Week 4: Sensory Processing
Senses processing describes how your body gathers information from both your surroundings and your internal physical state. It acts like a translator, converting external signals such as light, sound, or touch into a language of electrical pulses that your brain can process and act upon.
Sensory processing differences happen when your brain’s "translator" has trouble organizing the electrical messages it receives from your body and the environment. Because the brain isn’t sorting these signals effectively, it can result in three distinct patterns:
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Over-responsiveness: Your brain turns the volume up too high on every signal, making common environments feel overwhelming.
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Under-responsiveness: The translator barely registers the input, so you might not notice things that others find obvious.
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Sensory seeking: Your system is looking for more "data" and actively hunts for intense input just to feel balanced.
Essentially, the signals are being detected, but the way your brain interprets and acts on them is just tuned to a different frequency.
There are many tools that can help your brain with organizing input if you are experiencing sensory processing differences. Noise-canceling headphones reduce auditory overload in busy environments. Fidget tools provide proprioceptive input during stressful moments. Understanding your own sensory profile, which inputs you seek out and which ones overwhelm you, can make a real difference in managing daily comfort and focus.
Why Use A Fidget
Figet toys can help ground you and allow for focus with the hyperactive body when feeling overwhelmed with the sensory inputs occuring around you. Diget toys can help with:
- Reducing Anxiety
- Reducing Stress
- Improves Focus
- Supports Regulation
- Improves Overall Wellness
Campus Fidget Guide
| Campus Location | Sensory Goal | Recommended Fidget | Why it Helps |
| Large Lecture Hall | Focus & Discretion | Fidget Ring or Roller Chain | These are silent and look like jewelry or a keychain. They allow for repetitive motion without distracting your neighbors or the professor. |
| Quiet Library | Calm & Grounding | Tactile "Zen Strips" or Calming Stickers | These adhesive strips have a rough, sandy texture. You can stick them to your laptop or phone case and rub them for sensory input without making any noise. |
| Coffee Shop / Dining Hall | Filtering Noise | Therapy Putty or Kneadable Eraser | If the environment is loud, squeezing or pulling putty provides a heavy "proprioceptive" (pressure) input that can help your brain feel more grounded against the noise. |
| Study Group | Active Alertness | Fidget Cube or a noise of your preference | When you need to keep your brain "awake" during a long session, these provide multiple clicks, flips, and spins to keep your hands busy while your mind works. Try white noise or brown noise in your headphones to focus sound! |
| Walking Between Classes | Energy Release | Squeeze Ball or "Boinks" | If you have "restless" energy after sitting in class, using a squeeze ball while walking helps release physical tension before your next sit-down session. |
| Laboratory / Lab Bench | Stress Relief | Parafilm or Lab Putty | In a lab setting, simple items like a piece of Parafilm can be stretched or folded in your pocket to provide a discreet sensory outlet during long procedures. |
Make yourself a tool kit of your favorite figets to keep in your bookbag so you can use them anywhere, anytime!
Want to Learn More? Check Out These Resources!
Creating-Sensory-Toolkits-for-Adults.pdf
What Is Sensory Processing and How Does It Work? - ScienceInsights
Fidgets: How They Help ADHD, Anxiety, OCD and More
Fidget Toys: What Are They and How Can They Help Children and Adults? | Brown University Health