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Unlock Clarity and Calm in Just 10 Minutes
This past decade has seen the world celebrating neurodiverse individuals, like those with autism or ADD, for their unique creativity, focus, and problem-solving abilities. Unfortunately, I went decades pouring my nervous energy into an all-consuming focus on anxiety, which often felt like the third person in every room. As a consequence, with all that stress and cortisol flooding my body, I began to believe I had no earning potential.
I finally realized I was wrong, and I can now call myself a professional who happens to be autistic. I’ve learned to purposefully turn challenges into strengths throughout my career as a multimedia artist, QA tester, author, and ghostwriter.
What changed? What helped me?
Navigating high-pressure situations, whether they involve editors, book signings, art gallery shows, team meetings, or panel talks, requires strategies to manage overstimulation and regain positive focus. The Sensory Reset hack is backed by science. But more about that later. *
Here’s how I first learned about it: When I wrote my memoir, Under the Banana Moon, my late mentor, best-selling author Donna Williams (Polly Samuel), introduced me to a simple sensory technique to manage the demands of public-facing work. It was a technique she used herself. After she read an early draft of my book, she said,
“I’m one hundred percent sure you can do this!”
She was then straightforward with me about the challenges I would face as a professional neurodiverse individual; she faced those challenges too, and she introduced me to “grounding techniques,” something even neurotypical people can truly benefit from because it works! **
This technique genuinely helps in navigating overwhelming environments, and it has become a cornerstone of my personal and professional toolkit. The nature of my GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and autism is that some days just making a phone call or having a meal with family requires too much focus to follow through on — let alone multitask at work, which is sometimes packed with back-to-back meetings and always requires full attention to detail.
The thing is, everyone can spare a ten-minute break to devote to a Sensory Reset, a short but effective mindfulness exercise designed to calm the mind and restore focus in any situation.
What Makes the Sensory Reset Unique?
Unlike traditional mindfulness exercises, the Sensory Reset is rooted in action. It’s not just about “staying calm” but actively working through distractions and reclaiming clarity
The method blends grounding practices with intentional pauses, making it particularly effective for neurodiverse individuals like me who thrive on structure and precision.
This technique aligns with a broader trend in the tech and creative industries, where companies like Microsoft and my former employer Ultranauts are embracing neurodiversity. By recognizing and supporting autistic professionals and persons with ADD (often the two go hand in hand) for their exceptional skills, these organizations are setting a precedent for inclusive workplaces, and tools like the Sensory Reset can help individuals succeed in high-pressure or overstimulating scenarios.
TIP: Before you begin, read through all the steps first.
The Sensory Reset Framework
- Environment Setup (1 Minute)
Find a space where you feel comfortable, whether it’s a quiet room or a less structured space like a bustling conference venue. The key is creating an intentional moment of pause. I have occasionally used a bathroom for this! Most often, because I work from home, I lock myself in my bedroom and situate myself comfortably on the bed with the lights turned down. Once you make this process a part of your go-to toolkit, you will find that it can easily be achieved in public places, although seeking a quiet and distraction-free environment is ideal for me personally.
- Five-Senses Engagement (about 6 Minutes)
Spend 1 or 2 minutes focusing on each of your senses:
- Sight: Identify three distinct objects in your immediate environment. Notice their colors, shapes, and textures. If I were to do this at the very moment of this writing, I’d choose the zipper on my purse, my warm coffee mug, and a plastic basket nearby. I notice the color variants in the zipper: gray, silver, near-white shiny areas where the zipper is catching the sun from the window, and black in the zipper’s shadows. There are so many shapes to be seen in the craftsmanship of this zipper, which I use daily, yet rarely actually see. My coffee mug is rough porcelain, in earth tones, with pictures of stylized cats wrapping around it. The handle is thick and solid. The mug’s predominant color is muted green. The basket beside me, which holds various office supplies and personal items, has lattice-like rectangular holes. I realize I have never really looked at the shape of those holes before. Each little rectangular hole is its own little window into the contents that lie within the basket.
- Touch: Hold something nearby, like the edge of a chair or the fabric of your sleeve. Focus on its texture and temperature. I am now picking up a paperback novel that is nearby. The cover has a chill to it that is not unpleasant. I run a finger over the cover, over the bumpy, embossed letters of the title. The cover feels velvety. I flip through the pages slowly; they are soft and buttery.
- Hearing: Tune in to layers of sound, whether it’s the hum of a crowd, a ticking clock, or distant footsteps. I can just now hear the robins outside my window, and the familiar sounds of my partner running water in the kitchen, clinking dishes, straightening up, opening the refrigerator door, closing it. Somewhere in the house, my cat has pawed open a door, and it creaks — perhaps to get into my bedroom and settle on the bed. I hear the sanitation crew outside now, the screeching grind of the truck’s brakes. These are all background noises I am accustomed to hearing often, but I consider each noise and make each sound my sole focus.
