Wellness Archives

My husband and I appear to be pretty similar. We are both tall, skinny and have easy-going temperaments. There are however some very distinct differences between us. These can most clearly be seen in our underwear drawers.

Opening my husband’s underwear drawer you will find neatly folded, colour coded undies in orderly piles. There is also a specific rotation procedure in place, ensuring that all undies are worn systematically. Opening my underwear drawer, chaos is unleashed. There is no order, there is no colour coding and there is certainly nothing resembling neat piles.

Are one of us right and the other one wrong in our approach to underwear orderliness?

Nope, we just have different sensory thresholds. My husband has a low visual threshold meaning that he functions optimally with minimal visual input and may become easily overwhelmed by visually chaotic and cluttered environments. I, on the other hand, have a high sensory threshold. I thrive on an abundance of visual input. Give me colours, give me shapes, give me visual variety.

So what happens when you are in a relationship with someone with a different sensory threshold to you?

Well, it can sometimes create subconscious stress and lead to a fight or flight response. Fight or flight refers to the physiological changes that our bodies undergo in response to stress. This includes an increase in blood pressure, accelerated heart and lung function as well as suppression of the immune system. On a subconscious level, the brain of a low threshold individual may feel threatened when exposed to certain sensory input. The brain responds to this potential ‘threat’ through a stress response. This response prepares the body to ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ (i.e. run away). You can imagine the negative impact on our day-to-day functioning if one is constantly experiencing underlying stress in response to sensory stimuli in the environment. Practically, this response can lead to irritation and frustration which, in a relationship, has the potential to result in conflict.

Before I had insight into my husband’s sensory threshold, I thought he was sometimes just a big old grump! He would be moody about things that did not even register on my radar. What I realise now, is that he is not choosing to be a grump. Instead, his body is undergoing a response to the sensory input in the environment, which he has no control over. This is a subconscious reaction and not a conscious one.

What helped me come to this realisation was when we both completed and compared sensory assessments. Suddenly we developed a whole new understanding and respect for each other. We now better understand our sensory differences and similarities. We have also come to know and respect each other’s sensory needs and sensory stressors.

Practically, what does this mean?

Well, in our case, when I sort our underwear from the laundry. I make sure that his undies are neatly folded, colour coded and in orderly piles. I also comply with the strict undies systematic rotation procedure. This keeps my husband happy; which in turn keeps me happy. And, I guess this keeps his undies happy too.

If you want to know what is driving your underwear drawer organisation, complete your Sensory Matrix™ self-assessment…

By Karen Potgieter

A while ago, a new catchphrase started doing the rounds, namely that ‘sitting is going to be the next smoking’. And the more I think about it, the more I have to agree – unfortunately! We all know that smoking is bad for our health. It’s been linked with cancer, long-term lung disease and heart disease to name but a few. Smoking is thought to be the greatest cause of preventable death in the world. So can sitting really be as bad for us as smoking?

What is so bad about sitting anyway?
Experts are describing inactivity as one of the biggest challenges in health. A sedentary lifestyle has now been linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancers, obesity and poor mental health. Sitting for more than 4 hours each day has been shown to slow the metabolism and affect the way the body controls blood pressure, sugar levels and the breakdown of fats. Unfortunately, the effect is also found in people who class themselves as fit (such as those getting regular exercise), if they also spend long periods of time sitting.

Is sitting bad for business?
Sitting for too long (more than 4 hours a day) is bad for business too. As well to the cost of absenteeism due to sickness, prolonged sitting reduces productivity and performance too. When we sit for long periods of time, our level of alertness drops. As this happens, our efficiency takes a downward slide. Workers who use sit-stand workstations claim to be more alert, task-driven and positive. They also report higher energy levels, especially in the afternoon.

What Can You Do?

Here are just a few ideas to cut back on prolonged sitting, and improve productivity at the same time:

Have a regular break, get up and move about at regular intervals throughout the day. I set the alarm on my phone to go off every 30 minutes for a quick movement break
Try standing or walking meetings, these help to keep meetings short and efficient
Build movement into the day; for example, a lunchtime walk, taking the stairs or walking between meetings
Invest in a standing desk, or a sit-stand desk, so that you and your team can spend time standing each day

So, is sitting worse than smoking?
The number of people smoking has shown a steady decline. In 2013 it was estimated that less than 20% of the UK population smoked, the lowest level in 80 years. A survey by the British Heart Foundation found that 45% of women and 37% of men spend less than 30 minutes a day up on their feet. Almost 80% of office workers feel they spend too much time sitting down.

So while sitting may not be as ‘bad’ for you as smoking, there are certainly a lot more of us doing it! Let’s get creative about activities at the office!

By Tania Barney, a registered Occupational Therapist with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC), UK. Professional qualifications: B App Sc (OT), M App Sc (Health Sciences), University of South Australia.

Category: Wellness

The underwear drawer

Is sitting really the new smoking?