Overcoming Sensory Overload
By Claire Watson
What is it, and how might students manage this difficulty and get the most from their college experience?
College, while for many a milestone experience, can also be incredibly stressful and overwhelming. As an academic and social space, there’s a lot of pressure on students to perform to the best of their ability. Burnout is something we see on campus nearly everyday. It’s a form of physical and emotional exhaustion as a result of overworking oneself, and it can often lead to increased anxiety and depression. For a lot of students, there’s another issue that student life simulates, and that’s sensory overload.
What is Sensory Overload?
Sensory overload can affect us all, but it can be momentarily world-shattering to neurodivergent people, such as those with autism, ADHD, and PTSD. So, we have our five main senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. You’re in a lecture, laptop or notebook ready, when someone behind you has a squeaky chair. Everytime they move, which seems to be a lot, there’s the most ear-piercing sound overpowering everything else. Your lecturer is talking, but you can’t concentrate on their voice, only the squeaking. Your brain can’t handle this sudden input, and goes into panic mode. Maybe you’re in a study room, and a light starts flickering, people beside you are whispering incredibly loud, or someone’s just sprayed a whole can of the most eye-watering body spray you’ve ever smelt. Everyone can be annoyed by these things, but for those that experience sensory processing disorders, these supposedly “little” things can trigger an emotional response.
“Dealing” with it
We can often talk ourselves into mantras where we conclude that the issue is no big deal, and that it’ll pass, and we can get over it. We fail to recognise how important it is to be kind to ourselves and alleviate our stressors.
For people that experience sensory overload regularly, it can be helpful to determine trigger factors. This is easier said than done, but it can be useful to keep a journal, notepad, or even use the notes on your phone to record when and how you are triggered. Don’t try to do this when you’re in the middle of a panic attack, wait until you’re calm and use it as a reflective exercise to better understand yourself.
Often, removing the stressor is a possibility. Personally, I find sounds to be incredibly distressing, so I decided to invest in a pair of earplugs. Some people may find that listening to music may help drown out these triggering noises, but for others this just increases the impact of the trigger. If a person is the cause of the trigger, then we can politely ask them to stop what it is that they are doing, or to be mindful that what they are doing is upsetting another person. Making the people around you aware of your triggers can be a healthy way to establish boundaries that will help you in their everyday life, while also showing that you can trust someone to accomodate you. If someone refuses to respect your boundaries, then perhaps they aren’t someone you should be spending time with. When we can’t remove the stressor, however, that’s when it’s time to remove ourselves instead.
Of course this isn’t always possible, but there’s no shame in doing it when it can be done. It’s easy to worry that people will perceive this as rude, but there’s nothing rude about doing what’s best for yourself. It’s important to remember that no matter how intense the source of your overload is, you will be able to leave and care for your needs. Allow yourself to cancel or reschedule plans if you feel overwhelmed, and learn to make accommodations for yourself. Even if you can’t leave a lecture, a shift, or a bus ride early, you will eventually be somewhere you can relax and recover.
Safe Spaces
Once you’ve removed yourself from the situation, recovery is essential. If we keep moving from one trigger to another, these instances of stress go unresolved and pile on top of each other. This can then lead to burnout, and if you’re a student, chances are you’ve enough of that to be dealing with already.
Identifying safe spaces where you can go and alleviate this stress is an important part of caring for your needs. Perhaps it’s as simple as going home and climbing into bed. If you experience understimulation, perhaps talking it out with a friend is enough for you to recover. Stim-toys can be a great help in these situations, and while we see the trends of fidget cubes, fidget spinners and pop-its come and go, they are important tools that can help alleviate stress in these situations.
Across campus there are a few spots dedicated to being wind-down zones for students, and a few more spots that I’ve found to be safe-havens on those stressful days. For incoming students, I’d like to go through a few of these spots:
Calm Zone
The Calm Zone or An Ceantar Ciúin is a space designed for those who experience sensory overload, in particular (though not limited to) those with autism. The space was created as part of the Autism Friendly University Initiative. The Calm Zone is where the Old Bar once sat, and has been redesigned to include different spaces that can help students in a variety of ways
Open Plan Area: The room is equipped to keep noise levels low. There are different types of soft seating that can be moved by individuals.
Workshop Space: This space includes beanbags, and yoga mats. When not in use, the doors are open to serve as an extension of the open plan area. When the space is in use, the doors are shut to keep sound levels at a minimum. Workshops on well-being and stress management are delivered here.
Sensory Rooms: There are two sensory rooms in the calm zone. Students can adjust these rooms by deciding lighting levels, adding coloured lights, playing music, or by wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Sensory Room 1 can be used by several people at once. Here students can dim lights, and use the provided bean-bags to wind down. Sensory Room 2 is smaller and designed strictly for one or two people. Students can customise lighting in this room to fully meet their needs and stimulate the sensory experience they need.
Respite Rooms: Finally there are two respite rooms that can be booked by students who are registered with DSS. These rooms allow students to eat and rest in a calm environment. This space includes dim lighting and sound is kept low. These spaces are important for those with sensory issues, but also for those who experience migraines or epilepsy.
Sensory Garden
Behind the O’Rahilly Building, across from the Student Union Common room and Disability Support Services, is a small sensory garden. The garden has a small path with tall foliage providing a little bit of privacy.
Student’s Union Common Room
While not a sensory space, the common room allows students to wind down with some board games, video games, and tea and coffee. Events and activities are often held in this space, but in between these it can be a lovely, calm environment.
Chaplaincy
Across the road from the Student’s Union is the chaplaincy. This space is designed to let students wind down in between classes. There are opportunities for students to engage in reflection or talk to a Chaplain, but otherwise it is a quiet space where students are provided with tea, coffee, and some board games.
The Glucksman
While not an obvious sensory space, I have used the Glucksman a few times to take a breather when things get a little too much. Whether that’s just sitting on the benches outside, which are hidden from passers-by, or wandering through the gallery, it’s a quiet space away from crowds of people. Also, it’s a cool gallery.
It can be frustrating when sensory issues get in the way of college life. This is why it’s important that universities make accommodations for students, so that everyone has equal access to third-level education. UCC has done a great job and made campus accessible, though everyone plays a part in making the world a safe, accessible space for themselves and for others.