😌 Rocking Chairs Are A Stimming Tool

When I was little, nearly everyone I knew in my familial circle had a rocking chair in their house. I don’t mean the big recliner styles that many people now have in their homes that happen to rock (although those are also cool and super comfy!)

What I’m referring to are the old-school wooden chairs. The ones that were acquired at a flea market, or passed down from generation to generation, the ones made by grandpas, or refinished by a great aunt. Those creaky, sometimes wobbly, reupholstered rocking chairs that have rocked all the family babies to sleep. The ones that are comforting because you would feel the whoosh of air through your infant hair as your grandmother rocked you. The ones you swung too hard in as a rambunctious kid, so much so that you made a dent in the wall. The ones that were pulled into the family room during the holidays as an extra seat when the house was so full of love and energy.



Those moments can be fun to reminisce about, and I feel bad for those who weren’t lucky enough to experience the sensation of a loving person rocking them to sleep as a toddler, because it's maybe one of the most comforting, loving things I’ve ever experienced.

So maybe I have a thing for rocking chairs, quirky me!
But the interesting thing I want to point out here is that it seems like for generations people have had access to self-stimulating or “stimming” behaviors, but back then they were just seen as a normal thing. Maybe this is a skewed perception on my part because it’s not like rocking chairs have really gone anywhere, but as I’ve gotten older I feel like I've seen them less and less in people’s homes.

Some people have perhaps never owned a rocking chair. In our society they are seen as an accessory for aging people. We see them in television shows and movies in scenes featuring elderly or infirm people, often in old age homes or group homes. Otherwise they are marketed to soon-to-be parents (especially mothers) who will need a seat where they can breastfeed and rock a baby to sleep. Those are all intuitive choices, so it makes sense that they would be marketed to those populations…but what about the rest of us? It got me thinking about how calming (lullabies) and soothing (soothers) activities and accessories are often reserved for infants and the elderly. People who don’t find themselves in those categories (so like, the entire rest of the population) might never give themselves the permission to enjoy certain things because they are linked to illness, weakness, or disability, which is messed up if you ask me. It’s like we want to collectively distance ourselves from those things through life because we are so afraid to be perceived as ill, weak, or disabled.

I won’t get into how problematic that is, partly because I think it’s obvious but also because that wasn’t the point of this blog, but I will say I think it’s stupid to gatekeep ourselves out of things that are enjoyable or healing because they are deemed "inappropriate" or a waste of time.

I would argue that rocking chairs are an amazing way to stim, and that people have instinctively known that for generations (they just never called it that). Think about it; the back-and-forth motion is relaxing, the air rushing over your skin is soothing, the motion is calming, the creaking sound is meditative, you will likely find yourself in a flow state if you rock long enough. Some people sing while they rock, or hum, or knit, or read, or do a crossword puzzle, or listen to music. All those things have something in common: they are done purely for enjoyment.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many healing things are saved for special days off, or Sundays, or when you're home for the holidays.... once per year. It’s deemed a luxury and even seen as lazy or useless to exist contemplatively, like it's a waste of time to sit and just be. I think that is very flawed logic. I think taking time to exist while doing something analogue and allowing your thoughts to breathe is one of the most healing and restorative things we can do. The fact that we see it as a splurge, or a rarity is problematic. I’m not saying sitting and rocking all day should be your entire existence I just want us to deconstruct the false narrative that existing slowly and mindfully is unproductive.

Some of the most productive things we can do is allow our bodies to heal and our minds to settle – I don’t think that’s revolutionary.

Tangent aside, let me try to bring this back to the point. It’s interesting to me that things like rocking back and forth with only your body (something many individuals on the autism spectrum do, for example) is seen as disruptive and often painted in a negative light, and that rocking in a rocking chair which likely gives people the same calming effect is seen as acceptable... if only for octogenarians and babies! (sigh).

These less than favorable preconceptions we attribute to harmless things boggles my mind. So, in defense of the humble rocking chair, I urge you to reexamine the way you might see things like stimming. What actions or behaviors make you uncomfortable, and why? What stimming behavior do you partake in, and why? Do you think rocking chairs should be reserved for new moms and grandparents? Why? Have you ever rocked in a chair in your adult life? Why or why not? Would a rocking chair (or any other piece of furniture that can be used to soothe your soul) add value to your home and allow you to ease into your body more easily? Would it ruin your “aesthetic”? Does that matter?

                                         [Never know what you're going find at an antique store]

These are the types of questions I asked myself as I rocked in our old Laizeeboi* recliner this morning. Although I haven’t had a traditional rocking chair in my home for most of my adult life, we’ve had this thing for years and it’s better than nothing. I also use my computer chair in a reclined position to sit and rock while cuddling my my cat sometimes. The motion + her purring is super calming. I was rocked for innumerable hours as a colic-y baby. I was rocked for days when I was a feverish infant. I was rocked for comfort when I scraped my knee as a kid. I was rocked until I was too big to get rocked any longer, and even then I still asked to be rocked if the chair was deemed sturdy enough. As I got older there is nothing I loved more than sitting in my grandmothers' many rocking chairs and chatting with family, watching nature from the picture window, or cozying up to the wood stove. Rocking chairs have had a special place in my heart my entire life.

Writing this has solidified in me a need to have one in my home for years to come. Give it a try. Maybe your local thrift store has one for sale. Maybe an online marketplace is the way to go. Maybe a family member is ready to gift you one from their collection. Even if you aren’t “old” or expecting a child, or disabled, or autistic, or a baby. I'm willing to bet the simple act of rocking will not only help you burn off some energy but it will soothe your mind and allow you to calm your inner world and maybe reconnect to yourself.

Let’s reclaim stimming as a positive act of self-care and rocking as a meditative tool in the home.

What things do you do to stim at home? What could you implement in your own home that flies in the face of modern design trends or unspoken social rules? Leave your comments below! (bonus points if you have a hammock or outdoor swing chair cause those are rad).

Snacks & Snark,
Relatable Red

*I spelled this word incorrectly on purpose because I have no desire to provide a company with SEO/recognition/marketing for free.


Links & Resources:

How Rocking Can Help You Heal - Research shows the health benefits from the gentle motion of rocking are undeniable

Effect of Rocking Movements on Afternoon Sleep

Rocking as a soothing intervention: The influence of direction and type of movement

Why analogue design still endures


CHAIRS:

Adirondack Rocking Chair - HERE

Basic Outdoor Patio Rocking Chair - HERE

Ergonomic Kneeling Rocking Chair - HERE

Folding Camping Rocking Chair - HERE

Upholstered Rocker Glider - HERE

Wooden Porch Rocking Chair - HERE