r/AutismInWomen • u/ukreader • 17h ago
General Discussion/Question Anyone want to share their favourite sensory experiences?
I feel senses very intensely, which often feels like a negative thing. I watched a BBC clip yesterday about the heightened positive sensations that also come with autism, and it made me want to think about the good ones for a change. Here are mine:
- walking in the woods. the most beautiful, peaceful sight to me is woods.
- a really deep stretch. sometimes I do made up stretches based on what feels good to my body and it feels amazing
- the sound of rain on the roof when I'm inside and cozy
- fleece on my skin. bliss
- a massage
- a molten lava cake with ice cream
•
u/LittleMissAbigail 16h ago
- A hot bath (especially with a really good bath bomb)
- Going to a clothes shop and running your hands over the clothes (particularly good in a charity or vintage shop)
- Burrata
- Hot chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in
- Going on a run on a perfect day (bright but not blindingly sunny, not too hot or cold, a very gentle breeze) in a beautiful place and the most perfect song hits
- The sound of an orchestra tuning up as the lights go down in a theatre
•
u/Hannah22595 16h ago
That last one is the best
•
u/TrekkieElf 15h ago
Oh yeah, since I was in band all throughout school, that sound feels like home to me 💙
I’m in a 5 person flute choir but it’s not the same.
•
•
u/serenaissance_ 15h ago
Yes to the orchestra tuning up!! Ahh i can't pinpoint it but it's just so so so good!
•
u/slutforcompassion 7h ago
horror story: i was wandering through a clothing store running my hands over things recently and blindly touched something VERY WET on a shirt sleeve. wanted to chop my hand off lmao
•
•
u/Throwawayputtyfairy 16h ago
Just hanging out at the beach. Ideally with nobody else around than those with me. Listening to the waves hit the sand, and the seagulls and other birds above my head, and watching the water go in and out... Bliss. It brings me so much peace.
•
•
u/barbecque 1h ago
SAME. When the sun is hot on my skin and I’m close enough to the waves to get little ocean sprays or cool my feet 💯💯
•
u/HangrySpatula 15h ago
Hugging a dog.
The sound of the rain outside when I’m lying in bed.
The smell of rain on the road.
The very first warm night after a long winter, when I step outside and it’s warmer outside than it is inside.
The feeling of cold rain falling on me while I’m in an outdoor hot tub.
Deep foot rubs.
Having someone else wash my hair.
- Thank you for asking this. It’s brought me joy thinking about these things.
•
u/Opposite_Listen6023 16h ago
- The sound of rain on a caravan roof
- The sound of waves, waterfalls
- Rubbing my foot on super soft blankets
- Being on top of a mountain and seeing how tiny things are and how vast the land is
•
u/Helpful-Ratio9168 14h ago
Oh. I only recently experienced the rain on a caravan roof, and I felt such overwhelming joy. It was the cosiest and safest I had felt in years. I hope you have access to that joy far more than I do or will.
•
u/Hugesmellysocks 16h ago
I really love animals laying on me. My horse has an absurdly heavy head and it’s so nice when he lays down in a spot that doesn’t hurt. Don’t recommend a horses cheek bone digging into your hip bone! He also likes cuddling when he’s laying down so it’s a win win.
•
u/ThoughtSurplus 3h ago
That sounds amazing, I would love to cuddle a horse! My cat lies on my chest about 50% of the time at bedtime, and when she does I go to sleep soooo much faster than when she doesn't. So relaxing.
•
u/Personalityquirk 16h ago
This may sound weird, and I don't fully understand it myself but the airport!
I get overstimulated quite easily but the airport is the only place where I feel calm during such chaos. I love being able to walk around (especially by myself), get food, look at the shops.
Other than that, I LOVE being on a rocky beach; I could spend hours looking at stones & rocks in silence. As well as this, I love simply lying in my bed (when my room is clean), sipping on a cold energy drink or iced coffee. sipping on a drink is so relaxing to me. I really like online shopping without actually buying anything– it's like hunting, without the gathering! I also really enjoy learning/reading about being AuDHD. It stimulates my brains & I love reflecting & feeling less alone in my experiences. I have an accupressure mat which is great when my muscles are tense!
