The SENSES

Strategies for Coping and Calming

The Body-Mind Connection

Our senses can be used to help us

relax and to calm down; they can be used to make us more alert, and
they can also be used to help us feel more organized and in tune with
our body. Sensory preferences are very individual, what calms one
person may irritate another. Sensory input is especially helpful when
our brain is not helping us out, for example when we are upset,
distracted, stressed out, or ill. I call this the Body-Mind Connection as
opposed to the Mind-Body Connection.

Examples
Here are some examples that you could use if you were feeling stressed
out (calming) or in need of some pepping up (alerting). Sensory activity
examples are provided for both the external senses: taste, smell,
vision, hearing, and touch and also for the internal senses that are less
familiar to some people: oral motor sense, proprioception (joint and
muscle sense), deep pressure touch, and the vestibular or balance
sense.

Smell
Calming: Soothing scented candle
Alerting: Strong perfume
Taste 
Calming: A cup of mint tea
Alerting: A glass of fresh lemonade

Oral Motor
Calming: Sucking on a sweet lollipop
Alerting: Sucking on a lime popsicle

Vision
Calming: Watching fish in an aquarium
Alerting: Looking at blinking lights

Hearing
Calming: Listening to a relaxation tape
Alerting: Listening to a rock concert

Touch
Calming: Having a massage
Alerting: Being tickled

Proprioception
Calming: Doing Yoga
Alerting: Brisk walking
Vestibular Sense
Calming: Rocking slowly in a rocking chair
Alerting: Dancing around the room

Internal Senses Are the Powerhouses for Calming

The internal senses are the real powerhouses for calming people down.
Input from these senses can be used to calm people when they are
about to lose control - when they are angry or upset. For example if
someone you know is very agitated you could suggest they lie down for
a while with a heavy quilt for a cover (deep pressure touch). If your
partner comes home from work irritated and frustrated you could
suggest trying going out for a jog or using the exercise bike
(proprioception). If your elderly parent is anxious you could suggest
using the glider chair on the porch (vestibular input).

Self-regulation through the Senses for Ourselves and

Patients
We use sensory input all the time to help us with self-regulation. Often
we intuitively use sensory input with infants or children. We swaddle or
hug a crying child. We rock a baby to sleep. We play active games
outdoors with children knowing they will sleep better. Unfortunately we
forget to use these sensory strategies for ourselves and for our
patients. These simple activities can be used to help calm a patient who
is manic, sooth an elderly person in pain, or calm an adolescent who is
on the verge of hurting someone. Calming sensory input is extremely
beneficial for patients with developmental disabilities and caregivers are
always grateful for having positive and soothing ways to deal with
agitation and maladaptive coping strategies such as self-harm. We are
finding that the right sensory input can even help to reduce the need
for restraints in mental health settings. Many behavioral problems
actually have a sensory component and understanding sensory issues
can be the first step in finding solutions for difficult behaviors.

Occupational therapists evaluate patients to determine if

there are sensory issues that are contributing to problems with
behavior, function, and comfort. They can help the person or caregivers
to develop a sensory "diet" specific to the needs of the patient that will
flood their systems throughout the day with helpful sensory input that
fosters emotional regulation and well-being.