Hello all,

I hope you are enjoying your Monday… well as much as you can enjoy a Monday.

One of the things which I really struggle with is sensory overload. Senses are wonderful things, but for me they can all become a bit too much. When there is a lot going on, if it’s too bright, too loud, too many people making it feel like you are stuck in an enclosed space and you just wan to leave. It is all very intense.

The best I can try explain it to you is  this: it is as though your computer has too many applications open and you are trying to get it to do all the things you want it to do at once. It is not going to happen, it starts to slow down and if you try and push through by just continuing, your computer will freeze.

It is the same with sensory overload. Try and keep going, keep powering through. Eventually you will stop. You will not be able to do anymore. You have pushed yourself passed the point where you are overstimulated and you have not given yourself time to process all the different senses going on around you. You have opened all the browser tabs you can while refusing to close some of the others to make space.

You have crashed.

With people it is very similar. There are different ways you can manage sensory over load. But by keeping  going ‘pushing yourself a little further’ is not one of them. You are not giving yourself time to regulate or reset.

Anyone can succumb to burnout, but for those who have sensory processing issues that tolerance is a lot lower.

One of the ways I manage sensory overload is through music. When on the way to work I will listen to music. But there are times when I don’t want to listen to music. I just want to reduce the level of sound I can hear.

I decided to try something which would do just that. I bought myself some calmer earbuds from a company called Flare. I tried the Calmer range.

The packing for them is recyclable as it is in a cardboard pouch. There was not a lot of excess packing either which is more environmentally friendly. The buds are washable and made from silicon which is again better for there environment as they are not a one use purchase. 

I got the clear ones, but in hindsight as a visually impaired person this was not a good idea. When you put them down they are harder to find. But they do come with a nice little bag for them go in when you are done with them. The bag is black and has a tiny draw string. Perfect for putting in your pocket.

They are made of silicone which I normally hate the feeling of. But these ones are quite soft and squidgy. They are easy enough to put in your ears and they have a tiny piece that sticks out agains the side of your ear so you can pull them out.

I was a bit unsure of them at first as trying new things takes time. I wore them around the house to get used to the feel of them in my ears and it did help a lot. They were comfy once I got used to them. Eventually I decided to try them out on the train on the way to work.
Unfortunately they did not help dampen the sound. I could hear people talking and I could hear annoying keyboard clicks on phones (why do people leave these turned on? I presume some people do it just to be annoying).

I didn’t write them off straight away so I tried them again in work. I work in a busy environment. I thought I would try wearing them to reduce the background noise. Reducing background would be a major help to me so I can just focus on what I am doing, but unfortunately they did not reduce the background noise too much at all.

I put them back in their little bag at the end of the day and slipped the into my coat pocket.

While they did not reduce background noise as I hoped they would I was happy with the comfort of them. Once you got used to them you couldn’t tell they were in at all. Which is a major bonus when you are trying to find ways of working with your sensory needs to try make your day better.

If you are wanting to try the Flare Audio Calmer Range please follow this link. They come with a nice little carrying pouch and feel very comfortable. They do have some great reviews. They just weren’t for me. Flare has a ton of other options available for different needs. Maybe I just haven’t found the right one.

When I am sleeping I use a brand called Beary Quiet. These are wonderful.

Thank you or reading,
Philippa.