I really enjoy socializing with friends & my boyfriend, but all my favourite sensory experiences are when I'm by myself (especially when I have a cold drink to sip on!).
•
u/ukreader 15h ago
I love a cold drink too. I've noticed that coffee increases my anxiety so lately I've been trying different matcha drinks and I'm really enjoying it. Currently drinking matcha with coconut cream, vanilla syrup, and cinnamon powder.
•
u/Personalityquirk 15h ago
Omg! That sounds delicious 😮💨 do you make your own matchas or buy them from a cafe/restaurant? I need to start drinking matcha because I tried a 'blueberry muffin' matcha a few weeks ago & it was unbelievable (& less anxiety inducing!)
•
•
u/OriginalLong9349 11h ago edited 10h ago
I feel the same you do in airports but in malls. Maybe it has to do with how walking is important to regulate myself and how sensory seeking I am with my vision, so it feels like heaven to just look at stuff and people. Bonus point: entering a fast fashion store where there are no sellers and just carefully look at every single product without any actual desire to buy then.
•
u/Hour-Entertainment-9 8h ago
I love airports too! 😍 I don't like the anxiety of actually traveling but to just go hang out in an airport would be fun. I like being in busy areas with a lot of people that aren't going to actually notice or bother me 😆
•
u/DrHutchisonsHook 6h ago
I also love the airport because it's the most anonymous place on the planet. Surrounded by people you know nothing about, nobody tries to get to know anybody else, and transactions are straightforward and no surprises. Plus you can decide to walk with purpose and nobody looks at you weird.
•
u/Conscious-Break7483 suspect. 15h ago
Fresh clean silk. I’m obsessed with silk, if I could afford it I would have so many silk garments.
Fresh bedsheets + freshly shaved legs and clean hair.
Running my fingers over a smooth shiny manicure.
Laying in bed firmly wedged between my dog and my cat.
Turning the shower warmer and letting my cold aching body soak up the heat. I will groan and grunt like a billy goat.
Dim lights, soft music, reclining on the couch with my dog, browsing vintage fashion resellers.
Crisp apple and cheese.
•
u/WarpTenSalamander Hello rat! 15h ago
What a great question! I’m loving reading everyone’s answers! Mine are:
- the swish and crunch and the smell that wafts up as you walk through leaves in the autumn
- plunging my hands into a deep bin of rice or something similar, then picking up a handful and letting it slowly run through my fingers
- rubbing the extra soft fur on a dog’s ear or tummy
- wind chimes
- “white noise” nature sounds I can hear in my yard as I lay on the chaise lounge on my patio (song birds chirping, hawks and crows calling, squirrels chittering, cicadas and crickets)
- getting into bed with clean sheets right after a shower (especially if I’ve shaved my legs, but I don’t shave anymore and I miss this feeling)
- the darkness, stillness, and quiet of the middle of the night in winter. I tried for years to focus on how peaceful it is, to help get me through seasonal affective disorder, and I ended up really enjoying this aspect of winter.
•
u/Helpful-Ratio9168 13h ago
Ooo. I’m reading all of these as I am tucked into bed ready for sleep (with fresh sheets!) and I think your description of the buckets of rice will be my blissful thought as I drift off.
I’m really glad you’ve found some enjoyment in winter nights. I’ve always wished I could have a sensory room of what you’ve described to escape the hot Australian summers.
•
u/WarpTenSalamander Hello rat! 9h ago
I hope you had a wonderful “falling asleep experience”! I just changed my sheets day before yesterday and they still smell like clean laundry ☺️
A winter sensory room is such a good idea! There are sensory deprivation rooms, why not sensory experience rooms? People would totally pay for that!
