Sensory Tips and Tricks for Everyday Life

Welcome to Sensory Survival! We're a blog run by sensory people, for sensory people. Our hope is to create a space where those with sensory issues can find ways to make their everyday lives just a little more accommodating. Sensory Processing Disorder is a neurological condition where the brain does not correctly process input from the body, and can occur in the absence of any other physical or mental condition. Sensory issues are also present in other disorders such as autism, dyspraxia, fibromyalgia, and others. Our theme is currently under construction! Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make it more accessible to you.

[morethanthediagnosis]

I came across this article in the wall street journal and thought it might be helpful for some of my fellow spoonies

[sensorysurvival]

A very nice thing I've made is a mini portable zen garden by taking a mint tin and filling it with (kinetic) sand, then adding little beads and gemstones, a fake plant miniature. A toothpick as landscaping tool. Very calming. One could also use scented or glittery sand, for maximum stimmyness.

that's so cool, great idea!

[notelvira]

HALT! Do you have sensory issues? Overwhelmed by sound in a messy environment? Desperately wanting to write that essay/fanfiction but your ADHD is getting on the way? In need of atmospheric sound for your tabletop game??

Please let me introduce you to MyNoise.net - a lifesaver on all aspects.

Mynoise provides an incredible index of noise machine generators with personalizing sliders to suit your every taste.

Missing the sound of a lively coffee shop during the pandemic? They have that. That specific, calming noise of a public park in a peaceful afternoon? they have that. Rain sounds? City sounds? Want to fuck around and listen to some uninterrupted Gregorian chants? They have that also!

According to the website:

"myNoise generators cover the whole audible frequency range, from 20Hz to 20kHz, over 10 color-coded sliders. Through a simple but accurate calibration process, all myNoise generators can be shaped to your personal hearing thresholds and compensate for your audio equipment and listening environment deficiencies, including the presence and nature of background noise. Calibration is unique to this website, and makes calibrated noise machines stand out from regular white noise machines. During the calibration process, we are able to measure your personal hearing levels, and adapt our noises accordingly. If you are suffering from age-related hearing, you'll be surprised to hear frequencies you thought were lost."

And that's not all. When I say 'incredible' I really mean it; I've found myself using the website on multiple occasions, for work, creative and stress-related issues, and the variety of machines provided cannot be overstated. You've got animal noises, nature soundscapes, street sounds, meditation aids, melody-based lullabies, magical soundscapes, medieval ambiance, situation specific sounds, white noise generators-- and a lot more!!! They even have noise to block out IRL sounds you don't want to hear.

Just take a brief look at what the index page provides:

There's something for EVERYONE. And it's all for free! It's been for free for years, and it is the creator's wish that it remains accessible to everyone who might need this kind of aid in life. I am using it to write this post right now. Though if you read some of the above index, you may have noticed that the support for the website has been very low lately.

Which brings me to the reason I'm making this post. Mynoise is curated and maintained by a single person:

Please check out the Mynoise Index for yourself, donate if you can, and tell your friends who might be interested ♡

[hellyeahscarleteen]

From Douglas Laman, some advice on starting to date when you feel like you’re falling behind.

[whatareyoureallyafraidof]

Transgender Day of Visibility.

[opalwreck]

If anyone says “Aren’t you too old to be doing that?” Say “I’m old enough to do what I want.”

[smolalpacacutie-deactivated2021]

Types of Stimming - click image to see better.

[laviesuspendue]

