Understanding Sensory Preferences

Understand Your Sensory Preferences

• Track Your Sensory Responses: Keep a journal to record how you feel in different environments. Note if you prefer quiet spaces, if you become overstimulated in certain situations, or if you seek out particular sensory experiences (e.g., bright lights, loud sounds, or certain textures).

• Identify Specific Stimuli: Recognise what types of sensory input (lights, sounds, smells, textures, or movement) are most stimulating or overwhelming for you. Understanding these triggers is crucial to managing your responses.

Understand the Reasons Behind Seeking or Avoiding Sensory Input

• Sensory Avoidance: If you tend to avoid sensory input (such as preferring quiet, dark spaces), this might be due to overstimulation or anxiety caused by too much sensory information.

• Sensory Seeking: If you seek sensory input (e.g., craving loud music, touching certain textures, or engaging in specific movements), it may be your way of self-regulating or finding comfort.

• Mind the Impact on Your Life: Consider how these preferences affect your daily life. Is avoiding sensory input limiting your activities? Is seeking too much stimulation leading to burnout? Finding a balance is key.

Create a Sensory-Friendly Environment

• Modify Your Space: Adapt your home or work environment to suit your sensory preferences. For example, if you prefer quiet, dark spaces, use blackout curtains, soundproofing, or noise-cancelling headphones. If you need sensory stimulation, incorporate textured items, colours, or music that provide comfort.

• Use Calming Tools: Consider sensory tools like weighted blankets, stress balls, or fidget devices if you seek specific tactile stimulation. Use them to help manage anxiety or to self-regulate when needed.

• Control Lighting: If bright lights overwhelm you, use dim lighting or soft lamps. For those who seek more sensory input, bright, stimulating lighting may be appropriate.

Create a Sensory Routine

• Designate Quiet Time: Schedule time each day to retreat to a quiet space if you need a sensory break. This might include a dark room, a cosy corner with soft fabrics, or any space where you feel safe and calm.

• Sensory Stimulation at Specific Times: If you need sensory input, incorporate it into your routine at certain times. For example, play calming music or engage in activities like rocking, fidgeting, or deep pressure activities to soothe yourself.

• Balance Activity: Ensure that your routine allows for both sensory downtime (to avoid overload) and moments of sensory engagement (to prevent boredom or discomfort).

Learn to Gradually Manage Overstimulation

• Recognise the Signs of Overload: Learn to recognise early signs of overstimulation, such as increased anxiety, irritability, physical discomfort, or feeling overwhelmed. This awareness will help you take action before sensory overload becomes too intense.

• Take Breaks: If you are in a stimulating environment and feel yourself becoming overstimulated, take breaks in quiet spaces. Short, frequent breaks can help prevent burnout.

• Create a Calm-Down Kit: Prepare a small kit with items that help you self-regulate when you're overstimulated. This could include earplugs, sunglasses, a soothing object (like a soft fabric), or calming apps on your phone.

Gradually Expose Yourself to Sensory Input

• Start with Low-Stimulation Environments: If you tend to avoid certain stimuli, consider gradually exposing yourself to them in controlled, manageable doses. For example, if you avoid crowds, start with smaller, quieter gatherings and slowly increase the level of stimulation over time.

• Engage in Calming Sensory Activities: If you're someone who seeks sensory input, try engaging in calming activities such as gentle rocking, squeezing a stress ball, or listening to soothing music. Over time, you can explore more stimulating activities, but try to avoid going too far too quickly.

• Use Gradual Desensitisation: For certain situations or environments that you avoid due to sensory overload, consider a gradual desensitisation approach. For instance, you might expose yourself to a noisy environment for a short period, then gradually increase your exposure while practicing coping strategies.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can help you become more aware of your sensory responses and learn to regulate them. Techniques such as focused breathing, body scanning, or mindfulness meditation can help you stay present and reduce the impact of overwhelming stimuli.

• Relaxation Exercises: Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can help manage physical tension associated with sensory overload. Try tensing and releasing muscles, starting from your feet and working your way up to your head.

• Grounding Techniques: Use grounding exercises to stay calm when sensory input becomes too intense. The 5-4-3-2-1 method (identifying 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, etc.) can help you stay connected to the present and calm your mind.

Adjust Social Interactions Based on Sensory Needs

• Communicate Your Needs: Let others know your sensory preferences and needs. If you prefer quieter spaces or need time away from overwhelming situations, it’s helpful to communicate this to family, friends, or coworkers. People may be more understanding when they know how to support you.

• Set Boundaries in Social Settings: If a social event becomes too stimulating, feel free to step away or leave. You can use phrases like, “I need a break” or “This is too overwhelming for me right now” to maintain healthy boundaries.

• Plan Short Social Interactions: If you find social situations exhausting or overwhelming, consider planning shorter interactions. You don’t have to stay in a stimulating environment for long periods; it’s okay to leave when you need to.

Engage in Self-Soothing Activities

• Comforting Activities: Engage in activities that provide comfort and regulate your sensory experiences. These might include listening to calming music, reading, using soft fabrics, or watching soothing videos.

• Fidgeting: If you seek sensory input, fidgeting with an object like a fidget spinner, stress ball, or textured fabric can help manage sensory seeking Behaviours. These activities allow you to satisfy the need for stimulation in a controlled way.

• Deep Pressure: Activities like squeezing a stress ball, using a weighted blanket, or wrapping yourself in a tight sheet can provide deep pressure that is calming for some people.

Experiment with Sensory Diets

• Create a Sensory Diet: A sensory diet refers to a series of sensory activities that are carefully selected to meet your specific sensory needs. These activities might be sensory-seeking or sensory-calming, depending on what helps you self-regulate.

• Work with an Occupational Therapist (OT): If you find it difficult to manage your sensory needs, working with an OT can help you develop a personalised sensory diet. An OT can guide you in creating a balanced routine of sensory input that fits your needs.

Be Flexible and Adaptable

• Adjust as Needed: Your sensory preferences may change depending on your mood, the environment, or your mental health state. Be open to adjusting your approach as needed. Sometimes you may want more sensory input, and other times you may need less.

• Accept Your Needs: It’s important to understand that your sensory preferences are a part of who you are, and there’s no “right” way to experience the world. Be kind to yourself, and don’t feel pressured to conform to expectations that don’t align with your needs.

• Celebrate Small Wins: Managing sensory seeking and avoidance is a gradual process, so acknowledge your successes, no matter how small. Whether it’s making it through a sensory-stimulating event or finding a new calming technique that works for you, celebrate the progress you make.

Final Thoughts

By understanding your sensory needs, creating a sensory-friendly environment, practicing coping strategies, and balancing your sensory input, you can better manage seeking or avoiding sensory stimuli. Over time, you will develop a greater sense of control and find a balance that works for you.