What are your sensory triggers & sensory preferences?
I'm reading the book Self-Care for Autistic People by Dr. Megan Anna Neff. The first chapter covers sensory triggers. It says that we tend to be more sensitive to the "big five" senses (ie sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell), but poor interoception, masking, and dissociation can cause use to be unaware if it. The book suggests that I keep a sensory journal in which I keep track of my triggers and preferences. Since I'm new to this, it would be helpful to hear what your triggers and preferences are, so please share away.
- Triggers
- Driving into sunrise or sunset
- Glare
- Dirty glasses
- Eye contact with people I'm not intimate with
- The insides of bodies
- People in pain
- Deserts are depressing
- Other people's gross body fluids
Sound - Gas-powered lawn equipment
- Loud fans
- Babies crying
- Dogs whining
- Loud noises in general (except for music I want to hear)
- People trying to talk when it's too loud
- Clubs
- People talking for too long when I'm not ready to hear it
- Alarms
- Phone rings
- Static
- Slamming doors
Taste - Mushrooms
- Eggs
- Cooked cinnamon on meat
- Slimy stuff
- Food that squeaks on my teeth when chewing
Touch - Wet when supposed to be dry. It drives me insane.
- Oily/lotion (I don't know how people walk around with thick lotion on and then go in bed)
- Dirty/sweaty legs in bed
- Very light touch
- Dry skin
- Sand
- Air drying after going in the ocean and putting on a shirt without showering
- The post-haircut itchy fest (Don't put product in my hair because I'm going straight home to shower)
- Feeling full from eating
- Tight pants/waistbands (they need to be loose but not falling off)
- Wet clothes, especially socks
- I'm not touching bugs, stingrays, sharks, or live fish. GTFO out of here with that
- Wool
- Rock in my shoe
- Headaches (I have no idea how people function or even yell with a headache)
- Feeling bloated
- Having to urinate is super distracting
- Hard shoes
Smell - Anything strong
- Cigarettes (used to give me headaches as a kid, but dissociation, alcohol, and ADHD helped me overcome that enough to smoke)
- Vomit
- Other people's burps, farts, BO, breath (good or bad), and feet (too much intimacy and distracting af; shared public bathrooms are rough)
- Rotting flesh
- Perfume shops
- Burnt hair and popcorn
- Cooked liver (I will leave)
- Dialysis and C.Diff.
- Food-scented candles
- Farms/ranches/coops
Preferences
Sight - Saturated colors contrasted with black
- 3-4 colors matching
- Mountain landscapes
- Beautiful natural scenery
Sound - Thunder storms!!
- The same song over and over
- Beats and dance songs if I'm in the mood
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Loop ear plugs in loud environments help
Taste - Lime (I'm a straight addict, probably top 2% worldwide)
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Spicy
- Oily
- Vinegar
- Gummy
- Sour
- Corn dogs
Touch - Weighted blankets
- Human touch if the intimacy is right
- Soft fleece-like material
- Products placed out for sale or demonstration
- Smooth items
- Warm shower when I'm cold
Smell - People I like
- Soft calm smells
- Lavender
- Aqua Velva
- Fabric softener
Sight
Anyone similar to me? Are there any patterns? Things I'm missing? I think I'm having trouble with the preferences part.
What are you triggers and preferences?
- Triggers
- Driving into sunrise or sunset
- Glare
- Dirty glasses
- Eye contact with people I'm not intimate with
- The insides of bodies
- People in pain
- Deserts are depressing
- Other people's gross body fluids
Sound - Gas-powered lawn equipment
- Loud fans
- Babies crying
- Dogs whining
- Loud noises in general (except for music I want to hear)
- People trying to talk when it's too loud
- Clubs
- People talking for too long when I'm not ready to hear it
- Alarms
- Phone rings
- Static
- Slamming doors
Taste - Mushrooms
- Eggs
- Cooked cinnamon on meat
- Slimy stuff
- Food that squeaks on my teeth when chewing
Touch - Wet when supposed to be dry. It drives me insane.
- Oily/lotion (I don't know how people walk around with thick lotion on and then go in bed)
- Dirty/sweaty legs in bed
- Very light touch
- Dry skin
- Sand
- Air drying after going in the ocean and putting on a shirt without showering
- The post-haircut itchy fest (Don't put product in my hair because I'm going straight home to shower)
- Feeling full from eating
- Tight pants/waistbands (they need to be loose but not falling off)
- Wet clothes, especially socks
- I'm not touching bugs, stingrays, sharks, or live fish. GTFO out of here with that
- Wool
- Rock in my shoe
- Headaches (I have no idea how people function or even yell with a headache)
- Feeling bloated
- Having to urinate is super distracting
- Hard shoes
Smell - Anything strong
- Cigarettes (used to give me headaches as a kid, but dissociation, alcohol, and ADHD helped me overcome that enough to smoke)
- Vomit
- Other people's burps, farts, BO, breath (good or bad), and feet (too much intimacy and distracting af; shared public bathrooms are rough)
- Rotting flesh
- Perfume shops
- Burnt hair and popcorn
- Cooked liver (I will leave)
- Dialysis and C.Diff.
- Food-scented candles
- Farms/ranches/coops
Preferences
Sight - Saturated colors contrasted with black
- 3-4 colors matching
- Mountain landscapes
- Beautiful natural scenery
Sound - Thunder storms!!
- The same song over and over
- Beats and dance songs if I'm in the mood
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Loop ear plugs in loud environments help
Taste - Lime (I'm a straight addict, probably top 2% worldwide)
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Spicy
- Oily
- Vinegar
- Gummy
- Sour
- Corn dogs
Touch - Weighted blankets
- Human touch if the intimacy is right
- Soft fleece-like material
- Products placed out for sale or demonstration
- Smooth items
- Warm shower when I'm cold
Smell - People I like
- Soft calm smells
- Lavender
- Aqua Velva
- Fabric softener
Sight
Anyone similar to me? Are there any patterns? Things I'm missing? I think I'm having trouble with the preferences part.
What are you triggers and preferences?
Your list paired with your emotions of the experiences will help you understand yourself better. It will help you to cope with the triggers as well.
Ear plugs and headphones are wonderful tools to use when noise becomes an issue. I’ve learned how to retreat inside my own mental safe space when experiences become too intense for me. That is probably the most valuable tool in my ‘wellness kit.’

