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8 Senses Bookmark

Turn Overwhelmed into Just Right with our Eight Senses Bookmark

Feeling like your senses are on overload?  You are not alone.

Our Eight Senses Bookmark is here to help!

It’s your pocket guide to finding your sensory happy place. Breathe easy, explore freely – take control with the Eight Senses Bookmark!!

The Eight Senses Bookmark on a table with a notebook and a small plant
Christel Seeberger

Welcome to the Journey of Eight Senses, from Our CEO Christel!

Hi there,

Thanks for following your curiosity about the Eight Senses Bookmark! My name is Christel, and I’m the CEO of Sensory Friendly Solutions.

For over 30 years in healthcare, I witnessed firsthand the challenges people face with sensory sensitivities and overload. It impacted everyone, from toddlers to seniors! Even everyday environments could become overwhelming.

Then, something personal happened. Adult-onset hearing loss made me realize how important sensory-friendly spaces are for everyone. Even with the  advanced technology I use, there are places I won’t go and things I won’t do, because I can’t participate when I get there.  

That’s why I founded Sensory Friendly Solutions in 2016. Our mission is to create a more inclusive world, one training session at a time, and empower businesses and organizations to offer sensory-friendly experiences for everyone. We’re on a journey to #TrainAMillion people, fostering a world that’s #LessBusyLessNoisyLessBright for all.

Join me on this journey by learning about your eight senses and turning overloaded into sensory calm.  Let’s explore together!

Christel Seeberger

Founder and CEO, Sensory Friendly Solutions

Graphics of the 8 senses including: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, movement, balance and interoception.

Beyond Sight, Sound, and Smell: There’s More to How You Experience the World!

Did you know you have more than just the classic five senses? While your senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell play a crucial role in your daily life, you have three additional senses that significantly influence how you navigate and interact with the world.

Get ready to unlock the power of more of your senses:

  • Movement (Proprioception): This sense allows you to understand your body’s position and movement in space. It’s why you can walk without looking at your feet or catch a ball without consciously thinking about it.
  • Balance (Vestibular): This sense helps you maintain your equilibrium and keeps you feeling grounded. It’s essential for activities like walking, running, and even sitting upright.
  • Interoception: This internal body sense provides information about your body’s internal state, like hunger, thirst, and even emotions.

These “hidden senses” work together with the traditional five, creating the rich tapestry of your sensory experience in daily life.

Use the Eight Senses Bookmark to: 

  • Reset your senses: Take a quick break, assess your internal state, and adjust your environment for greater comfort and focus.
  • Feel more productive: By managing sensory overload, you can feel more focused and on task.
  • Find your just right zone: Create a sensory balance that supports your well-being.

Ready to unlock the potential of your eight senses and experience life to the fullest?

Table of Contents

Icon of an eye

Sight:

How do I feel?

  • Dry, itchy, tired eyes? Blurry or cloudy vision? Feeling discomfort or pain?

What do I need?

  • Eye Relief: Look 20 feet away for 20 seconds (look at something green if possible!).
  • Reduce Strain: Consider things like blue light-blocking glasses.  And reduce or eliminate screen time.
  • Dim the Lights: Lower screen brightness or close your eyes for a few minutes.

Why it matters: Our eyes are constantly bombarded with visual information from screens. This can lead to eye strain, fatigue, and disruptions in sleep patterns. Taking breaks and engaging other senses can help regulate our brain and body. 

Taking breaks from screens allows you to engage your other senses. This can help refocus your brain and body and reduce overall sensory overload. Listen to calming music, take a walk in nature, drink water or enjoy a healthy snack.  All away from your screens.

icon of an ear with sound waves.

Hearing:

How do I feel?

  • Do common sounds, even your own voice, seem too loud or distorted?
  • Do background noises, such as distant traffic or buzzing lights, become distracting and irritating?
  • Do you feel the need to protect your ears from sounds that feel painful?

What do I need?

