- Bounce! I have a rebounder, or mini trampoline, that I use to relieve stress from sensory overloads. I also TRY to use it regularly even when I am feeling good so that I don't have to experience an overload. Using it regularly is easier said than done, though.
- Bounce some more! I also use a yoga ball for bouncing, which provides input to different areas of my body.
- Chew gum! Chewing gum has been a miracle-worker for me. I used to never chew gum for fear of getting cavities, but I started realizing my body needed the deep input of chewing when I constantly craved crunchy foods like potato chips or carrots. My OT recommended gum, so now I live on the fruit flavors of Trident.
- Use my weighted blanket! I have a weighted blanket that is about fifteen pounds, and when I wrap myself up in it, it provides a lot of good proprioceptive input. I got it from Affordable Weighted Blankets, and although they mostly have "little kid" material designs, I managed to get a hot pink fabric for mine that looks about as chic as any "normal" throws you can find.
- Press on my ears! Okay, it sounds weird, but my body really needs deep pressure, so pressing on my ears helps a lot when I'm feeling overloaded. Pressing on my fingers, wrists, and ankles helps, too.
- Close my eyes! Visual input adds to the stress of an overload, so closing my eyes can relieve some of that. The tightness of shutting my eyes sometimes feels good, also.
- Go for a walk! I make sure that I walk during a time when the paths are not crowded, and I make sure to take along my boisterous little dog. When Peanut tugs on the leash I am holding, it brings some deep pressure to my arm.
These are some of the healthier ways that I cope with Sensory Processing Disorder. If I can keep up with them, they can help me stay away from the unhealthy options that my body will resort to, like eating tons of crunchy junk food or chewing on my fingers. I came up with my coping tools on my own as well as with my OT. You could also call them my "sensory diet." Talk to your own OT about your diet, and come up with ways that work for you, if you haven't already.
And as you're coming up with coping tools, remember, you're not a freak. I sometimes feel so odd for having to bounce all the time. But in reality, it's not being freakish; it's living sensationally.
What are some ways that you cope?
I have to find a way to tolerate the texture of gum, I'm still chewing on my fingers and/or clenching my teeth when I'm in overload, and sometimes even when I'm not.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could bounce more often, I have been crashing and banging my ankles together when I lay on my stomach on the bed. It kinda hurts, but it gets the proprioceptive input that I seek. I need more vestibular too, but that's difficult to achieve alone.
I bought my weighted blanket from ' www.saltoftheearthweightedgear.com ' :3 It's 42 x 60 (Next time I'll get a bigger one, so I can wrap it around myself easier) and 15 lbs as well, with a nice calm blue plaid pattern. It was only about 120 including a rush charge, so I got it within 2 weeks. I love it to death.
I'm still learning what to do during overload situations for me. Sometimes they're emotional based, sometimes purely sensory, most of the time a mix between the two. :<
Nice to see your blog though, gunna add you now :)
Thanks for commenting, Sila!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're not able to tolerate the texture of gum. I have some trouble with large wads of gum, especially when it's bubble gum and not plain chewing gum, but the small strips of Trident have worked well for me.
But if I don't bounce, I end up wanting to chew on my fingers instead -- it's like I need more pressure than just around my teeth.
Good luck with everything, and merry Christmas!