Fanny Elizaga is an occupational therapist, certified Neuro-Coach, and trauma-informed mindfulness trainer. Over the years, she has embraced her passion for learning and applying holistic modalities for mind-body healing in her personal and professional life. Fanny is also a Reiki master practitioner and certified instructor in the art of Qi-Gong.
Imagine you’re in Walmart. “Jingle Bells” is booming on the radio. Further down the aisle, two teenagers are chattering away, trying on sunglasses, and taking selfies. A man pushes a buggy. His wife squeezes past you with a cart full of groceries. She reaches for the discounted detergent. Her arm brushes your shoulder. Their toddler squeals. Everyone appears unfazed.
But you? You’re engulfed. Overwhelmed. The store lights are throbbing. The voices hammering on. For a moment, you forget which way you’re heading, not to mention what you came here to buy.
What’s your sensitivity to sensory stimuli?
The ways our brains process sensory information are manifold. For some, integrating multiple sensory experiences—like the humming of voices, the flickering of fluorescent lights, and the Bing Crosby Christmas album on repeat—poses no significant neurological challenge. A holiday crowd may irritate the majority of people. But it doesn’t inhibit them from carrying out routine chores.
If you’re like five to 16 percent of the general population, however, the same commotion may trigger a cacophony in your cranium you can’t escape.
The percentage of those with sensory processing challenges rises among those on the autism spectrum. If you have dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or ADHD (like me), it doesn't get any easier. Sensory overload may interrupt your day-to-day functioning. If you’re highly sensitive, overstimulation may be all too familiar.
As in diagnoses of autism, researchers understand our ability to integrate sensory information to exist on a spectrum. A recent study by Stacia Kozidis and Jessica Jacobson suggests that some adults have “sensory processing preferences.”¹ Just like some students prefer to learn through logic while others choose movement, those with “sensory processing preferences” manage better when their environments meet their tastes. They can function in high-stimuli situations like Walmart on Black Friday. But they’d rather not.
Still others have “sensory processing sensitivity," which means they have a lower threshold for stimuli.² They might tolerate the crowd on a train at noon in New Haven, but not one in New York City at nine am.
Diverse wiring and firing
If you live with a diagnosed neurological disorder, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you’ll know that sensory processing rarely comes down to managing preferences. As in my experience with ADHD, feeling overstimulated is not a choice so much as it is a consequence of the condition. Research from Gail Tripp and Jeffery Wickens in “Neurobiology of ADHD” provides evidence that abnormalities in specific neurotransmitters, or communication “wires” in the brain, affect how people living with ADHD perceive and respond to sensory stimuli.³
That doesn’t mean that the neurodiverse amongst us are forever wired to feel overwhelmed at Walmart. While there may be an inherited component to how the brain processes stimuli, Dr. Gabor Maté, an expert in the effects of emotional trauma, is challenging the notion that disorders like ADHD are purely genetic. He argues that the physical and psychological conditions in which the brain develops play a significant role in how we process our experiences in adulthood.
For example, if there’s a lot of conflict at home, if there’s little community or emotional support, a child’s brain will adapt in ways that diverge from those who grew up in nurturing and loving homes.⁴
Of course, chronic stress and conflict affect the wiring of the adult brain too. So if you feel challenged by sensory overwhelm at this time of the year, you’re not alone. Whether you’re ADHD, HSP, on the spectrum, or neurotypical, ‘tis the season.
Savoring single sensations
The positive news is that as an adult, you have skills you didn't have as a child. You can create brain-friendly conditions that may not have existed when you were growing up.
First recognize that your brain—however it’s wired—belongs. Biodiversity keeps our planet alive. Neurodiversity keeps our humanity alive.
Accept any challenges you may have. Be gentle on yourself. Even the most typical neural wiring doesn’t fire optimally when it’s Bing jingled 24/7.
Whether you’re at Walmart or on the High Street, by the fireside or in the bubble bath, give yourself five minutes to create your own inner haven.
One way you can do this is through visualization
Imagine the details of your sanctuary. Like an architect, design it in detail. Add all the elements that create your own private sense of peace. Fill it with foliage. A window to the ocean. Go there whenever you wish—on the train at rush hour or falling asleep at night.
Or start with the present moment
Notice whatever pleasurable sensations exist in your immediate environment. Shift your focus from the jingle and bling. Turn to the breath as it fills your chest with air. Follow with a long, slow exhale.
Do that several times, emphasizing the length of the out breath. Savour the sensations of your nervous system calming down.
Add another pleasurable sensation
Gently caress the back of one hand with the palm of the other. Notice how it feels to be gentle on your own skin. Allow your attention to delight in one peaceful sensation after the other.
As you narrow your attention towards singular sensations, introduce a slow, gentle movement of your neck. Stretch gradually to one side, bringing your full awareness to whatever sensory stimuli come from this single slow movement. Now try the other side, stretching even more slowly in the opposite direction.
While none of us have complete control over how we process sensory stimuli, all of us can learn to guide our attention to our senses mindfully, one slow movement at a time.
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Fanny Elizaga, Certified Trauma Centered Neuro-Coach, Mindfulness Trainer
Fanny Elizaga is an occupational therapist, certified Neuro-Coach, and trauma-informed mindfulness trainer. Over the years, she has embraced her passion for learning and applying holistic modalities for mind-body healing in her personal and professional life. Fanny is also a Reiki master practitioner and certified instructor in the art of Qi-Gong. Fanny inspires, empowers, and educates her clients by teaching brain-enhancing tools for self-improvement, expanding out of their comfort zone, and thriving. Fanny is also the founder and trainer of Neuro-Wellness Academy; she is genuinely passionate about creating content and courses based on practical brain science – for wellness, resilience, personal transformation.
Sources:
Kozidis, S., & Jacobson, J. (2023). Sensory Processing Preferences in an Adult Acute Mental Health Setting: A Retrospective Study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(G).
Panagiotidi, M., Overton, P. G., & Stafford, T. (2020). The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Traits: A Spectrum Approach. Psychiatry Research, 293, 113477.
Tripp, G. & Wickens, J. R. (2009). Neurobiology of ADHD. Neuropharmacology, 57(7-8), 579-589.
Mel Robbins. (2024, November 21). Dr. Gabor Maté: The Shocking Link between ADHD, Addiction, Autoimmune Diseases, M Trauma [Video]. YouTube.
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