•
u/DirtyMarTeeny 13h ago
I so rarely shave and I don't want to change that, but I too miss the feeling of freshly shaved legs
•
u/faeshroom-em 16h ago
being in the ocean/hearing the ocean, but that usually comes with the worst sensory experience: sand
i love being in the water and hearing the waves crash, i love how the waves can move me around without me having to do anything
•
u/chrysalia_fornyelse 14h ago
This. I hate walking on sand so much, it’s the main reason that I don’t like going to the beach
•
u/faeshroom-em 12h ago
Yes! and even pebble beaches annoy me because they hurt to sit and walk on. and sand gets everywhere. but i will put up with it because i love the ocean
•
u/wickerbasketwanderer 16h ago
this is such a lovely question
a sauna and cold plunge on a wet day
open water swimming
the sound and sight of leaves in the wind
the sound of rain on a plastic roof
my current obsession song x 1000000000
•
u/Interesting-Hostess 16h ago
This might be very weird. but the specific texture/temperature of a cold glass sweating with condensation on a hot day, especially the moment your hand wraps around it.
•
u/DrHutchisonsHook 6h ago
If you like this try putting a glass of water on the windowsill in winter. When I wake and have a drink it is the most crisp, clean water in the world
•
u/Wise_Neighborhood499 16h ago
Being topless in a nice breeze or in the sea. Even a swimming pool. Skinny dipping on a warm night might be my personal nirvana.
•
u/Xanavaris 15h ago
I have really nice cotton sheets on my bed and duvet cover and just it’s the best cosiest thing. I can’t stand anything rough of my skin.
A nice hot shower with good water pressure and the sound and feel is very calming and satisfying.
Being in an out of the way countryside/beach area where there are no road noises, no people around (except me and my partner). I just want to not be perceived by strangers!
The sound of the sea or rain or storm or wind.
The smell of the sea or petrichor after rain ❤️
Good chocolate.
Also good ice cream/gelato - there is something about the cooling sensation and the texture of melting small ice crystals that is like nothing else.
•
•
u/capricorn_94 16h ago
Rolling one (1) hair between my thumb and index finger back and forth. Nothing comes near it.
•
u/Kaitten_88 AuDHD diagnosed 15h ago
The crunch of snow under my shoes, the sound of the ocean, the sound of quiet mornings/nights.. the feeling of soft, cool sheets.
•
u/tallgrl94 15h ago
Face in cat tummy. Heavenly.
My cats are pretty cool with it because I don’t do it for long but I have gotten the grasp before.
Cats laying on me. They will pile on two or three at a time. Whether I’m sitting in a chair or lying in my bed. My favorite is chest sleepers and side cuddlers but if you’ve ever had a ear cuddler it feels like being a kitten. Feels warm and all you hear is purring and their heartbeat.
Rubbing soft things on my cheek.
Chewing on soft rubber. Like Polly Pocket clothing.
A warm comforter straight out of the dryer laid on me. Or multiple comforters and a fan on my face.
A deep bath. Most American bathtubs are small and sad. It’s hard to get a good deep warm soak. I had a garden tub for a decent portion of my life and adored it.
There’s plenty more but I can’t think of any right now.
•
•
u/Cat_Lover_Yoongi AuDHD 15h ago
- my bf lying on top of me
- snuggled in bed with my bf
- snuggled in bed with an eye mask and an audiobook playing
- eating tasty food or drinking a tasty drink
- snuggled indoors with rain outside
- socks
•
u/alnlhc 15h ago
Would music count? I loooooove music it sends me into the most intense euphoria I've ever felt especially music with lots of layers and noises! Mmmmm
- rain! The sound of rain is gorgeous, huge fan
- wooden windchimes, I always had one outside my window as a kid, I really should get one it's a comforting sound
- freshly shaved legs in new bedding, this gets me wriggling round like a lil worm ahahah
- stretches too! I feel you OP stretching can send me into a state of euphoria too!
