Tag / fairytale

by Erin Nowicki

The Princess & The Beach

πŸ–πŸŒŠπŸŒžπŸ¬Going to the beach can be intense for a person with Sensory Processing Disorder. So, come with me and I’ll give you a few tips for some ways that help me enjoy my time at the beach AND come home with a smile and not a grimace. πŸ¬πŸŒžπŸŒŠπŸ–

1. Mr. Sun

Getting burned by the sun, whether or not you have a skin disorder, is painful and uncomfortable for any person. When you have SPD, that pain is heightened and the process of healing can be brutal. The burn, the itching, the peeling: OUCH. I used to be known for getting terribly burned every single time I went to the beach. As of today, sunburn is a rare occurrence for me, but that is because I have adjusted some things.

When you get hurt, you usually don’t like the thing that hurt you, so you start to give off negative energy towards it. Even though I was applying sunscreen every hour on the dot, I still kept coming home looking like a cooked lobster. I started to fear, dislike and blame the sun for causing my pain. The pain and sunburn didn’t stop, but if you think about it…why would it? The expectation I set before going to the beach was that I was going to get burned no matter what I tried. I believe that it was one of the factors why I’d leave with that not-so-lovely cherry burn. Mindsets and words are so powerful and I was manifesting this negativity for my body….um not cool Erin.

A couple years ago, I decided that this has to stop. I started to shift that powerless mindset and I put some effort into my relationship with Mr. Sun. Instead of assuming I was going to get burned, I started to focus on my gratitude for all of the major benefits the sun gives me. The sun’s purpose is not to bring pain, but to bring life, light, and wholeness. It wasn’t the suns’s fault I was getting burned…there was so much more to it.

2. Screen Yourself

After shifting into this mindset, I started to try different types of sunscreens to see which would be a better partner to help protect my skin. I noticed that my skin would be better protected when I would wear a mineral-base sunscreen as opposed to the regular kind. I don’t like the feeling of lotion in my hands, so this definitely is my least favorite part about beach days, but it is important, hence why I use it anyways.

**Some tips for troubleshooting your own experience with sunscreen**

Make-Up Brush: If you don’t like using your hands to rub the sunscreen into your skin and don’t have someone to do it for you, try using a make-up brush instead. There are different kinds of brushes, so test out different ones to see which one works the best for your skin. This is also a “parent hack” for children who hate the sunscreen process. Give them the brush and watch how much fun they’ll have while also encouraging the lesson of self-care. Don’t forget to finish the job for them to ensure they didn’t miss a spot.

Pre-Screen: Put on your first round of sunscreen at home or in the parking lot before you get to the beach, that way you can get everything covered before sand gets in the way. I can’t stand the feeling of rubbing sunscreen on my face with sand mixed in, so if I can start my beach day off without that feeling, I’m all about it.

Lotion vs. Spray: Try different forms of sunscreen to see which one feels the best for your skin. Some sunscreens are heavy and some light, so paying attention to the different “feels” might help you figure out what you prefer the most.

Wipe Your Hands: Have some baby wipes or a hand towel to wipe your hands off after using sunscreen. Applying deep pressure while wiping your hands can help you reset quite nicely.

3. L’eau

Hydration is actually another way to help prevent sunburn. When your body is nourished and healthy, then it doesn’t have to fight so hard to protect itself from the Mother Earth’s elements. I’ve struggled with drinking water most of my life up until about 4/5 years ago. I have an amazing holistic chiropractor who did some energy work on me and helped me realize that I had too much copper in my body. Once I got treated for that, it completely shifted the way my body was responding to good ol’ H2O. All of that to say: drink your water….especially when spending time out in the hot sun.

4. Sea-Shellter

Jon and I bought a beach tent and it has rocked our world. We usually get to the beach and set up our shelter first thing, then go for a nice long walk. After a walk we come back and rest in the tent to give our skin a break from our buddy, Mr. Sun. If the sun has shifted and is shining directly on the front of the tent, we’ve come up with a solution by using a couple of chip clips to hang up colorful tapestry; that way we are in a shady spot while we get a break from those intense rays. It’s functional, fun and totally sets a chill vibe for some sweet beach hangs.

