for those who experience menstrual cycles out there- it's worth considering your different menstrual seasons/phases and how this affects your sensory preferences :) I'm going to fill out the checklist during each season to see how this differs!
I teach students with disabilities and many of them have specific sensory preferences. I love my work and am always looking for ways to become a better teacher, so this was very helpful- thanks Emma!😀 Take care and God bless- thanks so much for all you do- we all appreciate you😀 Have a wonderful, safe, happy, and healthy day!😀
Wow this is so interesting, thank you! I'm an ADHDer, thought of myself as an avoider (HATE noisy crowds and bright lights), but the results show I'm very much a seeker in every aspect. I guess most of the avoidance patterns come from anxiety and migraine in my case (except some textures, clothing tags are a special kind of torture)
I have struggled with misophonia and its really important for me to just take time to be somewhere quiet sometimes. Even small noises can add up to my overall discomfort before it all explodes in my face when I have an overreaction to a seemingly normal noise.
I am someone who is a full on seeker of most sensory experiences, except visual, but I am very easily overwhelmed. So to be happy and secure, I need a lot of stimulation, but when I have what I like I soon become overstimulated and can't focus on what needs to be done. I am most productive when I am sad and inert because I have no sensory input to distract me, but then of course I am miserable. I have been struggling to get through this issue for years.
This is interesting, I thought I liked a quiet, simple life, but this quiz has made me realise I seek a lot from the world around me. Love a roller coaster 🤩
Wow. This made me cry. I’m so cogniscent of the little people in my life but when you mentioned food and scent sensitivities it hit home. But at the same time you started to talk about auditory noise and I had been going crazy as I do every eve with the noise and grunts my dog makes. Thank you!!!!
thanks! i dont have adhd or autism, but am really creative, like visual stimulation, and like working with my hands, so this was really fun to visually fill out the chart and have it while you spoke cuz it's harder for me to concentrate on just someone speaking for a long time without the visual aid/stimulation. i learned i need to prioritize minimizing the noise coming from my roommate's room for me to feel better regulated, and maybe try to find quieter hours to work! i also learned i need to prioritize saving to buy more comfortable seating in my house, as well as a table that's not my desk for a nice place to sit and eat as well. have a great day:)
While I appreciate that using the term 'preferences' means that all people are explicitly included and maybe also means other stuff too I also know that For me, it's not a preference. It's a need. One I've unknowingly ignored for my life time. But aside from that, I need to acknowledge that it's a need due to the intensity and severity of my reaction which usually includes rage and or self injurious behaviour. Thank you for being inclusive and considerate and for this video 😊
Thank you for the Video, now I realized that I was disgarding my autistic needs as weard, so I never explored my feelings that way. Now I am discovering all my Senses new, Thank you for that.
Been watching you for years, so happy that you built a huge audience so that we all can learn from you. thank you so much for doing what you do to help by the masses.
This made me realize that my sensory needs are very different to when I was a kid. Things like Propri and social touch are way more avoidant now. I wonder if my accepting boundary just shrunk up over time.
Interesting little questionnaire. I never really thought about my sensitivities before, but maybe I should pay more attention to them. What I'm curious about though, is when I'm in a heavily triggered and panicked state, I become intolerant of like... all of the senses. It's like having a bad migraine. Is this normal? What do you do?
besides grounding and breathing and things you personally might do when you're already in a panicked state.. i think if you dont really pay attention to your senses normally, maybe taking some time /before/ you need it to have quiet, time alone, gentle physical movement, or other low sensory things could help you be more prepared when there is more sensory input. plus, setting time aside to do an activity that's in your seek column might help you learn how to engage with your senses more:)
I get that too. When I'm overstimulated sensorically or emotionally, when I'm ill or generally overwhelmed. But besides getting sensory avoidant I also get easily irritated and tired and achy, so I see it as my nervous system getting overwhelmed and not being able to process more input, be it external stimuli like sounds, internal like pain, other people's emotions or new information. When I'm in that state I try to cut down the input, especially stressors. I go somewhere quiet and dark, breathe, then (if I remember 😅) I try to connect with my body and see what bothers me the most so I can take care of that, then I repeat. The more I do it the more I know myself, so it gets easier to both prevent and deal with overwhelm. Oh, I'm also learning to ask for hugs (because hugs help me unless I'm really overstimulated) and inform people close to me what's up
I did this for myself- but also with what i know of my family and think it'll help us as family Like two of us differently need vestibular things (rocking chairs or swing), and one needs headphones (auditory seeker )to help out the other two auditory avoiders.