Since you guys liked the last one so much, heres a part 2 of what you can do when you’re understimulated. Tactile: -shaving your face or your legs and touching the smooth skin -brushing your hair -putting on some heavy/cold jewlery -putting on makeup (especially powder fondation and blush) -washing your face/splashing water in your face -putting a heating pad on your back or feet -putting a cold/hot wet towel on your forhead -doing sexual activities (I know this is not for everyone but its still a good way to get a lot of sensory input at once) -putting your (clean) hands in a bag of dry rice or pasta Auditory: -dumping some salt in your hands and rubbing it on your palm with you fingers -putting on a show while doing something else -sitting near a clock and focusing on it (bonus: getting two clocks that are a few milliseconds appart and focusing on the sound) -getting a small and holow object (tupperware, shell, cup) and putting it on your ear to “hear the ocean” -listening to some rain and thunderstorm sounds (can be found on youtube and spotify) -sitting right next to an outlet that has a lot of electronics plugged into it and listening to the electricity -holding a tissue by two corners between your thumbs and pointer fingers and shaking it (super great sound 10/10) -shaking a plastic rapper -cracking your knuckles -putting your hands on your ears and humming Olfactory (smell): -washing your sheets and burying yourself in them as soon as they comme out of the dryer -putting on some perfume -smelling one of those car air fresheners (be careful because those are really powerful) -taking a sniff of each of the spices in your spice cabinet -smelling fresh ground up coffee beans -smelling your books (this is one of my favorite scent) -buying scented crayons Gustatory (taste)/oral: -putting your mouth on stuff (Ciramic mugs, metal ustensils, plastic cups, ect. The world of oral stim is yours to discover) (this was suggested by @blobking) -munching on dry pasta -chewing gum -moving around your tongue and your mouth and making silly noises and sensations -getting those trendy tiktok popping fruit jelly candy (those are fucking great, as gustatory AND oral stim) -bitting into a lemon -eating/licking a lolipop -making salt dough (also can be both gustatory and oral, or could also be a tactile stim) Visual: -playing a simple and colorful game on your phone -watching a candle, a match or a lighter -looking at your hands while you’re stimming with them -applying makeup (especially bright eyeshadow and lipstick) while looking at your face in the mirror and actively focusing -reading a graphic novel or a children’s book -drawing something -coloring something -putting some clear glue on your hand and pealing it when it dries (could also be a tactile stim) -watering your plant(s) -doing a puzzle Vestibular/proprioceptive: -putting one or multiple books on your head and trying to walk while balancing them -spinning while holding a heavy object and moving your hands up and down slowly to feel the pull of the object -doing a cartwheel -getting upside down in a handstand or putting your body on the edge or your bed and letting your head dangle -trying to walk on an imaginary thin line by putting one foot in front of the other (bonus: tape a line on the floor) -rocking your head and torso back and forth really fast (go as low as you can when moving forward, like you are trying to dry your hair) (be careful because this one can make you dizzy or give you a headache real fast) -riding your bike (bonus if you go really fast to feel the wind or if you go in circles and loops) -tightening all the muscles in your body and holding it for a few second before relaxing -inhaling by filling up your belly, your rib cage and then your chest, and then exhaling by emptying your belly, your rib cage and then your chest. doing it again and again (this is also a super great technique for calming anxiety or falling asleep faster)

[sensorysurvival]

Hi there,

I just received two asks and tumblr ate them; I’m not sure if this was for one of the other blogs I mod or if it was this one, so if you sent something in, please re-send it!

Thanks,

Rowan

[stimsensory]

CW: discussion of murder, police brutality, racism, and ableism.

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When I stim, I risk a few things. More minor things, like being stared at or laughed at, are small but build up over time. They hurt, but are possible to ignore.

Other things, like being called names, being bullied, being isolated, being infantisised, being underestimated, can be difficult to cope with.

But whilst I've felt self conscious, embarrassed, worried, and anxious whilst stimming in public, I have never feared for my life.

Black autistic people do not have this luxury. If a Black autistic person stims in public, even completely non-harmful stimming, they are in danger of having others feel 'uncomfortable' and calling the police on them. They are in danger, not because their stimming is self-injurious, but because others might assault or kill them for it.

Black autistic people are unable to be themselves in public for fear of retribution from those supposed to protect others.

We cannot have autism acceptance without first making it safe for Black autistic people to exist as themselves. If you promote autism acceptance or neurodiversity and (like myself) are white, you also need to promote acceptance of Black autistic people. Black lives matter, and Black autistic lives matter too.

(Video description: my hand flapping and finger flicking in front of a white background).

