Toolkit

These are some of the tools that that we and our contributors find helpful in supporting our health and wellbeing:-

Chairs: rocking, spinning, any chair that helps with regulating through movement while sitting.

Essential oil roll-ons: these can be great for travel when you find the smells of other people, traffic fumes and food overwhelming. Flo likes to multitask by using oils for travel sickness on her wrists when she is travelling by bus.

Fidget or stim devices and toys: colouring books, fidget spinners, fidget cubes, lego magic sand, origami, playdoh… Rhi likes to make her own jewellery with lines of beads she can roll between her fingers and also uses crepe paper rubbed between her fingers as a tactile stim. There are many options out there, and whether you are a visual, audial or tactile stimmer, there will be something for you.

Noise reducing headphones: both of us find these indispensable when travelling. By filtering out unnecessary sounds around us we are able to focus more, and experience less anxiety and exhaustion. Flo also wears hers at the cinema; she can hear the film just fine but her ears hurt less when she uses them.

Sleep or relaxation apps: some people find these indispensable for creating calm in otherwise chaotic environments, for napping or for getting to sleep at night. Good apps give you the option of removing narrators’ voices and choosing the balance you want between music and nature sounds.

Google Street View: For checking out places before you visit and working out where you can park and where the doors are. This sort of technology can really make visiting new places easier

Calendar apps and reminders: Having something in your pocket to remind you when you need to be somewhere is great. Rhi likes to set up multiple reminders so that she has plenty of time to prepare for a change of routine; one the day before, one the morning of the change, and then one or two nearer the time to make sure she is where she needs to be.

Sunglasses or tinted glasses: sunglasses can be great for indoors too, particularly if you find light contrasts or florescent lighting problematic. Tinted glasses are also worth looking into if you are dyslexic or dyspraxic; the right tint for you might help with visual tracking challenges, such as when words appear to vibrate on the page.

Weighted blankets: some people swear by them. They provide pressure which can help both for sleep and for general calming.

If you have a tip that we haven’t included then please do let us know, so that we can include as many things that people find helpful, as possible.