Thank you for this very helpful content. It really makes it clear where my sensory needs are. I find that everyday life takes me out of my comfort zone often enough (uncomfortable clothes, noisy places etc), so it doesn't seem like there's much chance of getting stuck in avoiding! Note: Your video/description is missing the promised chapter links so I can't jump to the sections I'm most interested in.
I am shocked to find out just how sensitive I am in every single category. I know I am an H.S.P., but I didn't realize how far reaching my need for calm and quiet and smooth was. but I do instinctively know I need to put myself in uncomfortable situations sometimes and I do.
This was super helpuful! I didn't realize i had such high sensory needs in the proprioceptive category (guess i'll use this to motivate me to move around more lol)
Thanks so much for this! Especially liked the disclaimer to not completely avoid things. Side note - I hope you're doing ok! You seemed slightly overwhelmed in this video and there were a couple small mistakes (like repeating "offer stability aids" at 18:40ish - probably just a minor editing mistake tho 😊) In any case, these past two videos have really helped me make sense of what helps me and what doesn't help me, particularly if I'm feeling overwhelmed. If I'm happy or having a good day, often those things won't bother me as much, but it's good to know what I need to seek out and what to avoid temporarily if I'm feeling completely overwhelmed.
I’ve had a theory for over a decade that people who have lots of tattoos, listen to heavy speed-metal, attend loud concerts/clubs/bars and do drugs are folks that require a lot of stimulus for, say, pleasure (might also explain masochism but I won’t go there). Then there’s ole me…an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). Happiest during power outages when the blissful quiet happens as the HVAC doesn’t run, the fridge doesn’t make a noise, the transformer or mains hum has disappeared, the tiny power lights on modern tech are off, the street lights don’t pour their photons through my window, automotive noises lessen….peace at last. All good if the temperature remains comfortable.
Does avoiding wind fall into any of the catagories? I'm not sure if it's the feeling in my ears but it is completely overwhelming to me, thought it was pretty odd til I mentioned it to my Nana and she also has the same thing! Great video, loved the ideas to expand on things I am seeking more of too, not just avoid things. I feel like some things have also changed as I've gotten older eg I used to love rollercoasters but don't anymore. Or I used to strongly dislike hair in my face, but have found it's not so irritating anymore.
Proprioception fidgeting - I fidget and struggle to sit still when I don't like the feeling of whatever is touching me. For example, when lying in bed my clothes need to be flat and straight against my body if they are in between me and the bed. Any little wrinkle or bump will hold my attention and drive me insane until I smooth it out. Kind of like the children's fairy tale princess and the pea
I hate noise, but my homeschooled child LOVES noise. He wears headphones to listen to music so he can have auditory stimulation and I only have to hear the environment.
The properioception one is hard for me, I feel I was a seeker as a child but because of SA and the body issues that come from that I no longer feel safe to move, take in space and be touched by people, definitely more on the avoiding side now.
So what if you put yourself as neutral or mixed for every example given? Like for me, it’s really dependent on the context, my mood that day and the needs of my child
Just thinking about #6 gave me tinnitus, I think it’s safe to say I’m avoidant to auditory stimulation. May I add that my fiancé has Tourettes and chronic couch. I try to avoid annoying sounds but I can’t always make myself comfortable. Thank you for your video. ❤
I would like to point out that the advice to not "overdo" sensory avoidance and try gradual exposure doesn't apply to everyone. Studies with autistic individuals have found that some sensory sensitivities will actually increase with repeated exposure, not decrease.
How can I, as a preschool teacher, (3-4 yr olds) help my student who is a sensory seeker? What accommodations can I make for her that won't turn my classroom into chaos when the rest of the students see and want those too
The visual one is interesting as I knew it would be… I’m a seeker overall but I cannot stand action movies and super high def stuff, i think it’s more almost proprioception for me or distracting to the main story of the movie. There’s just too much going on. Other than that and eye contact I’m a yes for the rest of that list!!
I love crunchy things just fine, but I will never be able to tolerate nuts in pastries. I like the flavor, but the texture makes me want to scrub my mouth off my face.
