Sensory Overload Advice?

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Hello, again.
I've been having a lot of Sensory Overload issues as of late, and I was wondering if there's any advice about how to avoid it from happening so much.
It usually happens when I am out shopping with my mother. Especially at WalMart and other places with a ton of bright lights and sound. I usually carry a pair of clip-on sunglasses with me so I can put them on when I'm anywhere near florescent or incandescent lights, but I keep spacing out and leaving them at home.
I was considering bringing my CD player and having that on when I'm anywhere noizy, but I really don't want to be considered rude by others. Is there a way around this problem?

Some ideas: You could reduce the amount that you visit such places, such as by shopping online. Take your CD player with headphones if it helps. Get a second pair of sunglasses to keep in the car or/bag etc. Try not to spend too long in such places without a break.

As much as I would like to limit how much we spend at areas shopping, we really can't because we're often getting what is necessary (food, water, dinner, (dare I say it...) Dad's beer). In an ironic twist, I also do like to shop sometimes (especially for games, music, and videos).
I'd rather not spend a whole lot on getting a secondary pair of clip-ons (plus my father would disapprove, since I've already got one and he sees no reason for me to get a secondary pair).
Like I said, I really don't want to be considered rude since we also do tend to eat out on numerous occasions. I'd rather not be unable to listen if anyone addresses me about something (especially my mom, a waiter, police, etc).

I apologize if I sound like a grouch, it's 2 in the morning over here. I was kept awake due to storms and the couple of leaks in the trailer of mine.

Hmm...maybe try focusing your attention toward a less crowded/noisy/colorful area of the mall? Even looking at the floor could be helpful. Or imagining a safe place in your mind-like a nature scene.

My best advice would be if you feel a huge sensory overload coming on, excuse yourself to the restroom or outside to take some deep breaths, calm down, and re-enter the situation once you're stabilized.

When that happens with me I take bathroom breaks at the stores. Go to a stall, and if there is no one there just . .. sit . . . and take a break.

CD or mp3 player is a good idea, unless its somewhere where you are utterly expected to engage with other people then it wouldn't be rude to do shopping, for example, while listening to music at least until you got to the check out.

Yea I agree with those that suggested a music player of some type... I feel the same way about sensory overload and music usually helps me too....even at work if things get too rough for me I'll either ask if I can plug in my MP3 player to the radio or just use it myself with only one earpiece in so I can still hear what's going on around me ( i work as a dishwasher/ prep cook at a local golf club).... I have not had too many problems with shopping because I focus on what interests me while I'm there ( music, movies, video games)..... actually your idea about using clip-on sunglasses sounds like it would help me as well thank you for that tip

I use foam earplugs when I shop. Even with them in I can still hear my partner if he says something to me, but it definitely takes the edge off the noise in the store. I find that if I push them in as far as they will go, it deadens sound too much so I put them halfway in and then I can hear whats necessary but it will be softer.

I find that because most Wal-Marts (I know, I know, people here don't like Wal Mart) are open 24 hours I often do my shopping at some odd hour like 4 a.m. Peaceful and quiet with only the people stocking the shelves and you can usually check out quickly. I have gone to Lowes when they first open at 5:30 for building supplies and its less chaotic then - usually I come in as they are having their morning meeting. I know its weird, but shopping when everyone else is is hell for me.

Now, I have to run out in the afternoon for food shopping. Wish me luck!

For me sunglasses or headphones would not help at all. They may even make things worse. However, I am not hyper-sensitive to sound or light.

For me, sensory overload happens because, like many aspies, I am not good at processing allot of stimuli in real time. I seem to need more time to reason through the information that I receive. I have to concentrate just to get through the routine of, say, visiting a shopping mall. There are lights, sounds bustling people, advertisements and, if you are not shopping alone, trying to keep conversations going. At first I can manage to get along fine but the extra effort required to take in everything and filter out the un-needed stimuli, can be very tiring.

My wife's suggested solution of dropping into a coffee shop has no effect, indeed it can make things worse because there are even more stimuli there, with the smells and increased demands for polite conversation. Adding more stimuli, by way of music through headphones and blocking of visual stimuli with dark glasses, would make me need to concentrate more to be aware of the environment around me and would bring on the sensory overload earlier.

To cope I try to limit shopping trips to two hours. My two hour limit before sensory overload kicks in is very real and very repeatable. If a time limit is not possible, I make excuses and disappear to a quiet place, e.g. the washroom, for a while. After such a break, I can function for a while longer, but my further limit is much reduced each time to well below two hours before I need another break,

The above may not work for you.

I suffer from these issues, but I guess I differ from the norm here, in that I actually do the shopping. I find if I keep sunglasses/headphones on and focus entirely on collecting items (looking up at the overhead lighting is the worst), it bothers me less. I tend to focus on the price labels, I do spend quite a lot of time ensuring I get the best deal on milk, bread, coffee etc. I probably use the £ per 100g calculations as a distraction, I've usually memorized the price of every item I've purchased also by the time I get home. This also means I can spot the true bargains.

When I'm at the checkout I tend to distract myself, by obsessively sorting my shopping out on the conveyor so that similar items are neatly organised together. This saves time at home, as all fridge/freezer stuff is in the same set of bags.. Tins and bulky items for the pantry etc.

Through this and a combination of sticking to the same stores so I know where every item is, am an extremely efficient shopper. I can fill a trolley, pack and leave a supermarket in 15 minutes.

The only time this doesn't work so well is when I have company my wife likes to dawdle and purchase non-standard items, and make a mess of my packing. We have an unspoken agreement that we'll only go food shopping together if we are filling a basket.

Jason.

In my experience, you wouldn't be considered rude to wear earphones in a public place unless you are expecting to be approached by someone or trying to talk to someone (which would be silly, while wearing earphones). If I were to look round a shopping center or train station or street, I would expect to see between a third and a half of people listening to music.

I have to go out once a week to a very populated place.
Good ole Walmart. It's where our grocery shopping gets done.
The thing that saves me is 1-dress comfortably, no matter what stupid looks you get.
And by that, no, I do not wear PJs. I wear long clothing that covers me well is all.
2-mp3 player. Make yourself a playlist, get those LOVELY earbuds (they help keep
out outside noise well), and put that sucker on the entire time. Aside from my list, all
I concentrate is my music. If not for my music, I'd go nuts. It's worth doing this. Even if
you start singing aloud a little bit and embarrass your daughter.