Living with ADHD effects many aspects of life and one of them can be sensory overload. From looking for deals in busy stores to loud and lively households, there are countless situations where our senses can become overwhelmed in daily life.
Sensory overload occurs when something overstimulates one or more of your five senses, including touch, texture, smell, sight, sound, and taste. Everyone is different in terms of which senses are more sensitive.
It can be difficult to identify and prevent sensory overload because reactions exist on a spectrum from extreme overreaction and lashing out to under reacting and shutting down. Either way, how you react to it can have a negative impact on you and damage relationships. That is why it is important to know the symptoms and stay aware of your surroundings.
Here are some ways you can manage and address your sensory overload:
Set Your Environment: Follow your gut. Your home or living space should be set up optimally for your senses. If there is a light you know irritates you, a beeper that throws you off, or a blanket or carpet you hate the texture of, get rid of it and replace it with something that is more comfortable.
Pick Quieter Venues: For a date or night out with friends, opt for less crowded and more laid back locations. Crowded theaters or clubs can be a nightmare of sensory input.
Incorporate Self-Calming Techniques: On your more active days meditation, deep-breathing and yoga at any level can be very helpful for calming down, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation. Deep-breathing can be done anywhere, ask to grab some fresh air or head to your car for a quick break to reset.
Wind down with Brili's "Calming The Storm" Routine: Follow our done-for-you routine that helps to restore your inner balance whenever you feel overwhelmed. You can also adapt it to your needs and create your own coping mechanisms. Take advantage of the instant relief which such a tool in your belt can provide.
Know and trust yourself: If you sense you are starting to get irritable or agitated, are having difficulty concentrating on a conversation or task, don't blame yourself, but take notice of your surroundings and see if there is too much sensory input coming from your environment. If there is, take action to feel more comfortable instead of enduring it and hoping it will go away. It's okay to ask for a break or suggest to change location if possible.
You can try starting with small steps in the environments you spend the most time in and build your criteria for what works best for you. Using that criteria you can help your future self know where you can have the best time. Remember, everyone is unique in how they take in the world, and how environmental stimuli make them feel. Therefore, validating your yourself, learning to trust the signs and developing new coping mechanisms can be a great way forward.