Intresting I enjoy bath when I get in like baths to showers I feel cold whrn I get out of shower but not a bath . I'm definatrly got a thing about avoiding certain textures cord velvet stiff crinkly material others okay. Used yo love spicy food but I'm thst bad eith spicy good my mouth feels funny and my mouth eill go Sore with spicy foods. Should eat more fruit but it feels funny to my tongue bananas feel chalky in my mouth apples feel same best fruit for me is melons strawberries pineapple . Stairs are dodgy with me as tge silver metal strips feel funny to my eyes ,but yellow floor bars not. Few years back I had an informal diagnosis of autism and on top of all my other nental health isdues and I think I'd been masking eithout realising it and once masks come away a bit I'm noticing it.
I have wanted to get some therapy for quite a while. Most therapists are very liberal or progressive women. (I am a woman.) My politics are conservative with strong libertarian leanings. I know that progressives think consevatives are stupid/evil and guilty of all the -isms. For that reason, I haven't persued therapy. Imagine my disappointment to see you've intentionally placed a keffiyeh so it can be seen in your videos lately. I have no dog in that particular fight. Why bring politics to your channel? So unnecessary and unprofessional.
Knowing this about yourself and therfore choosing the right workspace and nature area is a gamechanger
for those who experience menstrual cycles out there- it's worth considering your different menstrual seasons/phases and how this affects your sensory preferences :) I'm going to fill out the checklist during each season to see how this differs!
I teach students with disabilities and many of them have specific sensory preferences. I love my work and am always looking for ways to become a better teacher, so this was very helpful- thanks Emma!😀 Take care and God bless- thanks so much for all you do- we all appreciate you😀 Have a wonderful, safe, happy, and healthy day!😀
Wow this is so interesting, thank you! I'm an ADHDer, thought of myself as an avoider (HATE noisy crowds and bright lights), but the results show I'm very much a seeker in every aspect. I guess most of the avoidance patterns come from anxiety and migraine in my case (except some textures, clothing tags are a special kind of torture)
This is so helpful as I’m in the stages of autism diagnosis
I have struggled with misophonia and its really important for me to just take time to be somewhere quiet sometimes. Even small noises can add up to my overall discomfort before it all explodes in my face when I have an overreaction to a seemingly normal noise.
Me too! I feel guilty over my aversion and anger to some sounds. Like I know my boyfriend hates to eat around me because he can see how tense I get
I am someone who is a full on seeker of most sensory experiences, except visual, but I am very easily overwhelmed. So to be happy and secure, I need a lot of stimulation, but when I have what I like I soon become overstimulated and can't focus on what needs to be done. I am most productive when I am sad and inert because I have no sensory input to distract me, but then of course I am miserable. I have been struggling to get through this issue for years.
This is interesting, I thought I liked a quiet, simple life, but this quiz has made me realise I seek a lot from the world around me. Love a roller coaster 🤩
Wow. This made me cry. I’m so cogniscent of the little people in my life but when you mentioned food and scent sensitivities it hit home. But at the same time you started to talk about auditory noise and I had been going crazy as I do every eve with the noise and grunts my dog makes. Thank you!!!!
thanks! i dont have adhd or autism, but am really creative, like visual stimulation, and like working with my hands, so this was really fun to visually fill out the chart and have it while you spoke cuz it's harder for me to concentrate on just someone speaking for a long time without the visual aid/stimulation.
i learned i need to prioritize minimizing the noise coming from my roommate's room for me to feel better regulated, and maybe try to find quieter hours to work!
i also learned i need to prioritize saving to buy more comfortable seating in my house, as well as a table that's not my desk for a nice place to sit and eat as well.
have a great day:)
While I appreciate that using the term 'preferences' means that all people are explicitly included and maybe also means other stuff too
I also know that For me, it's not a preference. It's a need. One I've unknowingly ignored for my life time. But aside from that, I need to acknowledge that it's a need due to the intensity and severity of my reaction which usually includes rage and or self injurious behaviour.
Thank you for being inclusive and considerate and for this video 😊
Thank you for the Video, now I realized that I was disgarding my autistic needs as weard, so I never explored my feelings that way. Now I am discovering all my Senses new,
Thank you for that.
This is great...I seem to know all the sensory input I avoid...but it's fun to discover all the sensory seeking that goes on! Great video, thanks!
Thanks for this video! And thank you for including adults who have sensory needs!