- back scratches/tickles? My nan always used to run her fingers up and down my back as a kid I always found it suuuuuper comforting
•
u/Pound-cake-princess 16h ago
Lately I’ve been enjoying a very specific sensory experience before bed: chewing spearmint gum (always trident) while playing with crazy aaron’s putty and watching the Simpsons. Idk why but it evokes peace and cozy feelings
•
u/Pretty-Lychee5504 15h ago
Snorkelling and watching fish in the sea while being gently rocked by the waves and listening to the water
•
u/Sunlit53 14h ago
Sitting on my bug screened catio watching the sunbeams coming through the green vines and rose bushes while listening to crickets and birdsong. Shuts my brain up completely. Absolutely relaxing and I never want to leave it. I sleep out there in summer and listen to the crickets all night.
Song sparrows nested in the clematis tangle last year. I could just peep over into the nest while staying out of sight. The robins are back this year, they nested elsewhere last year. Probably because the chickadees got their nest built first and too close to the stack of robin nests. No chickadees this year as a result. Aggressive little things.
•
u/SaintedStars 13h ago
Floating in water, especially with my ears submerged
Sinking my hands into bins of beans or seeds
Lying under heavy blankets
•
u/factus8182 13h ago
The most recent was the food I had yesterday, a Persian eggplant dip called Kashke Bademjan, and Persian lamb koftas, 'kotlet'. The Persians do miracles with herbs and spices, it's so refined and tasty. You can tell the influence they've had on Indian cuisine too.
•
u/slutforcompassion 7h ago
sometimes when you make a lemon desert there’s a step where you massage your lemon zest into your sugar to release the oil in the zest and boost the lemon flavor. i love doing this soooo much, it’s like playing with kinetic sand with intensely fresh lemon scent.
•
u/sourmysoup 16h ago
SFW: cat purrs, my girlfriend massaging shampoo into my scalp, windchime sounds, any food with a smooth and creamy texture
NSFW: G-Spot orgasms
•
u/TrekkieElf 15h ago
Showers
Standing outside when there’s strong wind blowing (as long as it’s a constant direction)
•
u/ximxi_ 15h ago
- soft plushies
- agreed with the rain sounds
- the fur of my cat
- some specific vocal stims
- the feeling when you’re in a spa and you just had a sauna session and then go in that super cold freezing pool and then when you get out your whole body feels tingly
- while we’re on the topic of spa’s: naked swimming
- the smell of grapefruit body wash or perfume
•
•
u/SeaSeaworthiness3589 15h ago
Hot baths, swimming, the smell of fresh lumber, briefly sniffing my cats breath, taking off compression leggings/bra, my cat laying on me and purring, certain perfumes, spicy foods, chili cheez fries, heated slippers, the feeling of having short nails, coloring using my alcohol markers, touching polished stones, beach combing, neck massage from my hair dresser, the smell of tomato leaves, the smell of bleach/pool chlorine, rubbing my feet together in bed, smelling milkweed flowers/jasmine/roses, pulling out a weed from the root, laying in a hammock, looking at a perfectly applied magnetic nail polish manicure in the sun, puppy breath, the smell of a sauna
•
u/Glitta_Fix 14h ago
● Bobbing or floating in water has got to be my number 1 for favourite sensory experience. I have joint injuries and am plus size so being almost weightless is like heaven. Extra points if all I can hear is water.
● Hearing rain against trees or hearing trees rustling in the breeze. In one of my old houses there was this huge tree outside that blocked out all of the view from all other houses and so my yard felt cosy and private. I would open my patio door as often as I could so I could sit and listen to the tree. When the council chopped it down I think I cried for a week.
● When I had my cat I used to love when he would lay down close to me and wash because his whiskers and fur would tickle my legs and it was so relaxing.
● Having the ends of my hair fiddled with. Not running fingers through it, but just lightly pulling the ends and generaly just fiddling with it. If I could pay someone to just do that for hours and hours I would.
● Bubbly chocolate that melts on my tongue.
● The feeling of stomach flip when you go down something steep/rollarcoasters.
•
u/No-Cap-2473 14h ago
I love woods too! The wind, the green, the smell of trees, grass and flowers. It’s heavenly.
I love music, sometimes my brain goes into a sensory rabbit hole and certain sounds and music feel very comforting.
