What Is Sensory Regulation?

Sensory regulation is managing sensory input from the environment I reside in to keep my nervous system functioning stable with minimal extreme fluctuations.

External environmental input includes light, visual information, noise and sounds, smells, touch, taste, spatial information and combinations of these.

Internal environmental input includes emotional states, psychological stress and trauma.

Everything is sensory input from the environment as it is all information my brain needs to filter, and if selected, processed and understood at multiple levels.

These mental processes constantly require energy and brain space, and decluttering the workspace is required for new information.

Sensory overload occurs when my ability to absorb new information is depleted (i.e., the tank is full) and my nervous system enters survival mode.

I feel irritated, unsettled, mood swings are frequent and my ability to manage stressors is diminished. My remaining energy gets utilised to survive.

This is the state of hyperarousal, and can lead to meltdowns (or a crash) if gone beyond the point of the extreme.

One effective way to sensory regulate is through unmasking. Neurodivergent masking can be read about here.

If interested in further content about sensory regulation, check out this video!