Sensory Systems 101

Last week I held 2 workshops. The first was “Managing Meltdowns” which talked about going through those high stress moments with your little one. The second was “The Science Behind Finding your Zen” which looked at your nervous system and yoga. In both workshops I got a lot of questions about your sensory systems. This is a topic I know deeply in my work as an occupational therapist. Early in my career, I really only thought about this in terms of my pediatric clients. But as I became a mom myself I could see my own sensory systems at play in everything I did. Read on to learn about your 5 senses (plus 3 more) and how they show up in kids and grownups!

We have the 5 senses we typically think of: sight, taste, touch, sound and smell. These are somewhat obvious, but the not so obvious part of these senses is we all have different thresholds. Meaning for some of us dinner at a loud and bustling restaurant is just right. And there are those of us who can’t reverse the car with the radio on (hi, it’s me). This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy going out to dinner, I do, but it is more work for my brain because of my nervous system’s particular settings. On the other hand, for people with high thresholds, sitting around and doing “nothing” can be sooooo hard. The stillness and the quiet doesn’t feel good to their body. Knowing yourself well can help you better prepare for all the different scenarios life throws at you.

We, as adults, can often cope, even when we are outside our comfortable settings. And when we know our nervous system well, we can make adjustments for more support. I work in a public school, which is a loud and bright place and then I go home to my children….who are also loud and like to be on top of me (lots of touch). My brain needs a break from taking in so much information, so I often drive home in silence to give my brain that space. When I do this, I am better able to engage with my kids and have fun. My husband has very different settings than me, he has much higher thresholds and needs those thresholds met to feel good. He tends to socialize more than I do, but I don’t take it personally when he wants to go out with friends instead of a quiet night at home. It has nothing to do with his feelings for me and everything to do with his nervous system settings.

Now let’s take this to our kids. For the most part kids spend the large part of their day at school. School is a loud and bright place (lots of one type of sensory input). School often involves a lot of sitting (another type of sensory input) and a lot of following directions (another type of brain function). Who is your child? Are they someone who likes to move a lot? Are they more sedentary in nature? Do they like being around lots of people or prefer to play independently? Did they get recess that day or was it raining?

There is no right or wrong way to be, we all have different thresholds. BUT knowing your child’s makeup will help you support them before and after school. This could look like doing homework right away (because transitions are super hard) OR moving via an obstacle course or outside time and homework later (because sitting still all day is super hard). Maybe while you do homework you build some movement in… Once you can see your child’s “settings” the ideas become endless.

The other shift that happens is empathy. If you have a child who is easily overwhelmed by sight and sound (which you might notice at things like parades, large family gatherings, birthday parties)…you have more empathy for how they show up after school. Their brains have been working allllllll day long at school to not only listen and follow directions, but to process all of that sensory information.

There are 3 other, lesser known, sensory systems that are super important. I am going to give the briefest of descriptions here.

Vestibular input:

You have organs in your inner ear that tell you about how your body is moving in space. Slipped on a piece of ice? Your vestibular system notices you are falling towards the ground and sets off a chain reaction in your body to keep you safe. Just like we said above, we all have different thresholds. My son has a much lower threshold for this type of input, he loves the swing but is very fearful of slides. My daughter has no fear of any height or slide and will voluntarily spin while dancing. They are both perfect as they are, but knowing this about them lets me support and parent them both in the different ways they need.

As an adult, I have a sensitive vestibular system. Things like getting on/off an escalator, riding in an elevator with glass doors and amusement park rides don’t feel “easy” for me. But with gentle input (like a yoga pose with my head facing down such as downward dog) I can get all the benefits of this type of input without feeling overwhelmed. My husband has a higher threshold. He loves roller coasters, loud music with lots of vibration and his body is always in motion. Nothing wrong with either one of us, but knowing this informs our self care routines and understanding of each other.

In general this is a sensitive system, so all of my recommendations with clients (kids and grownups alike) tread cautiously.

Proprioceptive Input:

This is input to your joints and muscles, in general for most people it makes us FEEL GOOD. In my 15 + years as an occupational therapist I have never seen someone get too much proprioceptive input. The easiest way to get this type of input for any age? Move your body and pick up something heavy. I love going on walks, my entire business idea came after going on a 15 minute walk with ankle weights. Do your kids ever want to carry your water bottle (even though they have their own), I bet your's is a bit heavier….they are seeking some of this input (without even knowing it). Are you someone who HAS to exercise or you just don’t feel the same…that is this system at play.

Now think about your day, your kids day, your partners day… How much of this type of input are you really getting? How does that impact everyone and their moods at dinnertime? Do I love that my son walks around constantly at dinner, no. Do I understand that he has sat all day in school and his body NEEDS to do this, yes. Knowing this also makes it more motivating for me to get my kids outside after school (pre dinner) to move those bodies (and my own!).

Interoception:

Am I hungry, tired, or cold?? These are the questions this system answers. “Am I dysregulated?”, is an even bigger question this system answers. One of the most common nervous system red flags to me in adults is when someone says they consistently forget to eat. This is different than not eating because of external circumstances or choosing to skip a meal, this is literally not noticing. To me it means your nervous system and your body are not in communication. This is a skill my kids are still learning to monitor. What does this look like? We go from being too busy playing to stop and eat to being entirely starving in what feels like three seconds. My role as their parent (and someone with a more mature nervous system), is to show them what paying attention to their body and their body’s cues looks like!

This is a suppppppper quick explanation, but this information is so useful when trying to take care of yourself and your family. Your body and brain will be processing sensory input all day long no matter what. The power in knowing this information is that you can be proactive in getting your senses both what they need and helping them recover when things have gotten to be a bit much. The result? A brain and body that feels safe and ready to have fun and enjoy all the things!