Look into proprioception; simply put, if you’re unfamiliar, proprioception is essentially the ability to perceive the boundaries of your body/where you are in space and/or in relation to things like furniture, that uneven section of the sidewalk, door frames, other people, etc. Some people have lower proprioception.

Low proprioception can also result in reduced perception of physical stimulation; this might look like someone who:

• throws themselves onto the couch,

• hugs too hard,

• regularly gives a painfully strong handshake,

• often talks too loud,

• drops things frequently, etc.

It’s already been mentioned that folks on the ADHD and/or autism spectrum are more likely to have low proprioception, so if you see yourself (or as you were as a child, since many descriptions are centered around ways this would present in children) in some descriptions of common experiences of those with low proprioception and also diagnosed with ADHD and/or autism, you may find value in pursuing assessment yourself (this was the case for me, diagnosed at 38). Or you may not.

Either way (associated with a medical diagnosis or not), proprioception can be improved if there is interest in doing so. For example, movements that cross the body are helpful in increasing awareness of where your body is in space, which can increase awareness of where other things are in space as well. For me this led to not only the anticipated outcome of fewer run-ins with tables, doorframes, etc, but also reduced frequency for things like dropping my keys, knocking over drinks, all forms of spilling on myself, and tripping over stuff.

So a lot of people that I know that are pretty clumsy are those people that are always in a rush or moving too quickly. They always have something else on their mind other than being in the present.

So some tips are to just be more observant. I know that’s an easy thing to say, and in practice it’s much more difficult, but just check your surroundings and pre-plan movements in your head. If you see something that you could bump your head into, make a mental note that you need to give it more space than you’re thinking. If you’re always dropping something, then make a plan to put it into place where it won’t fall. Like grabbing your phone and putting it in your pocket or your purse.

I think linear thinking helps reduce clumsiness. To get into mindset of following steps a, b, and c when performing a task could help. That being said, I am no expert and we all are clumsy from time to time.

Slow down, concentrate only on what you’re doing, act deliberately.

My nickname has been “Crash” for most of my life because I’m a very accident-prone person. Over the years I’ve learned to slow down and move with purpose by taking a split second to think “what am I about to do here?” before taking action.

I notice when I’m in a rush I tend to stumble and drop things a lot so I try to avoid that by planning ahead when I have time. This usually means getting seasonings out while the pan is still heating up, getting my things around for work the night before, or just generally preparing for what I know is coming.

I’ve also learned to NOT stand up quickly near cabinets (I have scars from this lesson), push doors all the way open if I’m passing through (it’s always that one belt loop), and not leave things lying around in the middle of the floor (some dog toys are worse than legos). Just generally trying to be more aware of your surroundings.

1 how old are you? When your body is growing it’s hard to have a sense where you end. 2. I’ve had vitamin deficiency that affected my mood and coordination.

An attempt at a serious answer (I’m not a doctor). The blood vessels that connected you to your mom during pregnancy dry up and become ligaments connecting the inside part of your belly button to your liver and bladder, so that’s what’s on the other side.

Your skin/body doesn’t dent and pucker like something made out of tin. It’s stretchy and resilient. If you put a vacuum nozzle on your forearm, sure, the skin will get pulled into it a bit, but when you take it off, the skin will return to normal (maybe with some temporary swelling).

So with enough suction, you might get your belly button to pucker out, but it won’t stay that way, especially with the ligament pulling back. On the other hand, as others have mentioned, you can get it to stick out by pushing on it from the inside, as happens to a lot of pregnant women when the baby is pushed up against it. Even in those cases it goes back after the baby is born though.