[dovey-luv-bug]

Stimming ♡

[sensorysurvival]

I am currently theorizing I have autisim, and sometimes I force myself to stim when I feel understimulated, and it makes my mom think I'm faking, help

It’s actually common to stim when understimulated—stimming  is how we regulate our systems, so we can stim to give ourselves more stimulation just like people stim to cope with over stimulation; there’s plenty reasons people stim! 

Hope that helps!

Best,

Rowan

[laughingmyaspergersoff]

Autistic Lifehack: Hearing Problems

If someone says something that you only partially understand:

DON’T ask for clarification with a generic “What?” or “I’m sorry?” (In my experience, people will repeat the phrase the exact same way without helping you to understand).

Example: Them: “Hey, do you like pahganabasa?” Autistic Person: “What?” Them: “Do you like pahganabasa?” Autistic Person: “I’m sorry, what?” Them (annoyed): “Do you like pahganabasa?”

Instead, DO repeat the part that you did understand, and substitute a “What?” for the unintelligable part.

Example: Them: “Hey, do you like pahganabasa?” Autistic Person: “Do I like what?” Them: “Pineapple pizza?” Autistic Person: (Understands the words!)

[thischick25]

I’ve also had successes with “I’m sorry, I only heard the first half of that sentence,” or actually verbalizing my interpretation of the part I heard incorrectly as a question: “Pahgana… basa?”.

Sometimes that makes the speaker think that they might be mumbling, or verbalizing in a way that makes them difficult to understand (because there are times it’s really not your brain–it’s their mouth).

[gayrab]

This is also a lifesaver if you have Auditory Processing Disorder. It stopped the amount of annoyed sighs because ppl thought I was deliberately ignoring them or them saying the same thing but louder (which does not help when volume isn’t the problem)

[whatshouldwecallchronicillness]

Medical Emergency Response Template

Well I’m on a roll, so here’s the template I use for if I have a medical emergency.  If relevant to you, you should carry this with you AT ALL TIMES!  I would also highly recommend getting a medical alert bracelet.  

You can find the google doc here with my comments.

Here’s a pic preview of the doc.  

Please note that none of this is medical advice and you should talk with your healthcare team about your emergency medical plan(s).  

[sensorysurvival]

Hi! I have a real bad problem since I was a child, but I think it's worse now that I'm 20. There are times where my body is too much for me, and it's horrible when I try to sleep. I can't stop tossing and my legs feel like I need to run or, idk, my body just feels too much and I can't be in a comfortable position til the point I'm kicking, moving a lot and emotional distressed. If I try to not kick or move/try to get it over with I can't. Do you know what's happening/what can I do? Thank you!

Hi there,

I can’t tell you what’s happening necessarily, but have you tried a weighted blanket? I used to be a very restless sleeper to the point where I was p much insomniac, a weighted blanket really helped me.

Anyone else have any suggestions? :)

Hope that helps,

Rowan

[sensorysurvival]

Hi I’m the person who asked about trouble touching things and I just wanted to say thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate the advice!

Np! Glad to help ^_^

[sensorysurvival]

Hello! I'm not diagnosed with anything and I'm not autistic but I think I have some tactile issues? Sometimes (not all the time) touching paper, wood dishes, chalk, fabric, and sometimes even my own skin makes me feel uncomfortable. My skin feels prickly and dry and bad and my teeth get all tingly and I have to flap or rub my hands and sometimes my head twitches and I feel really uncomfortable and gross. Do you have any advice on how to look into to this?

Hi there,

It’s possible you have tactile sensitivity issues! I’d recommend finding and booking an occupational therapist. OTs are really helpful in dealing with sensory stuff--I should know, I saw one as a kid for sensory stuff, and I’m actually now one! (however, because of college requirements in my province, I can only give very general advice that’s based on personal experience, not actual OT expertise). 

But yeah, I really highly recommend going to see one, as they have a lot of expertise in this kind of thing, both managing and ‘treating’ (i.e., making it easier for you to tolerate sensory triggers). 

Hope that helps!

Best,

Rowan