How Adele Helps Me With My Sensory Overload

The way music can impact those with and without autism is amazing. One person I’d like to highlight today is Adele, who’s been breaking records for her new hit song, “Hello.” Adele has been a huge influence on me to find my “place of Zen” whenever I feel overwhelmed in my life.

But first, let me backtrack a bit on how this came about…

When I was growing up, my parents believed in music and theater therapy to see me develop after I was diagnosed with autism at age 4. I was introduced to music at a young age as a way to relieve some of my sensory issues. Growing up in a large city, I was always overwhelmed with cop sirens, horns and other sound pollution in my area. That’s when my parents tried introducing me to music, and for some odd reason, no matter how loud the music was, it was therapeutic and soothing to me.

When I first started getting internships and found my first full-time job, I traveled into New York every single day. It was the first time I used public transportation, and I was stressed about the transition for a while. One big thing that helped whenever I felt an overload coming on was listening to as much R&B music as I could — music that was soothing and helped me find a calm place.

But when I heard Adele’s “Rolling in The Deep” for the first time, things seemed to click like never before in the past.

Her music was just different from the norm, and it was incredible.

When I needed to unwind, Adele’s songs were there. I could listen to them on low or high, and no matter what I was feeling at that time, I was able to find my balance. My transformation — from a kid who hid under couches because of any sound that made me feel uneasy to now — has made me so grateful for people like Adele.

Now that Adele is releasing more new music, I hope I will be able to share my story of why music therapy is so important and recommend artists like Adele for our community to enjoy. It’s become a therapeutic part of my life that I hope everyone can find in their lives, too.

If Adele ever reads this, I’d just like to thank her for helping me find my balance. It’s helped me become the person I am today.

A version of this story originally appeared on Kerrymagro.com.

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Lead photo source: Adele’s “Hello” video on YouTube