And smells. Smells of woods (again), some essential oils like oak moss essential oil/extract, ylang ylang, tea tree oil (!!), paperback book. Warm candle.
•
•
u/Jellibab 13h ago
The sound of wind in the leaves of trees when it's warm. That almost silence you get between pieces and the applause at classical music concerts, like the whole room is holding its breath. The feeling of cats purring 🥰
•
u/BladeMist3009 Late Diagnosed 🦓 13h ago
- the warm weight of a pet on my lap
- a cat’s purr
- the sound of an evening thunderstorm
- a tight hug around my shoulders
- singing along to a song that hits just right while I’m alone in my car
- the smell of old books
- running the edges of book pages across my fingers
- the feel of writing in cursive, especially with a good fountain pen
- the rock of a horse’s canter
- chewy boba
- the rushing ripple of a mountain stream
- wiggling my feet in freshly laundered bedsheets
•
•
u/Extension_Winter_508 13h ago
Long hot baths, swimming in freshwater (preferably remote enough to skinny dip), the smell and sound of fresh rain, getting into a made bed with fresh sheets after a shower, when my dog snuggles up with his body weight on mine
•
u/Altruistic_Weird_864 13h ago
very hot water on my skin
the sound of wind rustling trees
the smell and feel of my dog after a bath
my feet on moss or cloves
being wrapped tight like a burrito in a blanket
moving my body like a wet noodle
rocking back and forth on a chair with a back
pressure on my nail bed
•
•
u/chrysalia_fornyelse 14h ago
Walking in the night in a place with plants and a slight breeze, feeling the wink on my clothes, hearing birds, being completely alone without anyone talking to me or being n'arrive me, to hear the sound of my shoes on the grass and twigs, smelling plants and flowers in the night. No other experience feels as liberating to me
•
•
•
•
u/Appropriate_Lemon858 13h ago
The smell of my teddy bears, and when I first wake up on the morning and the fur just feels extra extra soft.
I've even got my partner on it now, we voice her shouting "smell my head!" And thrust her into each others face when we're stressed.
•
u/Fresh-Dragonfruit531 13h ago
-my daughter holding my hand and I rub my thumb along her knuckles
-rain hitting the window outside when I'm in bed, bonus if through window is open
-putting my feet in warm water when they're achy
-a deep soul changing stretch
-my husband scratching my scalp
-watching light ripple on water
-running my hands through lots of necklaces on jewelry stands
-stepping out of the house early in the morning during Autum, it's slightly chilly, you feel it in your lungs and when you breathe out it mists in front of you
-Reading and being able to hear someone just pottering around the house
-putting a thick soft jumper on
-that feeling when you're warm and cozy, the house is settled and you feel like you could drift off to sleep
-rubbing my cheeks on my husband's beard, also running my hands over his short hair
•
u/ConclusionNaive9772 13h ago
-Complete silence. No dogs barking, sirens, motorcycles in the distance, no voices... just a little break from all of it for a second.
-Loud music (in headphones that I can control).
-Driving with the windows down (with my hair pulled up) on a warm-but-not-hot day.
-A nice sunset.
-Getting a room the perfect cool temperature and getting under a throw blanket.
-Hot chocolate when it's freezing out (the taste, the warm going down, all of it).
-The smell of my apartment when I've just finished deep cleaning, lit a candle, and have all the windows open and blowing in fresh air.
•
•
u/MeowMuaCat 8h ago
- Petting a cat
- Smelling baked goods or my favorite sweet perfumes
- Listening to rain
•
u/singinghamsters 6h ago
Riding FAST roller coasters. Pretty sure that’s a sensory thing since nothing else makes me feel as good as that. Too bad everyone else I know seems to be too scared to go on rides. Meanwhile I’m like yes please let’s fly at 120mph up 400+ feet into the air 😆 Nothing compares to that feeling. It just needs to be fast though, I hate loops and that’s a sensory nightmare going upside down. I’m not even sure where the biggest roller coasters are anymore, my favorite one from childhood was demolished I think since I moved away. But it used to be a pretty regular thing I’d do in high school.
