Dealing with Sensory Overload in Public

Guide to Surviving The Outside World™ 🪐: Going out in public is hard, but it's required to gain Vitamin D and ease symptoms of depression. Humans are social creatures, and even the introverted ones need it (potentially even more than the extraverted ones!!) So here's what I bring with me to make being in public easier for me: - noise cancelling headphones; blocks out annoying/loud/excessive noises & deters people from talking to you - sunglasses; to protect your eyes from the brightness of the outdoors on sunny days - blue light glasses; to use when you're on your phone as a distraction/stim - fidget toy(s); for busying your hands, stimming, and keeping attention when talking to others - a friend; a small stuffed animal/doll/toy to keep with you as a comfort item - a big water bottle; one that closes properly and doesn't spill. Dehydration can cause irritability much faster. - chapstick; for the cold months, keep your lips moisturized to avoid licking them, causing chapping, which leads to sensory issues. - a reusable mask; putting this on can deter people from walking to close to you. - a small notepad + pen; helps when you think of something you want to remember later but know you'll forget it otherwise. An app on your phone works too, but requires more self discipline to avoid getting distracted by it - a calming substance/medicine; for sudden meltdowns that come out of nowhere- examples: CBD, anxiety meds, etc - a light jacket; it can be cold in places you'd never think would be cold, trust me! (Bonus points for a hood to hide last night's makeup and dark eyebags) - pain meds; for random headaches, muscle pain, soreness, etc. You never know when you might need them. - small hand sanitizer; avoid dirty/sticky/grimy hands that cause sensory issues. - small hand lotion/cream; use this after hand sanitizer to avoid cracked, dry hands, which is another sensory issue.