Image description: A woman outstretches her hands, while her eyes are closed.

This blog post was crafted by Occupational Therapist and Clinical Director, Sam Pathirana!

We perceive the world through our senses. We are constantly bombarded by sensory input throughout our day, as we go from environment to environment, but as with everything in life, there are things we can control, and things we cannot.

So, how do we get the most out of the little control we have?

The answer is to be mindful of the things that affect us the most, and make small changes where we can. By directing our focus to only one of these senses for a few minutes, whether that means adding a desirable sensory input, or taking away an unpleasant one, we have the power to make a positive difference in how we feel for the rest of our day.

If you ever had to sit beside a foul smelling garbage can next to a park bench, or on the flip side, got to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of a spa, I’m sure you can relate to the power of the senses. So, what is it that makes one of these scenarios desirable, and the other undesirable? How can we use this knowledge?

Once you figure out what you find calming and alternatively, what you find stressful, you will be able to use this information to learn to better control your sensory experience, and make each day a little bit more pleasant.

Here is a list of the actual seven senses, along with some examples and descriptions, to help you on your journey to becoming an expert in managing your sensory environment.

Sense 1: Visual

Image description: A child sits on an adult’s shoulders, looking through her curved fingers and thumbs as pretend glasses.

Examples: Gridlock, snow, a messy house, nothing/closed eyes

Sometimes, the best and easiest thing to do when feeling overwhelmed is to simply close your eyes. I know a number of children that will do just that when they are feeling overwhelmed. If that’s not possible, shift rooms or find a place that is peaceful. If physically changing rooms is not possible, how can you alter your space to make it more peaceful?

Here are a few suggestions of how this could be achieved:

Change or adjust lights (Brightness, color if you have color changing lights, new bulbs if older models are flickering or have a harsh spectrum of light)
Add a pleasing picture to your decor
Look at pictures of cute animals, children, or anything inspirational
Bring up a favorite short video on your computer, or a pleasing nature scene
Close your eyes, or use a face mask to fully block out all light

I like staring blankly into the fireplace, watching a clip of America’s Funniest Home Videos or random bloopers. If all else fails, you can try laughing at yourself by making silly faces in the mirror, or just smiling.

Sense 2: Hearing

Image description: A toddler wearing a black set of headphones.

Examples: Music, noisy chatter of loved ones, silence

How many people out there long for a moment of silence? I grew up in a household where my mom ran a day home, and even after all the kids went home, I still had my cousins and extended family over. Most of the time, one of the kids was watching Barney (or any other similarly repetitive children’s show) and as I’m sure you can imagine, people were talking constantly.

I craved silence, but I also associated my ‘safe place’ with being noisy. Music was my solution, and still is today.

Music can cheer me up, help me have a cathartic cry, get me pumped up for a work out, or help me focus to study or work. It all depends on the music.

What sounds work best for you? If you’re having trouble thinking of sounds that will get you where you want to go, don’t forget the power of a good story! I drive all over Alberta as a Occupational Therapist, and I can testify to the awesomeness of audio books, and their usefulness as a tool to change focus, and feel productive.

Sense 3: Proprioception

Image description: A child is assisted on a balance beam in an indoor gymnasium.

Examples: Stretching, a ‘squish’ or joint compression, yoga, jumping on a trampoline, progressive muscle relaxation

This how your musculoskeletal system sends feedback to your brain, and how your muscles and tendons let your brain know where your body is in space. Gymnasts, yogis, dancers, and athletes all make great use of their proprioception. The number one strategy here is exercise, in whatever form makes the most sense for you.

Yoga provides some great joint pressure as well, not to mention the added flexibility might do wonders for your aching back. Yoga is accessible for me, but not something to immediately recommend to anyone. Look into other, available avenues of static stretching, joint compression, balancing, and more.

At our headquarters, we have done proprioception exercises with wide wooden planks on the floor, or duct tape or scotch tape to make balancing paths, and explored all sorts of movement (and stillness) together.

Sense 4: Vestibular

Image description: A child seated on an outdoor swing.

Examples: A rocking chair, jumping on a trampoline, swinging

I’m willing to bet that most people know someone who as a child, had an easier time falling asleep in the car, than in their own bed. This is because vestibular input, specifically linear rocking, can be extremely calming.

How about a rocking chair? Or sitting on a swing?

It’s also good to be aware of your environment, and the possible vestibular input that may be in the background. I once had to leave one of my favorite restaurants because we were seated in the back by the coolers, and when they would periodically come on, they would make the ground vibrate, which in turn made me feel nauseous and anxious. How does vestibular feedback affect you?

Sense 5: Oral Sensory

Image description: A child looks at a muffin in their left hand, while holding a paper cutout of pink lips in their right hand.

Examples: Chewing, grinding teeth, biting lips, clicking noises, coughing, blowing raspberries, blowing lips together

As a foodie myself, I find my favorite foods can be an extremely powerful way of giving back to myself (in my case sometimes too much and too often). For others, a piece of candy, or a refreshing beverage can do the trick.

There are so many other considerations when it comes to food, which you can explore through one of our other blog posts, Overcoming Food Aversion by Making Eating More Fun.

Beyond food, lots of stimming occurs through oral sensory, from chewing on clothing sleeves, to chewing ballpoint pens, or playing with a toothbrush without any toothpaste.

Sense 6: Olfactory

Image description: A person leaning close to a glass of coffee, stirring with a spoon.

Examples: A loved one’s scent, fresh baked cookies, ‘cutting the cheese’

Smell is one of the most important senses because when we experience it, we don’t think about it. A smell which we have an association with will automatically trigger and emotion or a reaction.

This works both ways of course, and the idea is to fill our space with a smell that we have a pleasant association with. Remember that smells are portable too! Samples of perfume and cologne are great portable mood enhancers. I personally love the smell of fabric softener sheets, so I make sure to keep some in my gym bag and hockey bag! What smell is most powerful for you?

At our headquarters, one of the ways we let clients take scents home with them is a special kit full of empty plastic salt and pepper shakers. Clients can take a shaker, and fill it with cotton balls that are saturated in essential oil scents that we keep on hand. With an adult’s assistance, a set full of shakers with smells from coffee to strawberries to lemongrass is then ready for them to take home.

Sense 7: Touch

Image description: A child rests in a woman’s lap, her arms relaxed around them.

Examples: A wool sweater, a hug, a hot shower, diving a hand into a bowl of dry rice

Therapeutic touch is one of the most powerful senses, especially in relation to how we interact with others.

A hug can totally change someone’s day (as long as they like to be hugged, and are comfortable with the person hugging them of course). Therapeutic massages and hot showers are other great ways of benefiting from calming touch.

In general, deep pressure, or firm touch, is much more calming than light touch, but once again, try to be aware of your own body and your own needs.

Some people really need their personal space, and can find many forms of touch to be quite aversive.

When in doubt, seek out a way to combine your most beneficial inputs! Some of the most powerful therapeutic activities involve multiple sensory modalities.

Sense Your Senses

Image description: A person relaxes in a body of water, wearing a swimsuit and a monofin attached to their feet.

Dance along to a music video. Make your favorite meal and enjoy the sounds, smells, and tastes that result. Do yoga in a dark and quiet room, or to some calming ocean and nature sounds. Jump on a trampoline. Go for a swim and enjoy the resistance of the water, while also observing its feel on your skin.

So next time you feel overwhelmed or stressed, and don’t know what to do, ask yourself if there isn’t something in your environment you can focus on to make your experience a little more pleasant.

It’s easier than it might seem, and the smallest change you make, might be the edge you need to get through your tough days.