Handling Work Environments

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I'm curious if anyone has practical tips for handling sensory stimulation at work. Unfortunately, I'm in a work environment which is not ideal, at the moment. Lots of noise, lots of light, lots of interruptions. I'm interested in hearing from people who have dealt with the same, and how you coped until finding something better suited for you.

What type of environment is it (office, manufacturing, retail, etc.) and what type of work do you do?

I know that in the past when I have been in office environments with an open floor plan, silicone earplugs, which can be a little more discreet than the colorful foam ones, and listening to instrumental music on noise cancelling headphones was helpful up to a point. Having to try to take them off and switch gears each time the phone would ring or someone would come over to talk could be frustrating, though.

The only things that I found to be consistently helpful were altering my work hours (volunteering to "take one for the team" and work 10-7 for a program that needed some evening coverage) in order to have some quieter time in an empty office after everyone had left and trying to get out for a quick walk every day over lunch to decompress. But, I realize these might not be options. The way it seems like a lot of employers are trying to do more with less these days, I know even taking quick breaks can be hard.

Also, when I was in a position where I had direct reports, I had one who was very social and interrupted me constantly, mostly just to chat. Initially I wanted to be available and approachable as a supervisor, but later resorted to scheduling designated "check-in" meetings and having set office hours when she could drop by when she needed, as opposed to just keeping my office door open and being available all the time. That helped at least a little with the constant interruptions.

Not sure if any of that is helpful or relevant to your situation, but I hope you can keep your chin up. I've been working from home since the start of the pandemic, but have a new boss who'll be starting on Monday and am *really* hoping this guy doesn't arbitrarily decide to make me come back to the office everyday. Working from home can be lonely (when you're like me and live alone, anyway), but some work environments really can be exhausting. Especially if you have a bad commute to boot.

Thank you, blueroses. You've been very helpful on this site. I work for an adult day program for people with autism and intellectual disabilities. I have a private office overlooking a warehouse-style work floor.

The lights on the floor have a sensor, which is okay. They feel brighter in my office. I think prescription sunglasses would be good, and I may just have to endure others finding that weird.

I've considered earplugs, but worry they will be useless due to regular interruptions. I'll have to think about this.

Unfortunately, I can't alter my hours or work from home (though I do prefer keeping work and home separate).

Your advise is good, but unfortunately some does not apply. My commute is easy, at least. It may be time for other work, anyway, but I'll consider my options and your advice. I do at least live alone, which is some respite. Thank you, again

Yeah, there is definitely something to be said for keeping work and home separate, especially when working long hours. For my current situation, the pros of working from home outweigh the cons, but at times I really envy people who can leave work at work and just go home.

Would something like Transitions lenses be an option you'd feel less self conscious about vs the sunglasses? Just throwing out suggestions, but good luck until you can find another position, if you decide to look.

Hi HL,

TLDR warning

(OH wow, I just embarrassed myself seeing the other responses lol -- go easy on me, I'm sick) ...

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time with sensory issues. I can definitely relate! I didn't have any adaptive accommodations when I was working and it led to me having a nervous breakdown where my adrenal system collapsed from repetitive stress. I can tell you with certainty, the stress of sensory overwhelm at work was more damaging to my health than the general stress of being an autistic, single parent or leaving the house for 40-70 hours / week.

Here's what I wish I had known:
Everyone has a right to accommodations in the workplace, whether that person is diagnosed with a specific "label" or not. If light is bothering you, your GP or even your optometrist can write a recommendation for alternative lighting. The fact you work with autistic clients is even more promising because I assume your superiors understand sensory overwhelm, or the wide range of accommodations required for people with special needs.

I'd recommend that you contact an Occupational Therapist. They can test you for Sensory Processing Disorder and identify your specific issues. They can even go to your workplace to make suggestions about ergonomic / sensory adaptations. I'm not working anymore but I have extreme photophobia, even indoors at home with natural daylight. My OT helped me to find a Developmental Optometrist who specialises in light sensitivity and coloured lenses, primarily for autistic people with SPD.

You might have heard of Irlen lenses which come in a variety of colours to make indoor lighting and daylight / sunlight appear more tolerable, reducing eye strain, meltdowns, shutdowns, and nausea. Apparently the testing process of "Irlen" is a bit of a scam, but I ended up getting something similar to their lenses. My optometrist had a big book of colours I could try, and each colour came in a lighter or darker shade. I took a book and my laptop so I could see which felt most comfortable. I think they had pink, purple, blue, green, grey, yellow, beige, and possibly something reddish - but I can't quite remember. I ended up getting four pairs of glasses

1) Book Readers (close up) that have the darker shade of blue lenses - they look fairly blue to onlookers, but to me I can't tell they're blue. Reading books and "just existing" in my house is a lot easier with the blue lenses. They're just enough to tone down white and daylight, without making anything look blue. The pages of my books are a lot less stark and I don't get headaches when reading.

*Note this isn't the same as the "blue blockers" that can also be added to lenses, reducing computer glare. I actually have both - blue blockers on blue lenses.

2) Progressive indoor glasses (book readers on the bottom, mid-distance readers on top e.g., for computer reading or TV). These lenses are in the lighter shade of grey. I love them. I like them better than my blue ones but I'm not sure why? Everything looks equally comfortable and white is less harsh. I can't tell what the difference is, but somehow my brain likes the grey ones better than the blue ones.

*These also have blue blockers for computer glare.

3) Daytime sunglasses for driving (book reader at the bottom so I can read my phone / car dashboard, and long-distance at the top for driving). These are a special shade of brown that works for me rather than just random sunglasses.

* These are polarised and have a coating that stops shiny sunlight glare on chrome bumpers -- one of my pet peeves when I'm driving in the sun.

4) Night time driving glasses (clear colour so I can drive in the pitch dark, but with book reader at the bottom and long distance at the top).

* Also polarised with night glare reduction so that bright brake lights and headlights don't blur, distort, or make me want to die in a fiery yet intentional crash.

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Whether you need a prescription or not, any of these colours can help you and they won't look like you're wearing sunglasses at work. I know quite a few Americans who get a tint called FL41 which looks pinky-brown. They swear by this colour. It wasn't available where I live but you might want to check it out.

Companies that sell coloured lenses for people with SPD include Irlen, TheraSpecs, and Avulux.

Here's Avulux:

https://avulux.ca/pages/how-avulux-work ... n1EALw_wcB

This is just to give you an idea how it works. Any Optometrist or Developmental Optometrist should be able to order tinted lenses to suit your needs.

Re: Noise - I have misophonia and I go nuts from everyday noises. I'd recommend small noise-cancelling earbuds. Some of them have a little switch you can move to adjust the volume in different settings or when you talk to people. I don't use them myself but I've also heard good things about Eargasm (a silicone plug often used by autistic or sensory-averse people).

I tried the reactive ones once in a shop. They bugged me because they were too slow at changing. If I came indoors from out, I couldn't see for about 20 seconds. If I went outdoors from in, I was blinded. Also the colour that they changed to didn't feel right for me. I've also heard that they tend to be very pale tints so that the transition is easier to achieve and takes less time.

I guess everyone's different though. It might be an option.