5. Sock-A-Row-Nees

My feet are the most sensitive part of my body when it comes to my SPD. Swimming in the water, walking on shells and getting covered in sand can be quite overstimulating. I’ve discovered that socks actually help me to relax a lot easier when I’m relaxing in the beach tent. The deep pressure that socks give allow my body to chill for a second and know that it’s ok. On days I have forgotten to bring them, I definitely noticed that my overall pain level was heightened and I had a harder time being able to relax.

I typically bring two pairs with me so I have one for the actual beach trip and one for the ride home. When you’re already in an environment that not only is life-giving but also overstimulating, that can be a lot for your body to process once you have to drive home. For me, having a clean pair of socks to put on right when I get into the car (sandy feet or not), has really helped ground and remind my body that I am ok. It’s really powerful what a pair of socks can do.

6. Powder Your Nose…or Toes

This one isn’t something I do as much anymore, because the sock hack has been a better fit for me, but I don’t want to leave it out because it might help you out. Get some talc free baby powder fill up a sock wit it (I used my winter socks since I live in Florida and don’t need them as much). Before you get into your car to leave the beach, grab that baby powder sock and quickly dab it onto your skin and watch as the sand magically comes off. Once you’re done, just put it in ziplock for your future beach days. **Another great parent hack!

7. I’m Misty Over You

When I get overheated, my body tends to freak out, therefore, I freak out. Jon and I have this joke that if JosΓ©, the name I have for my upper lip (go ahead and judge my quirkiness for naming literally everything, including my third eye who’s name is Kiki), gets sweaty, that means I’m about to hit my code red of overheating…which is not pretty. In Florida, especially the summers, it can get boiling hot. so I’ve found something that has helped prevent a code red for me and that is having a small fan that has a misting feature on it. This not only cools me off, but it actually helps me shift my focus back to being grounded and to remind my body that I am totally fine. I also make sure to have a bandana either to wear on my head or have in my pocket, that way I can have something to take care of JosΓ©.

8. No Cowboys Allowed

As a fabulous, plus-sized gal, chaffing can be a real buzzkill, while having magical beach day…especially living with SPD on top of that. I don’t want to be the one walking like a cowboy while I’m trying to enjoy a lovely day at the beach. I’ve found that bringing an extra pair of comfy shorts is wonderful. You can just slip them on before you go for that walk to hunt for those treasures that are waiting to be discovered. Another thing that I’ve done in the past, that works nicely, is using a chaffing balm. I’ve tried a few different brands but the one I felt worked the best at preventing and even soothing the chaffing is a product called For Her by Body Glide (this is not sponsored, just a personal recommendation). It goes on very light and isn’t greasy like other products I’ve used. It also doesn’t clump up which is nice, because it’s not like you want to be walking around with white clumps in between your legs. Even though it’s called “For Her” and they have a “For Him” one, it honestly can be used by any human.

Conclusion

You might have noticed this, but a lot of the “hack” that I mentioned above aren’t out of the ordinary or unusual. Most of the things I mentioned could totally be a part of every person’s beach routine. The key for me is that having these things help to alleviate extra pain and let me feel a little more relaxed, especially since the beach is one of my favorite places to be.

Do you have any personal tips that help you to enjoy your time at the beach? Leave a comment below and I’ll try it out and let you know how if it helps!

𝕀π•₯𝕒π•ͺ π•žπ•’π•˜π•šπ•”π•’π•
by Erin Nowicki

Pinocchio

I promise I won’t label every blog after a fairytale…sometimes I just can’t help that I relate so much to fairytales. I guess it’s because I’m a REAL princess. πŸ˜‰

“Can you please rate your pain level for me: 10 being the worst and 1 being the best?”

