Annemarie Lombard, Author at Sensory Intelligence Consulting

Sensory Tips to Survive the Festive Season

This time of the year can be a connecting, magical, fun, overwhelming, frustrating, restful and hilariously crazy time! Today we want to give you some tips to survive the festive season, using your senses. We know that the December holidays can be a mixture of amazing and frustrating experiences. If you live in Cape Town, traffic definitely increases exponentially and a 10-minute drive can take you an hour. Last-minute shopping might have you dashing to the mall, along with thousands of others, navigating your way through Christmas decorations and Jingle Bell songs. If you have children you will find that they are picking up on the festivities – which means more energy! We haven’t even mentioned the big F yet… FAMILY! Spending holidays with your family can be stressful at times.

All of the above might have you wondering how you are going to survive the festive season. Not to fear – we are here to share our TOP 3 TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FESTIVE SEASON, using your senses!

Our number one tip is: Remember to take a sensory break. All the sounds, smells, tastes, colours and movement of the festive season can overload your senses. Make sure you take 10 – 15 minutes every day to unwind and calm down. This break can be anything from taking a quick walk outside, closing your eyes and taking deep breaths, turning down the radio and driving in silence or any other sensory break you feel your body needs.
Our second tip is: Spend time in nature. Many of you will be going to the beach or camping near a mountain and this provides the ideal opportunity to get outside. Spending time in nature means you will probably walk, run or climb, which will use your movement systems to self-regulate. The silence of nature is also a great auditory break. And the natural colours give your visual system calming input. The importance of nature can not be over-stated. So whether this means a walk on the beach, or park run at Johannesburg Zoo – get outside!
Our third tip: Adopt an attitude of gratitude. If we focus on the things we are grateful for, we are less likely to become stressed and overwhelmed. We can literally change the pathways in our brains to improve well-being this season. Sitting in traffic because you left shopping too late? Be thankful that you have friends and family to get gifts for. Fighting over what’s to make for Christmas lunch? Be thankful for the delicious food that you have when others don’t. You can even take the next step and volunteer your time somewhere where you can give back to someone in need. Or donate old clothes and books to a place near you. Focusing on what you have to be grateful for, and giving back to someone less fortunate, is after all what this time of the year is all about.

Any more tips and ideas to share with us on how to survive the festive season? Let us know!

Do you want your own, personalised guide to well-being simply by using your senses? Find out more about our Sensory Matrix™ here.

The end of the year is synonymous with exam time. Whether a child is in grade 4 or in grade 12, exam stress is very real and very common. Children are under great pressure to perform and do well – these expectations placed on them lead to extra stress.

All learning and thinking skills are functions of the cerebral cortex, our thinking brain. Our thinking brain functions as the CEO of the brain, and it is where all learning, problem-solving, abstract thinking and memory recall happens. The ability of the thinking brain to function adequately is dependent on the adequate function of the sensory and emotional parts of the brain. If the sensory brain is overwhelmed and stressed, one has great difficulty maintaining emotions and anxiety takes over. When the sensory brain is overwhelmed, the ability to think in a rational and clear way is compromised.

The ability to self-regulate and stay calm is vital to being able to cope with the pressures of exams. The following strategies will go a long way to helping the children in our lives cope with exam stress:

When studying, take a break every 30 – 45 minutes. Breaks must be taken away from the desk.
Encourage your child to take a movement break, or to maintain regular sport participation.
Maintain a healthy eating plan. Provide healthy snacks during studying periods such as nuts, carrots, apples, popcorn and pretzels. Crunchy snacks will provide alerting sensory input while the child sits at the desk to study.
Avoid sugary eats and drinks.
Encourage your child to keep a bottle of cool/cold water at the desk.
Allow your child to decide where and how he or she works best – encourage them to keep their working area clutter-free.
Ensure that there is enough natural light in the room.
Allow for them to make the sensory accommodations that they need to stay focused and alert, e.g. listening to music or wearing headphones to block out distracting sounds and having fidget tools to help focus.
Maintain a healthy and regular sleeping pattern. Get up and go to sleep at regular times. A minimum of 8 hours of sleep is recommended in order to give the brain and body time to rest. Sleeping is when the brain consolidates all the information that has been learned.

Let’s make exam time easier for our children, and let’s help them realise just how capable and resilient they are.

Get to know the sensory strategies to keep your mind calm by completing your Sensory Matrix™.

Author: Annemarie Lombard

Use your Senses and Keep Calm

Keep it calm during exam time

Who has benefited