Thanks to this video, I got a ball to roll under my feet while working at my desk
THIS WAS SO HELPFUL FOR ME, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Been watching you for years, so happy that you built a huge audience so that we all can learn from you. thank you so much for doing what you do to help by the masses.
Yes i have, Thank you again Emma and a thousand blessings.
This made me realize that my sensory needs are very different to when I was a kid. Things like Propri and social touch are way more avoidant now. I wonder if my accepting boundary just shrunk up over time.
Interesting little questionnaire. I never really thought about my sensitivities before, but maybe I should pay more attention to them. What I'm curious about though, is when I'm in a heavily triggered and panicked state, I become intolerant of like... all of the senses. It's like having a bad migraine. Is this normal? What do you do?
besides grounding and breathing and things you personally might do when you're already in a panicked state.. i think if you dont really pay attention to your senses normally, maybe taking some time /before/ you need it to have quiet, time alone, gentle physical movement, or other low sensory things could help you be more prepared when there is more sensory input. plus, setting time aside to do an activity that's in your seek column might help you learn how to engage with your senses more:)
I get that too. When I'm overstimulated sensorically or emotionally, when I'm ill or generally overwhelmed. But besides getting sensory avoidant I also get easily irritated and tired and achy, so I see it as my nervous system getting overwhelmed and not being able to process more input, be it external stimuli like sounds, internal like pain, other people's emotions or new information.
When I'm in that state I try to cut down the input, especially stressors. I go somewhere quiet and dark, breathe, then (if I remember 😅) I try to connect with my body and see what bothers me the most so I can take care of that, then I repeat. The more I do it the more I know myself, so it gets easier to both prevent and deal with overwhelm.
Oh, I'm also learning to ask for hugs (because hugs help me unless I'm really overstimulated) and inform people close to me what's up
I did this for myself- but also with what i know of my family and think it'll help us as family
Like two of us differently need vestibular things (rocking chairs or swing), and one needs headphones (auditory seeker )to help out the other two auditory avoiders.
Thank you for this very helpful content. It really makes it clear where my sensory needs are.
I find that everyday life takes me out of my comfort zone often enough (uncomfortable clothes, noisy places etc), so it doesn't seem like there's much chance of getting stuck in avoiding!
Note: Your video/description is missing the promised chapter links so I can't jump to the sections I'm most interested in.
Dude this is so informative. Thank you.
My very next test / exercise to do this weekend..🙏🙏🙏🙏
I am shocked to find out just how sensitive I am in every single category. I know I am an H.S.P., but I didn't realize how far reaching my need for calm and quiet and smooth was.
but I do instinctively know I need to put myself in uncomfortable situations sometimes and I do.
This was super helpuful! I didn't realize i had such high sensory needs in the proprioceptive category (guess i'll use this to motivate me to move around more lol)
Soooo helpful thank you.
Thanks so much for this! Especially liked the disclaimer to not completely avoid things.
Side note - I hope you're doing ok! You seemed slightly overwhelmed in this video and there were a couple small mistakes (like repeating "offer stability aids" at 18:40ish - probably just a minor editing mistake tho 😊)
In any case, these past two videos have really helped me make sense of what helps me and what doesn't help me, particularly if I'm feeling overwhelmed. If I'm happy or having a good day, often those things won't bother me as much, but it's good to know what I need to seek out and what to avoid temporarily if I'm feeling completely overwhelmed.
This is so much fun to follow thank you so much
I’m a sensory avoiding but I work with kids that are sensory seeking. How can I make my classroom the best for both of us?
Wow got this just when I needed…🙏🙏🙏🦉
Thanks! :) I've just finished the quiz - very helpful :)
thanks for this topic. it will help a lot of people
Thank you for this very informative, interesting and very helpful video!
Thank you ! This is so beneficial. I will share with others 🙏🏻 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I’ve had a theory for over a decade that people who have lots of tattoos, listen to heavy speed-metal, attend loud concerts/clubs/bars and do drugs are folks that require a lot of stimulus for, say, pleasure (might also explain masochism but I won’t go there).
Then there’s ole me…an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). Happiest during power outages when the blissful quiet happens as the HVAC doesn’t run, the fridge doesn’t make a noise, the transformer or mains hum has disappeared, the tiny power lights on modern tech are off, the street lights don’t pour their photons through my window, automotive noises lessen….peace at last. All good if the temperature remains comfortable.