For someone with Sensory Processing Disorder, this can be a difficult question to answer. The thing is, for me, something as simple as running into a doorframe makes my arm feel like it’s immediately bruised or even cut open; to the point where I sometimes get shocked that I’m not bleeding like crazy because it hurts so bad. So, when someone asks me how bad it hurts or to compare the pain to something, my gauge is most likely wrong in a sense. I wasn’t planning on sharing this story (because it’s kind of embarrassing hehe), but it popped in my head while writing this and thought you might like it.

When I was 13 or 14 years old, my family moved off of the Army base and into our first owned house. On moving day, we had been offloading the truck with all of our furniture. It took us the entire day and even when the sun went down, we were still moving stuff. I decided to take a break and go explore my new backyard. The yard was dimly lit, but I saw this beat up dodgeball laying on the ground. And as any kid does when they see a ball and a big backyard before them, they run up and kick it as hard as they can.

It. Wasn’t. A. Ball.

This story is so funny to me now because I legitimately thought that silly rock was a dodgeball and after looking at it the next day, it clearly looked nothing like a ball. Although, in that moment it was embarrassing because honestly, I felt so stupid. My purpose wasn’t only to make you smile with my clumsiness, but to give you an example of how difficult it is to answer the “rate your pain” question.

I have never broken a bone in my life, but in that moment I sure thought I had broken my foot on that massive rock. As soon as I gained my composure, I ran inside the house and called my parents, while sobbing and freaking out because my foot had to be broken. As my parents hurried to take off my shoe and check it out, you guessed it, nothing was wrong with it at all. Are you serious?! What about my toe? It has to be broken! What, it’s not?! But it hurts so incredibly bad, how could nothing be broken?

I hadn’t been diagnosed with SPD yet, so we didn’t realize that I was truly feeling excruciating pain…even though it obviously was not even close to being broken. They asked me to rate my pain and of course I rated it a high 10, but because the physical sight didn’t prove this rating to be accurate, they gave me some ice and I was walking around 10 minutes later with a perfectly fine foot.

This is the part where Pinocchio comes in. πŸ˜€

Over the years I’ve had to make decisions when it comes to rating my pain for doctors or even people when they are curious about how different things make me feel. I am thankful I’m not Pinocchio because sometimes I’ve chosen to lie when people ask me if it hurt. I would have a long nose with a cute, little birds nest on the end. πŸ˜€

Now I don’t usually condone lying, but when someone asks me if something hurts, and I can logically see that it probably shouldn’t be hurting, I will sometimes choose to lie and say that it doesn’t hurt. I guess my thought is that I don’t want to have to explain my entire disorder, then proceed to explain that it does hurt even though what they are probably doing doesn’t bring pain for a “normal” person, or admit to them that something silly hurts me….wow that was a mouthful.

Maybe this is justifying my lying or maybe not, but a question I ask myself: is it really lying or is it me fighting my disorder in order to strive for “normality”? I like to think of it that way, because it helps me to keep going and fighting this frustrating and maddening disorder. So, if being Pinocchio is my fate, I accept it for now. πŸ˜€

Do you have a hard time rating your pain? Do you pull the Pinocchio card to get out of having to explain SPD? I would love to hear from you about how you make those ratings- drop a comment below or feel free to email me!

by Erin Nowicki

The Princess Chronicle vol. 2

Welcome to The Princess Chronicle!

Thanks to everyone who messaged me about how they loved the format of my little newspaper-style post; I think it definitely helps break up the flow from those longer blog posts. If you have any ideas of what else I could add to The Princess Chronicle, drop a comment or message me!

Bi-Weekly Journal Entry

Positive: The hunky and I went camping this past weekend at Chain O Lakes near the Wisconsin border. It was so fun, relaxing and invigorating. My SPD didn’t flare up too bad either, so that made it even better. I made sure to bring some compression socks, which helps my SPD in the evenings when it gets colder.

