An open-plan office is rarely just a room with desks and coworkers. At any given moment, it may contain several conversations, keyboards, phone calls, footsteps, chairs moving, notifications, fluorescent or
A person sits through a painfully loud meeting without covering their ears. A student keeps wearing an uncomfortable uniform without complaining. Someone maintains eye contact, stays seated, smiles politely, and
You can usually close your eyes and still know where your arm is. You can climb stairs without continuously watching your feet, adjust how hard you grip a cup, and
Someone becomes unusually quiet after an overwhelming event. Speech becomes difficult, movement slows, and answering even a simple question takes considerable effort. Several hours later—or perhaps after sleeping—the person begins
Someone owns noise-cancelling headphones but leaves them in their bag during a painfully loud meeting. A student knows that a quieter testing room improves concentration but worries about classmates noticing.
A child complains of feeling sick every school morning. A teenager reaches the school entrance but cannot go inside. Another student attends for several days, becomes increasingly exhausted, and then
Someone turns the music up loud, constantly moves while working, prefers intense flavors, touches every interesting texture in a store, or seeks strong pressure and fast movement. The same person
Turn on the water. Adjust the temperature. Undress. Step under the spray. Wash hair. Rinse it. Apply conditioner. Wash the body. Rinse again. Turn off the water. Dry off. Deal
A scented candle may make one person’s office feel comfortable. Another person may enter the same room and immediately want to leave. Perfume that seems subtle to its wearer can
Someone attends a family gathering, finishes a day at work, returns from school, or spends several hours in a busy public place. Nothing dramatic appears to have happened. They may