This was so good! I liok forward to more videos ❤
Does avoiding wind fall into any of the catagories? I'm not sure if it's the feeling in my ears but it is completely overwhelming to me, thought it was pretty odd til I mentioned it to my Nana and she also has the same thing!
Great video, loved the ideas to expand on things I am seeking more of too, not just avoid things. I feel like some things have also changed as I've gotten older eg I used to love rollercoasters but don't anymore. Or I used to strongly dislike hair in my face, but have found it's not so irritating anymore.
Proprioception fidgeting - I fidget and struggle to sit still when I don't like the feeling of whatever is touching me. For example, when lying in bed my clothes need to be flat and straight against my body if they are in between me and the bed. Any little wrinkle or bump will hold my attention and drive me insane until I smooth it out. Kind of like the children's fairy tale princess and the pea
Thank you! I have been wondering about this!
Super helpful. Thank you 🌸💐🌷🌼🌻🌺
I hate noise, but my homeschooled child LOVES noise. He wears headphones to listen to music so he can have auditory stimulation and I only have to hear the environment.
Extremely useful, thanks a lot ❤
A number of these things actually cause me to get sick from the over stimulation
The properioception one is hard for me, I feel I was a seeker as a child but because of SA and the body issues that come from that I no longer feel safe to move, take in space and be touched by people, definitely more on the avoiding side now.
So what if you put yourself as neutral or mixed for every example given? Like for me, it’s really dependent on the context, my mood that day and the needs of my child
thank you for everything
I usually carry earplugs with me.
Just thinking about #6 gave me tinnitus, I think it’s safe to say I’m avoidant to auditory stimulation. May I add that my fiancé has Tourettes and chronic couch. I try to avoid annoying sounds but I can’t always make myself comfortable. Thank you for your video. ❤
I would like to point out that the advice to not "overdo" sensory avoidance and try gradual exposure doesn't apply to everyone.
Studies with autistic individuals have found that some sensory sensitivities will actually increase with repeated exposure, not decrease.
Hi..just wondering if you can make video on trauma from substance abuse; its really affecting my mental health, in negative way
How can I, as a preschool teacher, (3-4 yr olds) help my student who is a sensory seeker? What accommodations can I make for her that won't turn my classroom into chaos when the rest of the students see and want those too
What are some books you recommend relating to this topic ??
What about the feeling of being full or your blood pumping theough your veins?
what can I do if I have several areas equality seeking and avoiding?
The visual one is interesting as I knew it would be… I’m a seeker overall but I cannot stand action movies and super high def stuff, i think it’s more almost proprioception for me or distracting to the main story of the movie. There’s just too much going on. Other than that and eye contact I’m a yes for the rest of that list!!
I love crunchy things just fine, but I will never be able to tolerate nuts in pastries. I like the flavor, but the texture makes me want to scrub my mouth off my face.
I get touch and sound overload and it feels like my head is going to explode if someone talks or touches me
Intresting I enjoy bath when I get in like baths to showers I feel cold whrn I get out of shower but not a bath .
I'm definatrly got a thing about avoiding certain textures cord velvet stiff crinkly material others okay.
Used yo love spicy food but I'm thst bad eith spicy good my mouth feels funny and my mouth eill go Sore with spicy foods.
Should eat more fruit but it feels funny to my tongue bananas feel chalky in my mouth apples feel same best fruit for me is melons strawberries pineapple .
Stairs are dodgy with me as tge silver metal strips feel funny to my eyes ,but yellow floor bars not.
Few years back I had an informal diagnosis of autism and on top of all my other nental health isdues and I think I'd been masking eithout realising it and once masks come away a bit I'm noticing it.
Mothers, I have bad news for you....
I have wanted to get some therapy for quite a while. Most therapists are very liberal or progressive women. (I am a woman.) My politics are conservative with strong libertarian leanings. I know that progressives think consevatives are stupid/evil and guilty of all the -isms. For that reason, I haven't persued therapy. Imagine my disappointment to see you've intentionally placed a keffiyeh so it can be seen in your videos lately. I have no dog in that particular fight. Why bring politics to your channel? So unnecessary and unprofessional.
Not me listening to her and keep saying "nope, nope, nope, hell no, nope,..." 😂😂🥲
This is 100% what I needed after your last video but was too afraid to ask for… 🫤 lol that statement speaks for itself…