious, consider taking a toy with you on your walk or as you talk to a friend.
If you struggle with meditation, you could also try sitting while rolling your feet on a small ball.
Not technically a fidget, but something small like the size of a tennis-ball, could help you stay in your session a while longer.
4. Meeting Mindfulness
If you're involved with in-person meetings, you can still try holding something small that you feel comfortable with.
For example, there are some fidgets made out of a stretchy, rough fabric that has two or three small balls inside.
For me this fit in my hand and calmed my nerves enough to focus a little bit longer.
Potential Drawbacks
You always want to listen to yourself about how using fidgets in a workplace setting feels to you.
Only you know what makes the most sense for you.
That said, I don't feel that there are any major negatives to using them in most settings.
Takeaways
Fidgets can be another tool for your proverbial toolkit of techniques you use to manage ADHD symptoms. There are many types to choose from.
Keep experimenting with different textures, shapes, colors, and sounds until you find what you prefer. Keep multiples in various locations so you're never left scrambling.
For more tips on managing daily challenges as a neurodivergent teacher, read the Key Neurodivergent Teachers' Guide to Managing Daily Challenges round-up!
