I struggle with something called sensory overload. It means that I find loud sudden noises or places with lot of noise very challenging, and causes extreme anxiety and or panic attacks yesterday.
I was looking for some more tips to help me with a large event, but found little online. So in this page, I will say what I have found helpful.
- First up, that its okay. Its okay if you find large events overstimulating. Its okay if you need to take five, or even leave. Its okay to stutter or stim, to break out every fidget toy you need, or to hum wind band pieces or pace up and down or take your shoes off. No need to beat yourself up over it. And most people won’t mind.
- Quiet times. If possible, head to a quiet space before you enter, maybe a park, and get yourself some quiet time to prepare, do meditation, whatever works for you. And afterwards, see if you can do the same to decompress, perhaps head to a café for a drink or even just a cake, some time to yourself before heading on a train or bus home. This has really worked wonders for me.
- Comfortable clothes. The last thing you want when struggling with sensory overload is to multiply it with extra tactile feedback, with clothes not feeling right. Aim for something that feels soft, that you feel comfortable in, perhaps something familiar like a favourite shirt or skirt, or a dress you like wearing. The same applies with shoes.
- Quiet rooms or spaces. See if you, or your employer can set up a quiet room. Somewhere you can shut the door when it gets too much and do what you need to do, maybe with some comfy chairs and away from the main action. This has really helped me take a breather and sort myself out before returning to large meetings. You can always take five, take a break into these quiet rooms if you need to.
- Fidget toys. I have a large selection of these, and they really do help when I’m overstimulated, giving me something else to concentrate on instead of all the noise. I have fidget bracelets and a fidget cube, stress balls and a soft green dinosaur, but find what works for you.
- Calmer Earbuds. I have these little noise cancelling earbuds I wear a lot of the time, in meetings and large events. They muffle the sound, and help reduce the intensity a little. I also have my favourite headphones for music and ambient sounds, which really calm me down, and some ear defenders for when it gets really bad.
- Pretending the noise is music. This is an odd one, but it works. I am a member of a wind band, and in rehearsals one large suggestion to improve pieces is around dynamics, of how loud or quiet a piece needs to be. So for this I pretend I am the conductor and turn down the volume going from forte fortissimo (loudest) to piano (quiet) or even pianissimo (very quiet). It sounds odd, but it really works magic, putting me in control of the noise and making it less frightening. By decreasing the volume, and the intensity, it makes it more manageable.
- A reward scheme. These days are tough. So it does help to have a reward scheme, something to look forward to. This could be listening to some favourite music, picking up a cake on the way home, a coffee/ tea of your choice, whatever takes your fancy.
- Celebrating little victories. At the end, it may seem like you did everything wrong. But you achieved lots of little victories. Turning up, even though you knew it would be hard. Doing what you needed to do, taking breaks, heading to quiet rooms, perhaps interacting with others at lunch. So celebrate the little things. You might find you did awesomely!
- Time to recharge, before bed or the day after. Sensory overload can often drain you. You use so much energy being anxious its often a drain when the event ends, or when you get home. Look after yourself, take some time to recharge, maybe read a book or listen to some music, and order a takeaway if you’re too tired to cook. I know its not healthy, but sometimes its what you need.
These are things that have helped me, but I am sure there are others. A guide for anyone who might need this. I’m not an expert but have been living with this for the past few years, so do know it well enough to write this.