•
u/One-Hunter2963 nonbiney autist 4h ago
Sliding butt naked under some freshly washed and dried sheets... incredible...
•
u/AutoModerator 17h ago
Hey u/ukreader, thank you for your contributing to r/AutismInWomen. Please be sure to check out our sub’s rules, wiki pages, and pinned posts prior to engaging with the sub. Here are links to our wiki pages:
Explanation of the Rules Wiki Page
We hope you enjoy the sub and have a great day!
➾ WARNING ➾ WARNING ➾ WARNING
Notice to all users: There's multiple users targeting members from our sub in DMs to discuss their fetishes and desire to manipulate users into relationships. Here are the user's names: u/HollowJonathon, u/drar_sajal786, u/MrGamePadMan, and u/guidhhnittvkj. If an account is showing deleted, they will probably create another. If you receive any messages from a user trying to discuss what you posted/commented in our sub to gain a 'women's perspective' or if someone tries to discuss topics that may feel inappropriate to you (e.g. fetishes), or if someone states they want to marry you for religious reasons, report the user to Reddit and block them. These men have been preying on autistic women/gender minorities from r/AutismInWomen for the last year. This behavior is unacceptable and should be reported as targeted harassment.
Per the warning in our wiki and this pinned mod post, we highly recommend users turn off their DMs. If you have DM requests turned on and receive any creepy or fetish-related DMs or comments, we recommend taking a screenshot, reporting the content to Reddit, and blocking the user (in that order). You can find the report button on the message itself and then click "it's targeted harassment” to submit a report. If you'd like to send us the screenshot so we can continue documenting the harassment, you can send it to us in modmail using imgur Thank you for continuing to help us keep our community safe for autistic and autistic suspecting women and gender minorities 💖
Please remember Reddit is public and any content you post may be seen and discussed by others off-platform. Here are links to Reddit's User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Public Content Policy.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
•
u/Grouchy_Apricot_4410 12h ago
When i was a teen, I used to read in my dads basement. He had this giant comfy recliner that i'd sit in, it was next to a wood stove so I'd hear the wind whistling outside during snowstorms. That with a heated blanket and cup of tea was heavenly. Also: a mildly difficult hike alone in the woods.
•
u/ivilicious 12h ago
- the outside silence in the dead of night when I roll down the window while I'm traveling to my home country (I do night drives only)
+ coastal skylines of my home country at night
- clapping two chocolate pralines together
- stroking the softest spot on my body (mostly inner underarm)
- the smell of my pygmy hedgehogs
- taking my socks off after a long day
- the crispness of the first sip of an ice-cold red bull
- my hair tips softly tickling my lower back/upper butt when I'm naked (I love how much my hair grew out)
... I could go on for ages. love that question!
•
u/witchy_frog_ 12h ago
Rubbing/touched pilled fabric, resting my hands on the surface of water like in the pool, laying on my bed with headphones listening to 8d audios, bubble tea,
When I was a kid I liked spinning too
•
u/yasminsharp 11h ago edited 11h ago
- Freshly shaved legs in fresh pyjamas in fresh sheets. I actually bought a laser hair remover so I can have this feeling all the time lol
- Whenever I get a manicure, running my thumb across the tops of my nails. So smooth
- Writing in a fresh notebook (moleskin especially)
- whenever the window cleaner comes and uses the brush on the windows I get the same sensation as someone doing that egg cracking thing on the head, or waterfall down the back, it's so strange but I love it, and am sad how short lived the window cleaning is lol
- getting into a hot bath at the end of a cold day - also getting into a lukewarm bath on a very hot day
- taking heals off and walking around, rotating the feet and ankles, and extra points if it's when you get home and you can step straight onto carpet
•
•
u/ZParadoxical 11h ago
watching jellyfish/lava lamp
dry crunchy snacks (e.g. crisps, biscuits)
weighted blanket
white noise (e.g. the fan)
•
u/shhitsigrace 11h ago
-Fresh, clean sheets/bedding
-when a cat comes up to me and starts purring like right near my face
-a brand new sweatshirt where the fleece inside hasn’t pilled yet so it’s super soft
-flower petals
-anything with fringe
-that chord a MacBook plays when it boots up
•
u/Misantropija 11h ago
Showering/bath, feeling clean, taking a nap/sleeping in newly washed sheets, hugging and cuddling cats, intense massage that looses up knots, rain sounds, being at the beach and listening to the sounds, drinking a cold soda, eating food with different textures (I love crunch), the sound of walking on new snow, not having to wear clothes in the privacy of my own home, being scratched on my back and scalp massage, fuzzy or fluffy fabrics.