  • Reduce Noise:
    • Try using noise-cancelling or sound-blocking headphones and earplugs.
    • Turn off sources of distracting noise when possible.
    • Find a quiet space where noise is minimized.
  • Soothing Sounds: Listen to sounds or music that you enjoy and find calming.
  • Nature’s Relaxation: Consider spending time outdoors in nature, which can be a calming environment.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to listen to your body and take steps to reduce noise exposure.

icon of a mouth with the tongue sticking out.

Taste:

How do I feel?

  • Strong or Spicy Flavors: Do you find the flavors of certain foods to be overwhelming, too strong, or even spicy (maybe when others don’t?).
  • Texture Sensitivities: Are you bothered by the textures of certain foods, such as mushy, slimy, or crunchy textures?
  • Bland or Flavorless: Alternatively, do you find that most foods taste bland or lack flavor?

What do I need?

Adjusting Intensity:

  • Decrease Taste: If flavors are too intense, try having a neutral-tasting food on hand like plain bread, rice, or a type of milk to balance them out.
  • Separate Flavors: Consider dividing your meal into individual components to avoid overwhelming flavor combinations.
  • Cooking Variations: Explore alternative cooking methods for the same food. For example, steaming vegetables instead of boiling might be more palatable.

Enhancing Flavor:

  • Increase Taste: On the other hand, if you find food bland, experiment with adding spices, herbs, or a squeeze of lemon juice to boost flavor.

Remember, taste is a very personal experience. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you! 

icon of a hand with the index finger extended.

Touch:

How do I feel?

  • Clothing Sensitivity: Do clothes (tags, seams) feel itchy, irritating, or distracting on your skin, even if they seem comfortable to others?
  • Discomfort with Touch: Do you feel uncomfortable with physical greetings like hugs or handshakes?
  • Need for Touch: Alternatively, do you crave touch and seek comfort from hugs or deep pressure?

What do I need?

Reducing Touch Sensitivity:

  • Comfortable Clothing: Try wearing soft, loose-fitting clothes with minimal seams or tags.  Sensory-friendly clothing is a thing!

Alternatives to Touch Greetings:

  • Respectful Contact: If uncomfortable with physical greetings, politely request or initiate less stimulating alternatives like a fist bump or elbow bump.

Seeking Positive Touch:

  • Fidget Toys: Using fidget toys can provide a satisfying sensory outlet for your hands (and mind).
  • Weighted Blankets: Weighted blankets can provide deep pressure on your body, which can be calming and comforting.  A big safety reminder that they should only be 5-10% of your body weight and you must always have the physical ability to remove the blanket independently.

Remember, your sensory preferences and needs are unique. Experiment and find what works best for you to feel comfortable and in control of your sense of touch.

Image of nose icon.

Smell:

How do I feel?

  • Smell Sensitivity: Do familiar smells, like perfumes, cleaning products, or even food odors, make you feel uncomfortable or even nauseated?
  • Overpowering Scents: Do faint scents seem unusually strong or overwhelming to you?
  • Calming Scents: Alternatively, do you find yourself craving certain scents to feel calm or focused?

What do I need?

Reduce Unpleasant Smells:

  • Minimize Exposure: If possible, move away from sources of strong smells or remove them.
  • Increase Ventilation: Open windows or use fans or air filters to encourage air circulation and dilute scents.

Introduce Calming Scents (Optional):

  • Essential Oils: Consider using high-quality essential oils, like lavender or mint, for a calming effect. Remember, strong scents can also be overwhelming, so start with a small amount and see how you react.

Important Note: It’s important to be mindful of others’ sensitivities as well. If you choose to use essential oils, ensure those around you are comfortable with the scent.

Icon of a stick-figure person running.

Movement:

How do I feel?

  • Body Awareness: Do you ever lose track of where your limbs are in space, feeling clumsy or uncoordinated?
  • Movement Perception: Does moving your body feel too fast or too slow?
  • Motor Skills: Do you find fine motor tasks, like buttoning a shirt or writing, challenging to complete?
  • Body Tension: Do parts of your body feel stiff or tight?
  • Energy Levels: Do you feel like you have too much pent-up energy or conversely, very little energy to move?

What do I need?

