Why You Need to Know Your Sensory Needs

The right sensory diet can soothe, energize, and satisfy you

Aloha Lovelies,
I’ve been thinking a lot about my sensory experience. You may not know, but your sensory experience can calm your thoughts and emotions or send them into disarray.

A conflict in sensory needs can also cause distress in home, work, and social relationships. For example, your partner might love the sensation of speeding while you grasp the inner door handle, pleading with them to slow down.

Determining your sensory profile can benefit anyone because we all have different sensory needs. It can be particularly helpful if you struggle with emotional dysregulation, meaning your emotions get the best of you time and again.

According to occupational therapist Betty Lewin, we all have a unique sensory profile. Lewin says:

“…we all have our own sensory preferences, or a unique sensory profile. These preferences guide many of our day-to-day choices, like the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the music we enjoy, and the recreational activities to which we gravitate.”

You might be surprised to know that we humans have eight senses altogether:

1. Touch

2. Proprioception

3. Vision

4. Taste

5. Smell

6. Vestibular

7. Auditory

8. Interoception

Proprioception refers to your ability to sense movement, position, and balance without looking at your body or its parts. The vestibular sense involves your sense of balance and spatial organization. Interoception means sensing what is happening inside your body, such as hunger, thirst, or the need to urinate.

You can be sensory-seeking, sensory-avoidant, sensory-neutral, or mixed in any single sense mode, and your experience can differ from one sense to the next.

Sensory sensitivity can be pronounced in ADHD, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (commonly known as the Highly Sensitive Person or HSP), Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder.

I have a particular interest in this topic because I’ve had unique sensory needs since childhood:

• I hated roller coasters and resisted them as if my life depended upon it

• I wouldn’t eat mushy foods like creamed corn, and the smell of condiments made my stomach turn.

• I couldn’t catch a ball even if you threw it directly at me.

I didn’t “get over” my sensory issues as an adult. On the contrary, they became more evident and life-defining.

So, how do you assess your sensory profile?

I highly recommend this sensory needs quiz from marriage and family therapist Emma McAdams.

Here are a few examples from the quiz to get you started. 

For each of the following senses, do you seek or avoid each experience? Or do you feel neutral or have a mixed experience of it?

Touch

• Physical contact

• Surprise touches

• Food textures

Proprioceptive

• Sports 

• Weighted items

• Squeezing

Vision

• Shining objects

• Busy visual environments

• Attention to detail

Taste and Smell

• Exotic foods

• New tastes

• Unfamiliar scents

Vestibular

• Swinging

• Thrill-seeking

• Heights

Auditory

• Noisy places

• Loud music

• Noise making

Once you know your sensory profile, you can create a sensory diet that meets your needs. For example, you could use a weighted blanket, switch to loose-fitting clothing, or use noise-canceling headphones. You could turn the music up, display art on your walls, or enjoy aromatherapy.

For example, I live alone in a quiet neighborhood because I’m highly disturbed by loud sounds. I drive during low-traffic times so I don’t become overwhelmed by the sound, speed, and visual stimulation of heavy traffic. I stay away from unfamiliar scents, strong odors, and intense flavors.

I’m sensory-avoidant in most sense modes. But I enjoy gentle rocking movements and would love to own a rocking chair.

Understanding your sensory needs goes beyond pleasure alone. Sensory discomfort can lead to irritability, overwhelm, and fatigue. Thus, it pays to know your sensory profile and construct a sensory diet that meets your needs. It will be more enjoyable for you and everyone around you.

Do you know your sensory needs? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

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Until Next Time

I’m planning a leisurely weekend with rest and connection on the agenda. I hope you have a restful weekend, too.

Thanks for reading. It means a lot to me!

Much love and best wishes to you.

xo Sandra

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