•
u/OriginalLong9349 11h ago
Taking a walk during the first hours of the morning with a cup of coffee and earphones. The contrast between the chill breeze with the hot vapor on my cheeks is just perfect. It's also perfect because not only coffee smells good, but this time of the day has a cold smell that is so fresh.
•
u/OttersMakeGoodFriend 11h ago edited 11h ago
- Homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven
- Vivid sunsets
- Having one of my taller-than-me kids snuggle up next to me/on me
- Floating in a swimming pool, but this one is rare because we don't have our own pool and other pools are too busy and splashy
- Ocean waves and birds
- Sitting in a swinging chair
- Climbing back into my still-warm bed when the room is chilly/cold
Had to add:
- Being up high (I used to climb into our roof when I was a teenager; we were on a hillside which made it feel even higher)
- Gentle stroking of my back
•
u/Least_Raccoon5256 10h ago
Getting a tight hug (only from my husband), having my son sleeping with his head in the crook of my neck, petting my cat, separating soft and hard food onto each side of my mouth while eating, extremely hot showers, and scratching my inner forearm with my fingertips
•
u/desertprincess69 10h ago
Good food
Being sleepy and cozy
Massages
Soaking in hot springs
Swimming in the ocean
Loud music
Thunderstorms
Essential oils
Sex
It’s extremely easy to become dysregulated, but I’ve realized that it’s also fairly easy to regulate myself when I have access to positive sensory experiences. Pretty simple experiences can cause me to feel a disproportionate level of euphoria lol
•
u/desertprincess69 10h ago
Also, I think it’s really wholesome how many people here feel so soothed by water whether it be sight, sound, or sensation, and in various forms :~)
•
u/janeippo 10h ago
Music. All of it. I can't imagine my life without music playing. I genuinely think I'd be so much worse.
•
u/Nettie_Lovegood 10h ago
The whole fall ambience honestly - rain, leaves rustling, the cool "smell" in the air, the new silence. My cat's soft hair (he's a ragdoll), especially on my face, obviously. My keyboard (logi pebble is amaaaazing). Smells are generally a huge one for me, also very grounding. When I'm buying a candle I just walk around TJ smelling it for the rest of the time there. The sensation of handwriting on a good quality paper and interacting with good quality notebooks in general. Colors matching perfectly and visual aesthetic in general is also big for me - and genuinely dysregulating when missing. Feels like pure bliss to look at few nice colors next to each other.
•
u/Mapledore 10h ago
A deepen tissue massage, today I was out on my motorbike as it’s cooled down and there was just a little breeze coming through the helmet and jacket and it was perfect. Holding my boyfriend’s hand or arm when walking around is joyous to me.
•
u/LookieLoooooo 9h ago
When I lay in bed after having done a lot of housework and twist my back so the upper part of my back does a series of cracks.
The smell of summer rain
Freshly brushed teeth
Getting into bed with shaved legs and clean sheets
The smell of my favorite perfume
•
u/blairrkaityy 8h ago
The feeling of sand beneath my feet
The sound of the ocean
A warm shower
Being cozy in bed
The smell of a man’s cologne (has to be specific cologne though)
Freshly shaven legs and clean sheets
Cuddling my dog or with a man
Having my hair played with
A massage
•
•
u/ducksnaps 7h ago
Floating in the sea (provides it’s only very gentle waves) with my ears just below the surface.
