Sensory Overload

Post Reply New Topic

How do people here handle sensory issues?

I generally handle mine by knowing my environment and my limits so that I can do everything I can to avoid being overstimulated. It is something that I have been mostly successful with but things still occasionally go wrong.

I try my best to just avoid situations that will give me sensory issues. If I fail, I have noise cancelling ear phones and I find they've helped me a lot. I also have a rabbit stuffy that I pet and I try and focus on the fur and how nice and soft it is and it can sometimes help distract me if the earphones aren't enough.

Knowing my limits, triggers, and having coping mechanisms at the ready. I always bring my headphones with me, fro example, and if I'm in a crowded area and need a break I can go to a quieter place (like a bathroom, for example)

I shop very close to home. If it gets to be too much I just go home.

I generally know my limits, but my tolerance for certain triggers can vary. I try to limit or avoid known triggers, and keep a fidget handy for those times that they are unavoidable. When all else fails I retreat.

I wait for the stimulation to be over and try and be calm and collective as much ass possible during.

Knowing the area and knowing where to go hide and recalibrate. Often corners where there are no people or spaces that are hidden behind a lot of stuff.

I find that bathrooms are one of the best places to recover in. The smell is overwhelming, but that is only one sense as opposed to two, and they are often quiet, if not occasionally completely empty. In most places the bathrooms are empty and people don't spend much time in there unless it is a school or major urban area. Bathroom stalls are also small so there's less to focus on.

It doesn't just help with senses. You can get away from people. AS brain has to consciously think about all social decisions and that actually worsens our ability to filter sensory input.

And lastly, sometimes I just "turn off" one of my senses, so the others can catch up. Closing my eyes and covering my ears basically lets my brain catch up when it is lagging under all the information.