Welcome to SensePlanner

At SensePlanner, a sensory diet is a mostly soothing schedule of joyful sensory experiences that helps keep the nervous system balanced throughout the day. Rather than waiting until someone becomes overwhelmed, anxious, agitated or emotionally exhausted, we aim to gently replenish the nervous system before stress builds.

Just as we eat regular meals to maintain our physical energy, we believe our sensory systems benefit from regular moments of comfort, pleasure and regulation. This might include listening to favourite music, spending time in nature, gentle rocking, vibration, warm water, deep pressure, swinging, creative activities, or simply enjoying a quiet space. The activities are highly individual because every person's sensory preferences are unique.

The term sensory diet has been used in occupational therapy for many years, often to describe structured activities designed to help reduce over-reactions to sensory input or gradually increase tolerance to challenging sensations. While these approaches can be appropriate in some situations, and SensePlanner can be used this way, that is generally not what we mean by a sensory diet at SensePlanner.

The goal is not to change who someone is or desensitise them to the world around them. Instead, it is to create a personalised rhythm of enjoyable sensory experiences that promotes emotional stability, resilience, wellbeing and a greater sense of equilibrium. Over time, this proactive approach can reduce stress, improve participation, and make everyday life feel calmer, happier and more manageable.