Managing Sensory Overload Issues

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I'll soon be starting a job, for which the commute which will involve a 20 minute walk alongside busy roads. The noise in particular is a big problem for me when it comes to my sensory issues. The job is a huge opportunity for me so I need to try my best to make sure it works out.

I've done a few "test runs" to see what will help me - one of these so far is wearing headphones (I don't have noise-cancelling ones yet, but just listening to music seems to give me something to focus on at least). Another is wearing comfortable clothes (or as comfortable as I can while adhering to the dress code for the job), and to ensure that I don't get too hot (the feeling of hotness seems to cause me big problems).

What sorts of things seem to help you all with sensory issues?

when possibly everyday after i have been up for more than 4-6 hours , always try to lay down for 20 mins. Seems to make a difference !. Doc wanted me to address stress by taking a tranquiler everyday.
And not just to go to sleep. But not fond of going through life tranquilized . And probably not a good choice if your driving ..

I think walking can be theraputic. i travel to different locations for my job and it's usually a good 1.5-2 hr commute via walking, bus, and trolley. my next week coming up is 2 mile walk both ways. with diet change, ive' lost 40lbs. but yeah music is amazing. I take my glasses off when it doesn't affect my work. I bring a fidget of some sort. sometimes i use a pencil with a fidgety eraser. the hard part is standing there while people pass by. i can't figure out the timing of seeing them from afar, looking away, then revisiting them with a smile. it's alike hours of awkwardness.

Sometimes I can find music a bit too over-stimulating when I'm out and about. If I'm on my way home, fine, I can unwind when I get there. But I try not to listen to music on my way to other places where I might be even more over-stimulated (or whatever). But I think a lot of people feel the opposite, that music or at least certain types of music can help calm them down at any time.

I got noise cancelling headphones a few months ago and I was not prepared for how amazingly calming they are and just how could they are at filtering out sound. But I don't always feel like wearing them, especially if it's hot since you're basically wearing ear muffs, and sometimes it's just not practical to carry them around. So I've also experimented a bit ear plugs that reduce the volume of sound but still allow you to hear clearly, i.e. for safety and to be able to speak with people without needing to take them out. The ones I tried are called Vibes and they're pretty good but not perfect. There's another brand I want to try called Loop ear plugs but they're kinda expensive so I'm just waiting until it feels long enough since I bought the last pair

The noise cancelling headphones have been a real life saver at times, though. Even at home, to filter out noisy neighbours. I'd never be without a pair now.

I always hear about these noise canceling head phones...every youtube channel and guru suggests them. Why not just turn the music up louder and then all headphones are noise canceling...I don't get it. If they canceled noise and I could walk in silence then maybe they would make sense but otherwise....headphones play music....anyways more to the topic- comfortable shoes, loose fitting clothing, focus on the cars/lights- I'm not even sure noise canceling headphones is a good idea seems like an easy way to get hurt- not being aware. I would suggest bone conduction headphones- listen to your music to help you stay positive or in a good state but you can also hear around you incase there is a car or pedestrian that puts you at risk. You could wear a beanie or headband or something similar as a method to soften the noise a bit. I don't think it's good to block it out entirely not in this day and age- cities are dangerous.

Good luck with your job! If clothes are an issue, maybe you could wear one set for walking and change when you arrive.

Headphones and music are my go to in crowded spaces, but I also find taking some time for myself at some point during the day to allow my senses to readjust after lots of input also helps. Best of luck with the job!

Earplugs with some silky smooth drone ambient or smoothed deep brown noise help very much as well as picking a less crowded route with as many green plants as possible. If there is no choice, I just focus intentionally and extensively on some patterns and details to not be overwhelmed by crowds and movement. Like I would seek for certain colour objects or shapes, or try to identify grander and non obvious patterns, or focus on vertical|horizontal axis objects\perspective, or figures/gaps between them and so on. Sometimes I even manage to go without earplugs when practicing this thing called "silence behind everything". It's basically a trainable skill, when you start off by noticing silence behind all sounds in your home, then focus on the silence on quiet streets and gradually raise the level of noise around you while still focusing on that silence. I wish I knew about it when I was younger it would've saved me so much nerves.
Comfy clothing also helps. One weird issue I had recently was that my summer sneakers were oo light. It felt like my legs wanted to float and fly away. I wanted to put some mteal in them to feel some weight but ended up just wearing another pair or sandals.