Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello
I'm struggling with sensory overload in my daily life and would greatly appreciate some guidance from the community. I often find myself overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, and crowded spaces, which can lead to anxiety and exhaustion.
I'm curious to know how others manage sensory overload and what strategies have been effective for you in coping with overwhelming sensory stimuli. Are there any specific techniques or tools that you've found helpful in reducing sensory overwhelm and maintaining a sense of calm? https://community.autism.org.uk/f/health-and-wellbeing [link removed by moderator]
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights.
Warm regards,
For me, the biggest struggle to overcome has been no longer letting my self-consciousness deter me from doing the things that help take the edge off overwhelm. Now that I’m deep into my forties, my battery is permanently lower than ever, so it’s a case of ‘even if I look I right pillock, and even if I get teased and quizzed about it, I will…
wear sunglasses a lot at all times of the year, and especially at work, even though I’m nowhere near a window.
Use earplugs or sound filtering inserts, anywhere that I find myself unable to strip out background noise naturally like NTs can do.
Wear a coat or hoodie when everyone else is throwing windows and fanning themselves… not because it is warm but because it is a random day in Spring or Summer. The logic of this defeats me, but that’s democracy for you so.. fair enough!
Sleep and rest often, knowing that rest is not laziness and that my days of feeling guilty for not having the energy reserves for anything beyond ‘work, get home, hibernate, recuperate, repeat’ are done with.
"Wear a coat or hoodie when everyone else is throwing windows and fanning themselves… not because it is warm but because it is a random day in Spring or Summer" - exactly!
My worst sensory issue is temperature, I'm so sensitive to it. The cold can feel like pain to me, particularly in my hands & feet and around my neck. I wear boots, gloves and a scarf from the end of September until at least the end of April. (And keep the boots, and often the scarf, on in work)
I'm only comfortable wearing summer clothes (without a cardigan) if the temperature is at least 22C. I do also get uncomfortable if it's above 30C, but that's rare and short lived in this country and everyone puts fans on and complains when that happens anyway.
At work, the heating usually goes off at the end of April, no matter the temperature, as "it's summer now" As soon as the forecast shows it will get up to 20 degrees that day, the windows are opened, even if there's a strong north /north-east wind blowing. Luckily, last year I moved from a large open plan office to one I share with only one other person, who feels the cold just as much as me. Also I keep a light jacket at work and have an electric heater that I can put on when they turn the central heating off.