My sensory preferences are that I want the impulses to be strong. I want the light to be bright, music loud, the weather really warm in the summer. I am tightning my shoelaces to the point that they often break. When I work-out I push myself hard and love outdoor running when the sun's shining and it's 30 C. I don't use any anaesthesia at the dentist. I find the light touch from a feather or people talking in a low voice irritating.
_________________
English is not my first language.
King Kat 1
Veteran

Joined: 14 Aug 2020
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,157
Location: In a red state wasteland
Let see...
Things I don't like-
People touching me
getting too much in my personal space
loud shirl voices (like this one co-worker of mine)
People who honk the horn when there is a traffic jam
People who stick their index and middle finger in their mouths to make this whistling sound to get Somone's attention: evil: ( Do this to me I will go evil aspie on your ass!)
People who yell from yards away to try to talk to me, come up to me if you have something to say
Dirty eyeglasses
Socks that fall down
Feeling scruffy when I need to shave and keep putting it off
Barking dogs
Some peoples voices, I'm probably being an a-hole but some voices go right through me.
Bad smells-
BO
Cigarette smoke
Wet dirt
Musty basements or crawl spaces
Food I don't like(short list)
Banana
Peaches
Stews
Cow milk
Oranges(like orange juice and orange flavored stuff though)
Cabbage Casserole
Swiss steak
Many processed foods
Sights-
Overally bright colors
glare
Sun shining in my eyes
clutter
blighted areas
rooms that are too brightly lit
bodily fluids
_________________
The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.” ― Turkish Proverb
He's on YouTube Now - https://www.youtube.com/@kingkat8080
King Kat 1
Veteran

Joined: 14 Aug 2020
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,157
Location: In a red state wasteland
Likes-
Sounds-
Thunderstorms
Purring cat
Nice quiet house in the middle of the night
boiling water ( no idea why)
Food-
Crunchy things like chips, popcorn, and pretzels
Doughnuts
Salty
Coffee
Beer
Garlic
Curry
Smells-
Asian or Indian food
Steak cooking
Spray way glass cleaner
smell of a clean house
new car smell
Touch-
Heavy blanket
Warm hoodie
old books
Sight-
Dimly lit room
A nice tidy well-organized house
Fall colors
_________________
The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.” ― Turkish Proverb
He's on YouTube Now - https://www.youtube.com/@kingkat8080
Your list paired with your emotions of the experiences will help you understand yourself better. It will help you to cope with the triggers as well.
Ear plugs and headphones are wonderful tools to use when noise becomes an issue. I’ve learned how to retreat inside my own mental safe space when experiences become too intense for me. That is probably the most valuable tool in my ‘wellness kit.’

Thank you! So you kind of mentally go to a safe space in your head as if you were not present in your physical location?
Your list paired with your emotions of the experiences will help you understand yourself better. It will help you to cope with the triggers as well.
Ear plugs and headphones are wonderful tools to use when noise becomes an issue. I’ve learned how to retreat inside my own mental safe space when experiences become too intense for me. That is probably the most valuable tool in my ‘wellness kit.’

Thank you! So you kind of mentally go to a safe space in your head as if you were not present in your physical location?
Yes, when unable to escape a situation one can go within oneself. I learned that from Viktor Frankl in his book Man’s Search for Meaning. He taught me how to survive mentally in almost any situation.
what does triggers mean as in opposed to preferences?
dislikes?
sales-insurance people with sticky smelly aftershave/perfume, you have to air out the house after someone like that
or too friendly friends - the kiss with the freshly applied aftershave, omg.....
yelling neighbors (cursing and laughing too)
the 'mustardgas' scent, in the fields when they put out the wheat 'shortener*' that gives a real headache and im sorry for my sheep if they be besides that
* Plant growth regulators for wheat , first they put too much ammo then they need to stop the growth
when still in suburbia there was a slaughterhouse sort of nearby, next to it the incinerator for bones/rests, that thing would stink after closing time, starting friday afternoon, it was terrible, but besides us it was declared undetectable,
then from the incinerator came the (trucks-?) with nice slogans, 'mineral enrichment', for ex., then came mad cow disease, (ofc, cows don't eat cows),
but what was forbidden after that is already allowed back