Sensory Skills as Coping Skills
When you think about sensory needs, what comes to mind? I think for a lot of people it has been heavily intertwined with diagnoses like Autism Spectrum Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder. However, we all have some variation of sensory needs and ways to use them to better help regulate our emotions. Everyone, especially people with trauma, ADHD, anxiety, can benefit from listening more to their sensory needs. Sensory interventions have been correlated with overall benefits to mood and emotion regulation and increasing one’s ability to care for self (Ma, 2021).
When we look at our senses, we often think about things we enjoy, such as the sight of a rainbow, the feeling of our best furry friend, or the smell of coffee first thing in the morning. However, our senses can be so much more complex than just this. People who struggle with sensory aversion might feel physical discomfort, anxiety, or distress with bright lights in a grocery store, the pressure of a big hug, or the texture of slimy foods (personally, this one gives me creepy crawly feelings). People who tend to seek sensory input may love going to loud concerts with a lot of flashing lights, seek out physical touch of a person or textured objects, or enjoy having sour foods. When we think of our sensory needs as coping skills, we often have a goal of identifying things that increase comfort and things that make us feel uncomfortable.
Occupational Therapists are our first stop when we talk about sensory needs when it comes to education, activities of daily living, and physical needs. At this point in time, the sensory needs aren’t always addressed in mental health counseling. This can be limiting to a lot of people who have sensory differences. Like with any needs, when we ignore them, we are increasing the likelihood of fatigue, burnout, and panic or meltdown. If we look at sensory needs as ways of fulfilling self-care and coping skills, we can begin to open doors for people who struggle with self-regulating. In several forms of therapy, such as mindfulness based practice or DBT, we discuss our senses and the important role they play in regulating. When we take these skills and apply them for neurodivergent individuals who have higher sensory needs, we can see positive impacts.
It first starts with identifying our needs. This is an important part of any therapy. How do we get our needs met? How do we get our sensory needs met? A common challenge I see with my clients is going into grocery stores or the mall. The sounds, lights, smells, and potential of being bumped into by other people is overwhelming and scary at times. In these situations, talking about emotion regulation skills and sensory needs goes hand in hand. Identifying ways of regulating intense emotions through sensory coping skills can lead to a lot of success. A great way of doing this is creating a sensory tool kit for your bag, car, living room, etc to utilize in times of overwhelm, anxiety and stress. Today, I am going to show you how to make one with things you may already have at home!
What you need:
A bag, box, container of your choosing
A smell you love (dryer sheets, essential oil, wax melt)
A strong flavored item of preference (sour candy, hot sauce, gum/mints)
A preferred item to manipulate with your hands (fidgets, jewelry, play-doh)
Headphones, earbuds, or earplugs
Something heavy/stretchy (a small stone, hair band, a beanie baby)
ANYTHING ELSE! A picture of your pet, favorite place, a pinwheel, a notecard, etc
Once you have these items gathered, keep them in a common place that is easily utilized for you. We want you to have access to your sensory tool kit anywhere you may need these items. I find that having a pencil pouch/storage bag with the items can be super portable and accessible. When we are in a situation that is overwhelming, we look to what is within our control. If the store is too loud, putting in headphones (even without music) may be helpful. When we make accommodations for our needs that are small, we often find we can regulate through difficult situations.