Real Talk: Now I love roughing it in a tent and sleeping on the ground, but the whole Princess and The Pea thing is legit. I can feel every rock, pebble and bump in the ground. Thankfully I have to take medicine to sleep, because I know I would’ve been up all night feeling the “pea” under my sleeping bag. I love to camp, so it’s totally worth it.

The vast majority of health professionals just want to help, so describing your challenges as accurately as possible is really the best approach. Plus, advocating for yourself is important…

-Some great advice from the Love, Your Brain blog

What You Missed Last Week

My hunky, Jon, took time to answer some questions about what it’s like to live with someone who has SPD. He did such a great job and it’s been really cool to see the responses to this. It’s also been neat to hear how his post has already helped others with their relationships. If you missed it, go check it out and if there is another question you’d like answered, make sure to comment on the post so we can do another round!

What To Look Forward To

Next week, I’ll be talking about how hard it is to rate my pain when people inquire about it (especially doctors). I sure am glad that I’m not Pinocchio, because sometimes I have to lie about my pain in order to really have them diagnose the problem…hmmm interesting eh? Make sure to check back next week for more!

If you aren’t a blog person, head over to Twitter and follow me there! I will post little blips from the blog, inspiring quotes, and other fun things.

by Erin Nowicki

Fairytale or Not?

You probably know the story about the princess and the pea, but I bet you didn’t know that it is the most relatable fairytale for someone with Sensory Processing Disorder. Before I go any further, I want to establish exactly what SPD is, especially for those of you don’t know what it is. 

STAR Institute defines SPD like this: 

Sensory processing (originally called “sensory integration dysfunction” or SID) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.

To simplify this definition:

The “telephone wire” between your nerves and brain is disconnected somehow, which means, that your brain is being told that, for example, putting on clothes is painful- even though you know that it shouldn’t hurt. 

So…back to our fairytale. I remember reading the part of the story where the princess comes to the breakfast table and is absolutely exhausted because there was a small bump (aka the little green pea) that was bothering her all night. I remember TOTALLY relating to her and knowing exactly how she feels. The thing that people find funny and unbelievable is that is has to be “impossible” for a pea to cause pain. That is where they are wrong…this fairytale is not just about my life, but many many other people’s lives who live with Sensory Processing Disorder.

I wasn’t diagnosed with SPD until I was a Sophomore in high school. For many, many years, I got made fun of by “brilliant” doctors who didn’t believe me when I said that I hurt every time I touched something or something touched me. They would always laugh in my face and say that I was crazy and that I was being a drama queen. 

I will never forget the day that my mom and I were told that we weren’t crazy. We both looked at each other and just started sobbing. To have that knowledge that I wasn’t crazy and that I wasn’t making it up made me feel liberated. The doctor who diagnosed me was an occupational therapist who specialized in SPD in Autistic children. See, almost every person with Autism has SPD, but what most people don’t know is that there are tons of people without Autism that have severe cases of SPD (like me) as well.

The thing is, as an adult, there aren’t any reading materials that focus on being an adult with SPD. Most of the material focuses on kids with Autism that have SPD. Also, the support groups I’ve found on social media for adults with SPD, don’t really help either-or really I just haven’t had any success with feeling supported on those platforms. All that to say, I really want this blog to be a place where you can come to for advice, stories about my life while living with SPD, coping mechanisms, inspiration, knowledge, support, etc…

Now, I am a dreamer and have many dreams, but one of my ultimate dreams is to partner with an occupational therapist who specializes in SPD and write a book that is geared for adults living with SPD (whether or not they’ve been diagnosed with it). Maybe that will happen one day, but for now I will start with this blog.

**Disclaimer**

I will be excruciatingly honest about certain aspects of living with SPD and I will not hold any details back no matter how personal they are. Life can be REALLY tough when living with SPD, but if someone doesn’t write about those details, then people aren’t going to be changed for the better- and I don’t want ANYONE to feel the way I felt, because YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!