People who stay curious are the best. The readers, and listeners and growers! The ones not afraid to evolve! If that’s you, you’re awesome and making the world better for your curiosity.
10:36 PM - Mar 07, 2023
When students go to school in a state of increased hyper vigilance because they are afraid of being killed by gun violence it makes learning more challenging and disruptive behaviors more common. That’s just basic neurological functioning. You can’t learn in a state of fight or flight. #dosomething
05:24 PM - Jan 04, 2024
When a person has a hypersensitive nervous system pets can be challenging. If a dog jumps unexpectedly or licks/ slobbers on them, their brain says- DANGER. If you love your pet It can feel offensive if a visitor doesn’t love your pet too. It’s helpful to remember the sensory system is reflexive.
04:04 PM - Sep 02, 2023
(Edited)
I hope the holiday season is a mentally safe for everyone out there but trauma statistics suggest it might be a hard time for at least 50% of the population. Know that if you set boundaries with unhealthy people there will be pushback -their life was better without boundaries. Do it anyway. ❤️
09:34 AM - Dec 23, 2023
Our teachers are facing the biggest behavior challenges they’ve ever had to teach in their classrooms. I’m not sure what exactly is happening (I have my theories), but it’s a crazy thing to see the dead canary in the coal mine. It’s no joke to say every teacher you know if worried about the future.
06:27 PM - Dec 09, 2023
I just put together a workshop for educators and it hinged on explaining the uptick in fight or flight behaviors in the classroom. About 50% of children experience the big-T traumas. Factor in the little-t traumas and holy moly- let’s just say it’s always best to assume EVERYONE is dealing with shit
05:42 PM - Nov 30, 2023
feeling stressed out about the upcoming holiday meal with family? make sure you get increased deep pressure (proprioception input) before the big event to help calm your nervous system. Go for an intense walk/ run, get in a workout with weights, have your SO smother you in hugs, get a massage.
01:04 PM - Nov 20, 2023
When we feel stressed out our body can become flooded with adrenaline, cortisol & glycogen fueling us into fight/ flight. The best and fastest thing we can do to metabolize that stress juice is exercise. Not only does it burn up the bad stuff, we get happy hormones in exchange. A brisk walk does it
08:30 PM - Nov 11, 2023
Remember holidays are hard for sensory sensitives. So much change and unpredictability! It’s stressful. Between Halloween- New Years, it’s ok to stay home under a big quilt if the alternatives are too much. Take care of yourself!
08:40 PM - Oct 24, 2023
When you have a fight or flight response your body is flooded with stress hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. Once you’re safe the fastest way to metabolized them out of your system is through exercise.
06:52 AM - Oct 19, 2023
I think it’s helpful to remember that fight or flight reactions occur when your nervous system interprets the situation you’re in as one that might kill you. It doesn’t matter if it’s logical to an outside observer. The brain has two jobs: keeping you alive and everything else.
01:34 AM - Oct 15, 2023
If interacting w/ someone & they say “stop yelling at me” & we say “I’m not yelling.” Who’s right? Both. A person’s perspective of what is happening is accurate based on the way volume, tone & expression are interpreted by their brain. “Highly Sensitive People” are especially susceptible to this.
01:17 PM - Oct 14, 2023
When you listen to music the auditory input actually triggers you neurologically to move! Athletes who always listen to music when working out know this! But if you’re looking for motivation to move- turn on the tunes! (This works for me and dreaded housework! )
06:07 PM - Oct 05, 2023
Why does our sense of smell take us back so childhood memories so quickly and powerfully? Smell is our only sense that does not go through a filtering/ relay station between the primitive and thinking brain (thalamus) and instead feeds directly to the limbic system (emotions and memory).
06:32 PM - Oct 02, 2023
Quick reminder- the brain has two jobs: keeping us alive and everything else. Surviving in this crazy world takes up a lot of our brains’ efforts. Almost all of how we respond to life goes back to a survival response. I like to repeat a mantra “I am safe” when my protective brain is off the rails.
