Sensory Informed Design (SID) to increase wellbeing and productivity of an exhausted post-pandemic workforce should be our next priority. Trauma informed design (TID) is already a growing and brilliant field utilized in workspace design. The workplace shapes us, knowingly or unknowingly. It evokes emotions (anxiety vs boredom) sensory experiences (triggering vs regulating) social opportunities (inclusivity vs exclusivity) and contributes to…
Dual awareness from a sensory perspective is all about the impact our internal sensory wiring has on the external work environment, and vice versa. There is a constant eb and flow between the world and our internal levels of arousal. 11 million sensory messages bombard the brain per second, and this can either be triggering or regulating. A fact which…
I am back at the piano, for the first time in 27 years! I closed my gr8 books following a traumatic final exam, never to touch the black and white keys again, until last week. Granny Ida’s beautiful heirloom Babygrand’s silent accusations forced me to take action. I can already play ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘When the Saints’. Humbling, hilarious, but…
The IEB Matric results have blown me away! Huge congratulations go out to all learners, teachers, parents, and wider support structures, as this is always a team effort of gigantic proportions. I hope you are celebrating in style. Learning consists of 3 (equally important) processes: 1) registration of information/input 2) processing/orientation of information, and 3) reproducing; also referred to as…
It is easy to reach flow when we participate in our favourite activities, which in the Southern Hemisphere, we will finally have more time for during summer break. It is much harder though when having to complete mundane tasks like typing up performance ratings or finalizing administrative duties. We can however achieve ‘micro-flow’ by adding an extra enjoyable layer to…
Many of us are at breaking point this time of the year. To stay resilient, amidst great adversity, is a life-long process of growth and increased self-awareness. The strategies below assisted me in ‘bending’ – back in 2014 – when I was sure that ‘breaking’ was inevitable: Bottom-up Sensory Practices * unplug daily / digital detoxes * listen to restorative…
High sensory threshold individuals simply need MORE – more action, more vibe, more buzz, more variety, more excitement, etc. in order to feel calm yet alert; fully energized and engaged. If work environment and responsibilities are too mundane and predictable, productivity and job satisfaction may decrease.
The 6 M’s to relax, rest and digest. 5 of these are do-able on a daily basis.
The Future of Work Trends (HBR) – My take as a sensory integration specialist:
The workshops are: 1) ingenious 2) based in science 3) relevant and relatable 4) the “why” behind workstyle and optimal work environment 5) practical, easy-to-implement, non-threatening 6) productivity tool 7) incredible team-builder