Year: 2018

Hearing is one of our primary senses and our ears are constantly switched on – day and night. We live in a world filled with constant sounds filtering through our homes and offices. Household appliances and office equipment add to the ever-present hustle and bustle of daily life. Our hearing is important in order to communicate, interact and learn about what is happening. But the thing is, it is not a sense that we are able to switch off, even when we are asleep. Think of how often a strange noise will wake you up in the middle of the night.

There is a growing body of research that confirms that the right music, at the right time, can be both healing and soothing. Dr Alfred Tomatis was a pioneer in identifying the physiological ways of listening and hearing. Currently, there are many references to the benefits of therapeutic listening.

Whether a person has a high or low tolerance for noise, music is the one thing we have to calm an overwhelmed and overloaded auditory system. Each person has his or her preference to what works for them, but it is widely accepted that those with low thresholds to sound should choose music that will calm and organise the brain for functioning.

Think of Mozart, Gregorian chants and that beautiful soft music one hears when going to the spa. It immediately takes you to a different place. Then on the other spectrum, think of the music played in gyms and how that adds to the way in which one works out.

If you are a person with a low threshold to sounds in your environment, the following avoiding strategies can be used to help you:

• Wear earplugs to reduce sounds.
• Wear headphones and listen to calming music.
• Avoid noisy environments such as busy shopping malls during peak times.
• If in your own office, close the door to reduce noise from outside.
• Close windows to reduce outdoor sounds.
• Put a carpet on the floor.
• Turn down the volume of the television or radio.
• Take a quiet/time-out break – identify a quiet area that helps you relax and get away from the noisy environment.
• Lower the amount of noise during busy times – switch off or mute your telephone, lower the volume of the radio or television.

If you are a person with a high threshold and tolerance for sounds and thrive on having sounds when working, then the following strategies will work for you:

• Music, music and more music
• Audiobooks
• Social gatherings and discussions
• Humming, whistling and singing
• Having the radio or television on
• Reading out loud
• Attending a concert or live show

Music is a powerful tool – we all have that list of songs and music that makes us feel good about ourselves and the world we live in. Kahlil Gibran wrote that “music is the language of the Spirit, It opens the secret of life, bringing peace, abolishing strife”.  Go on, download your favourite pieces of music and turn the volume to what is best for YOU!

Find out whether you have a low or high threshold for sound:
Do our FREE Sensory Quiz™ for a quick summary, or
Do a Sensory Matrix™ for a comprehensive 26-page report and get an overview of all your sensory thresholds, with tips and strategies on how to live a happy, healthy and productive life!

Imagine yourself walking barefoot in a lush, green garden. The sun is shining warmly on your back and there is a gentle breeze teasing your hair. Now imagine the feeling of soft, moist grass between your toes … Or you’re on holiday, and after a dip in the ocean you walk back to your towel with sand squishing through your wet toes and sticking to your feet.

What did you feel reading the above?  AHHH …. or ARGH!!!

• AHHH ...
  Is the first thing you do when you get home to take off your shoes? Do you love the dirt on your feet when you walk outside and love the feeling of your skin touching the earth beneath you? You are probably one of the 45% of people who love to walk barefoot! You are also probably sensory seeking in your tactile (touch) system.
• ARGH!!!
  Do you wear gloves while gardening, or doing the dishes?  Do you dislike it when your hands get dirty?  Then you might be one of the 55% who is sensory sensitive and tend to avoid getting your skin into contact with different textures.

How do we know this about you?
We are specialists in understanding human sensory systems. And by understanding your sensory system we can also tell a bit about you…

• For instance the way you manage stress, and
• How you respond to change in your environment, or
• What you like to do in your free time.

Our sensory systems mainly fall into the 2 categories mentioned above – sensory seeking or sensory avoiding. This is true for all our senses; smell & taste, visual, auditory, touch and movement. It is important to understand each of your own sensory systems because it affects so many areas of your life:

• It might affect your relationship if one partner is sensory seeking and one is sensory sensitive. Maybe you want to spend the evening quietly at home with a book, and your partner wants to invite the whole family for dinner, or go to a noisy nightclub!
• It can affect your parenting style and understanding of your children. You might get completely overloaded when your children run around and talk too much, or when they love being dirty and playing outside and you don’t!
• It even affects your workplace, what your ideal seating position in the office is, what kind of job works well for you and how you communicate with your colleagues.

Our sensory system is the cornerstone of how we interpret the world. Isn’t it time you find out what your senses are trying to tell you?

1. If you would like to learn more about your own sensory assessment, do our short FREE Sensory Quiz™.
2. For a comprehensive 25-page report with tips and strategies on how to reduce stress and live a productive, healthy and happy life visit Sensory Matrix™.
3. For a 1-on-1 coaching session, we can put you in touch with one of our licensed practitioners.
4. For team-building with a difference, contact us here.

We really look forward to hearing from you!