Is Fidgeting good or not according to cognitive sciences?

Question

I am searching through internet for the asked question. I read different articles and blogs, some says its is good for physical health and keep your BMI low and some say it is good activity. But here my real concern is what a psychologist think about `Fidgeting`. Please give reference if possible.

Answer 1

Speaking as a Behaviorist,

Behaviorally, fidgeting is not a problem unless it affects you in a way that makes it difficult to live a socially appropriate and typical life. Fidgeting is an Automatic (Sensory) behavior, which means it reinforces itself by simply engaging in the behavior. Behaviorally, fidgeting frequently means you have a psychological need for physical stimulation, which requires you to self-stimulate yourself. As long this self-stimulating behavior does not interfere with you living your life, it is not maladaptive (a problem).

If it bothers you that you engage in the behavior, or it begins to cause you physical or social issues in your life, you will not be able to completely stop the behavior until you can replace it with another (more appropriate) behavior that can still allow you to access the physical stimulation you need, at a high enough frequency to reinforce your learning of the behavior. The new behavior must also be easy enough to engage in, that you will not go back to the old behavior, which became a problem.