- Smell: Ground yourself with a scent, perhaps the pages of a book, your favorite tea, or even a neutral, familiar smell in the air. I raise a wrist to my nose, close my eyes. I’m freshly showered, and the scent of my body wash, cherry-almond, is what I focus on. I breathe deeply and when I open my eyes, it is to the sensation of my dog who has hopped onto my lap. I bury my face in her fur and breathe deeply, allowing that familiar smell, her very essence, the freshness of her scent, to be my sole focus.
- Taste: If possible, sip something simple like water or tea and focus on the sensations it brings. I lift my mug and indulge in a long sip of coffee, pleased that it is still warm. I love the taste of real cream in my coffee, and this is my focus. For this moment, I savor this rich, pleasing indulgence. I set down the mug and grab a cherry hard candy from my basket. The taste mingles a little with the coffee at first, and then I taste pure cherry. I take my time to fully experience the simple pleasure of this taste.
- Conscious Breathing (about 2 Minutes overall)
Between each sense exercise, take deep, intentional breaths. A simple rhythm (inhale for four seconds, hold, and exhale for six) helps reinforce calmness and focus.
- Reflection (1 Minute)
You’re almost finished. You’ve engaged each sense in turn, with breaks for conscious breaths in between. Now it is time to take a moment to notice your mental and emotional state. How has it shifted? The goal is not perfection, but progress, feeling more centered and prepared to face your task(s). ***
Why It Works
The Sensory Reset is grounded in neuroscience and psychology, leveraging the brain’s natural mechanisms for stress regulation and focus enhancement. Here’s how it works:
- Activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Grounding techniques, like the Sensory Reset, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s “rest and digest” mode. This counteracts the overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Research has shown that grounding exercises reduce heart rate variability, lower blood pressure, and restore autonomic balance. - Reduction of Cortisol Levels
Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, can impair cognitive function and emotional regulation when elevated. Studies indicate that sensory grounding techniques, such as engaging with touch or smell, significantly reduce cortisol levels, promoting a state of calm and improving mental clarity. **** - Engagement of the Prefrontal Cortex
The Sensory Reset activates the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for executive functions like decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Techniques that focus on sensory awareness have been shown to increase gray matter density in this area, enhancing self-regulation and cognitive resilience. *** - Disruption of Anxious Rumination
By redirecting attention to the immediate environment, the Sensory Reset interrupts unproductive mental loops and anxious rumination. This process engages working memory and shifts focus away from distressing thoughts, as supported by studies in cognitive therapy. **** - Somatosensory Pathways and Emotional Stability
Physical sensations, such as holding a textured object or sipping a warm drink, activate somatosensory pathways in the brain. These pathways are linked to emotional stability and a sense of grounding, making tactile stimulation a powerful tool for managing stress. *** - Support for Neurodiverse Individuals
For autistic and ADD individuals, sensory grounding techniques align with the strengths of hyper-focus and sensory sensitivity. These methods provide a structured way to manage overstimulation and enhance clarity, which is increasingly recognized in neurodiverse-friendly workplaces. *****
Who Is It For?
Everyone. Children can benefit from learning it too, and they especially seem to enjoy the process. The Sensory Reset is for anyone who faces moments of overwhelm… whether you’re an autistic professional, a busy creative, or someone balancing a thousand priorities. It requires no special tools or lengthy training, making it accessible in any setting.
Conclusion
The Sensory Reset isn’t just a mindfulness exercise; it’s a life hack for navigating both everyday challenges and extraordinary opportunities.
It’s a technique born from experience, refined by practice, and perfectly suited for a world that demands clarity and focus. Whether you’re preparing for a high-pressure meeting or simply need a moment of calm, this 10-minute reset can make all the difference.
As tech firms and creative industries continue to embrace neurodiversity, tools like the Sensory Reset can empower individuals to thrive—one focused, calm, and intentional moment at a time. ******
For me, the origins of this practice lie in Donna Williams’ advice to use sensory awareness to manage interactions with editors, audiences, and colleagues. Her insights gave me the confidence to embrace both the challenges and the joys of being an author, and inspired me to refine this concept into a structured tool that’s helped me excel in my career.
Footnote Sources
*Grounding techniques and neuroscience insights: Cleveland Clinic
**Explore my blog, Under the Raven Ambition
*** How Grounding Techniques Boost Mental Health, lifelonglabs
****Grounding Exercises: Using Your 5 Senses for Anxiety Relief, psyche central
*****Neurological Pathways Supported by Grounding, Remedy publications
******Neurodiversity hiring trends: Monster, Turing