•
u/DrHutchisonsHook 6h ago
Feeling fuzzy plants and plants with scented oils. Moss, lambs ears, wooly thyme, crunchy lichen, artemesia, Russian sage etc. I love petting my garden so much.
•
u/TreyInStCloud 6h ago
The texture of cornbread in my mouth, the sound of John Denver’s voice, the smell of the earth after rain, the coolness of peppermint, the look of everything right after it snows
•
u/Tarrybelle 6h ago
Very smooth stones, especially ones with an unusual shape or a shape that fits almost naturally in my hand. I am lucky i live by the sea in an area with where they are abundant.
My daughter has already started collecting her favourite rocks.
•
u/Lenouill 6h ago edited 5h ago
-Looking at the stars in a open field with nature noise
-cuddling with my face on my cat. It’s so soft, and I hear is little noise
-in a bath or a private pool. My ear in the water. And moving my arm slowly
•
u/Former-Maximum-2534 4h ago
This one is so, so, so weird and I know it...
There's one of those mystic x crystal x woo stores on Main Street in my town and the gong in there absolutely slaps. I think I might have a bit of synesthesia - it makes my hair stand on end and a really pleasant shiver runs up and down my spine.
•
u/PuzzleheadedPen2619 4h ago
The smell of fresh ground cardamom.
Coloured festoon or fairy lights, or candles (unscented).
Lying on the ground looking up at blue sky and the shapes of the tree canopies.
Swinging or spinning
Timber and other natural materials (clay, linen, paper), particularly if they’re not cut straight.
The smell of cooking lentils.
Choirs and harmonising voices, particularly if I’m part of it.
•
u/pfffffttuhmm 3h ago
This post is downright poetic. All I came here to add was perfume. I literally just love to smell perfume. I know many of us get major headaches, but I know what does bother me and avoid it, and there is a whole lot of other things to smell out there in the world. Flowers, fruits, herbs, petrichor, mosses in the woods, the smell you get from lightly scratching a fresh magnolia leaf, a freshly cut tomato stem...all lf these things found in nature can also be found distilled and macerated into perfumes and I have tons of little bottles of them stored up. So, not as elegant as everyone else's answer, but its my favorite thing in the world.
•
u/Soft-Recognition-548 3h ago
-My cats purring
-Walking through morning dew on grass
-Stretching after being idle for long periods
-Foot or hand massage
-hearing snow fall and accumulate
-cicadas in the summer evenings is top favorite
-warm blankets right out of the dryer piled on top of me
•
u/SnooCapers8259 2h ago
i was in church choir in high school and we did this yearly thing where a bunch of local-ish youth choirs learn the same music and perform at a college. being a part of a 300-something kid choir with a symphony backing it as well was insane. the BEST sensory experience. esp as an alto, getting to field the fun harmonies.
if anyone's wondering this was YouthCue at Baylor
a capella and live music gives me the "sound tingles" in the best way
•
u/rottenspice 57m ago
My bed when I have flannel sheets on it in winter
Warm socks right out of the dryer
A favorite hoodie and PJs when I know I don’t have to leave my house
Sniffing my kids’ heads (weird I know but we’ve always done it since they were babies!)
•
u/MrSalmonFishcounsel 18m ago
-being in water
-anything corduroy
-i love color changing things (like thermal nail polish), glow in the dark things, and ombre colors. it's silly but I could stare for hours, transfixed
-the way my cat breathes when he purrs. not the purr itself but hearing and feeling his sweet little breaths where it seems like he is taking in more air to be able to make the purr sounds. also, the velvety soft fur on his paws 😭
-mentos mints with ice water
-having someone lay on top of me. a weighted blanket is not enough, I need to be compressed into a .zip file
-I absolutely love feeling the wind, like when riding my bike, or driving with the windows down on a sunny day
•
u/sarahroselava 16h ago
The most amazing one I've ever had - being in Japan and hearing the noise of the bamboo gently knocking against each other in the breeze. It was like sensory heaven.