10:00 AM - Sep 30, 2023
2 Threaded Spouts
What’s calming to the nervous system? Linear vestibular movement- back and forth. Feeling stressed? Get yourself to a rocking chair, glider, porch swing- heck find a swing on a playground! Back and forth, back and forth! And lots of breathing - in through the nose-out through the mouth = calm. ❤️
02:13 PM - Sep 24, 2023
Our sensory profile (how sensitive we are to the 8 different sensory systems) determines how aware we are to things around us. Sensory Sensitives have a low threshold so they quickly tune in to subtle changes around them, often predicting dangerous situations before other people.
07:17 PM - Sep 21, 2023
(Edited)
Our sensory profile (how sensitive we are to the 8 different sensory systems) determines how aware we are to things around us. Sensory Seekers have a high threshold so they often miss subtle changes around them. They often need things to be extreme to take notice.
07:14 PM - Sep 21, 2023
(Edited)
Today I heard on a podcast an interesting perspective that psychedelic drugs increase your interoceptive awareness and are more effective therapeutically for people who struggle with being connect to their bodies. Fascinating!
07:56 PM - Sep 20, 2023
Dogs are a great source of sensory input for humans. Sensory seekers love dogs-They jump and run! They provide lots of unexpected input but can also help calm us with lap snuggles. Taking your dog on daily walks or runs is a way to get calming proprioceptive input. Plus get outside is always good!
04:56 PM - Sep 17, 2023
In honor of Caturday: cats fill an important sensory need for us. They sit our laps=deep pressure =calming. We lovingly pet them= soft tactile input and rhythmic strokes=calming. They purr= vibration and low pitched= calming. They remind us to just sit and be and that’s enough= calming. ❤️ cats!
09:41 AM - Sep 16, 2023
Doing “new things” is an extra stress for our nervous system. Anything new and unfamiliar represents a potential threat. That’s why most of us are creatures of habit….unless you’re a sensory seeker and then new experiences are essential to keep your nervous system stimulated.
06:57 AM - Sep 08, 2023
I’ve been proclaiming for 10 years the power of the book, The Whole-Brained Child, to transform the way educators and parents respond to children. My administrator finally picked it up and read 1/2 the book in one night and said- “why is this not required reading for every parent and teacher?” Yes!
07:32 PM - Sep 07, 2023
When a person has a hypersensitive nervous system pets can be challenging. If a dog jumps unexpectedly or licks/ slobbers on them, their brain says- DANGER. If you love your pet It can feel offensive if a visitor doesn’t love your pet too. It’s helpful to remember the sensory system is reflexive.
04:04 PM - Sep 02, 2023
(Edited)
Being able to identify your feelings is first dependent on your interoception (awareness of your internal sensations). If you struggle to detect muscle tension, upset stomach, heart flutterings, etc - you might also have trouble identifying how you feel in a given situation.
08:04 PM - Aug 31, 2023
Know that it times of stress it’s natural for your sensory system to become extra sensitive. It’s a protective mechanism- your brain trying desperately to keep you safe from danger. Try “turning down” everything around you, get cozy, bury under blankets, cuddle a pet- and don’t forget to breathe.
06:54 PM - Aug 30, 2023
Sitting in a cafe and a door banging unexpectedly is making me crazy. My nervous system is practically screaming “danger!!” Meanwhile my partner doesn’t even notice this, but driving here a rattle in the car that I could ignore was bothering him. Our sensory profiles are what make us different!
02:19 PM - Aug 26, 2023
Transitions in life are hard because the unfamiliar represents a threat to our nervous system. Since our brain has two jobs- keeping us alive and everything else- survival takes precedent. The freak outs we feel in new situations are our brain trying to keep us safe.
12:44 AM - Aug 26, 2023
Are you and adventurous eater? I bet you’re a sensory seeker in other ways too. You have a high threshold for sensory experiences including tastes and smells!’
10:56 PM - Aug 21, 2023
Your vision sense is your predictive sense. You anticipate much of what’s happening in the world this way. Imagine if your vision is hypersensitive how that might set it your alarm bells more often, or if you’re less sensitive to visual input how you might miss dangers out in the world.
09:45 PM - Aug 18, 2023
You should know that going back to school for many of us includes “stop the bleed” in-services where we know learn to pack wounds and use tourniquets. (But our safety bags only include a few tourniquets that are designed for adults and not small children). This is America.
06:44 PM - Aug 14, 2023