Improve Body Awareness:

  • Weighted Tools: Using a weighted blanket or lap pad can provide deep pressure input, helping you feel more grounded and aware of your body.

Increase Movement and Proprioception (body awareness):

  • Heavy Work Activities: Adding “heavy muscle work” to your day can be helpful. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away, or do yard work. These activities provide proprioceptive input and tire out your body.
  • Body Scans: Perform a quick body scan throughout the day to bring awareness to your physical sensations. Close your eyes and focus on each body part, noticing any tension or discomfort.

Improve Flexibility and Relaxation:

  • Stretching: Do slow, gentle stretches to loosen tight muscles and increase flexibility.

Address Energy Levels:

  • Regular Movement: Regardless of energy levels, regular movement is important. Go for a walk, dance around your room, or do some light exercises to help regulate your energy.

Remember, everyone experiences movement differently. Experiment and find what activities help you feel most comfortable and in control of your body.

Icon of person balancing on one leg.

Balance:

How do I feel?

  • Dizziness or Vertigo: Do you experience dizziness, vertigo, or a feeling of spinning?
  • Motion Sensitivity: Do head movements feel overly intense or disorienting?
  • Spatial Awareness: Do you struggle to feel grounded or unsure of your head’s position in space?

What do I need?

Reduce Stimulation:

  • Stop Unpredictable Movements: If experiencing dizziness or vertigo, stop any irregular or unpredictable physical movements that might be worsening the sensation.

Improve Stability:

  • Find Rest: Sit down or lie down in a comfortable position, whichever feels more calming.

Regain Grounding:

  • Slow Predictable Movements: Once the dizziness subsides, try performing slow, predictable patterns of movement, like rocking back and forth in a chair or taking slow, deliberate walks. This can help re-establish your sense of balance.

Additional Tips:

  • If symptoms persist or worsen, consult a healthcare professional, like an occupational therapist or physical therapist.
  • Consider deep pressure activities like using a weighted blanket, or heavy muscle work, which can be helpful for some people experiencing balance issues.

Remember, everyone experiences balance differently. Pay attention to your body and find what strategies work best for you to feel stable and grounded.

Why it matters: In today’s world, with our constant screen use, we often hold our heads in the same position for extended periods. This can contribute to sensitivity to balance. Taking breaks, getting our heads out of the vertical position, and incorporating movement can significantly improve our sense of balance.

Icon of internal organs inside a person.

Interoception (Internal Body Sense)

How do I feel?

  • Body Hunger & Fullness Cues: Do you struggle to recognize feelings of hunger or fullness, often leading to overeating or skipping meals entirely?
  • Breathing Awareness: Do you have difficulty noticing your breathing patterns, feeling like your breath is uncomfortably fast or slow?
  • Bathroom Needs: Do you have trouble knowing when you need to use the toilet?

What do I need?

Improve Body Awareness:

  • Daily Mindfulness: Practice daily meditation that includes a full body scan. This helps you tune into your body’s sensations and become more aware of your internal cues.

Body Regulation Techniques:

  • Deep Breathing: In moments of stress or overwhelm, take at least 5 deep breaths, inhaling slowly through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Repeat this four times. Counting your breaths on your fingers or toes can help focus your attention.
  • Scheduled Breaks: Schedule regular breaks to eat and drink throughout the day, even if you don’t feel hungry or thirsty yet. This helps regulate your body’s natural rhythm. Pre-portioning snacks and meals can also be helpful.
  • Toilet Routines: Consider setting a timer for regular toilet breaks, especially if you struggle with recognizing these internal cues. This can help establish a routine until your body’s signals become stronger.

Why it matters: Interoception is our internal body awareness, helping us recognize our body’s signals like hunger, thirst, needing ot use the the toilet, or feeling tired. Strong interoception awareness also allows us to regulate our emotions and make healthy choices.

Remember: Building interoception awareness and regulation takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress!

More Personal Solutions

Sensory sensitivity and sensory overload can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone.

Explore our tailored resources, tips, and tools designed to help you and your family create sensory-friendly environments at home, school, work, and in your community.

Start making meaningful changes today.

Asian mom with two children lying down together looking up

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