Dazza* was a keen soccer player who had been having difficulties with anger and aggression which had resulted in him being sent off the field.   He decided to see  a Mental Health OT and they had worked out a plan together which involved using Sensory Modulation. Sensory Modulation is an intervention that uses the senses to change how someone feels. His OT had told him about the benefits of changing his feelings in the moment when he was angry by using cooling water to change the anger response in his body.  Dazza had experienced a quick calm down after he poured water over his head  and could really see how this could assist him with his anger.

He went to his Saturday night Soccer with his cold water bottles and his plan clear in his head. He was very motivated to reduce his anger as he did not want to be the type of person who hurt other people or made them feel uncomfortable.

He jogged out to the field feeling positive that he could change his behaviour. He played well and stayed focused on the ball. But things changed in an instant when the referee made the wrong decision. Dazza lost it, slamming the ball to the ground and clenching his fist menacingly at the referee. He was sent off for the rest of the game.

He went back to his OT feeling disillusioned. Dazza’s OT could see that he was motivated to change, as he had gone to the soccer game prepared and had been positive that the calm down strategy would work. So what went wrong?

Dazza had not practiced his new strategy enough to turn it into a habit. His OT introduced Dazza to the concept of Sensory Reps. Sensory Reps involve repeated use of a sensory strategy in the environment in which it is needed to be use. Dazza was encouraged to go to the soccer field every day, to think of something that made him a little irritable and then to run off the field and pour the cold water over his head. His OT explained the research of  Ludvig (2019) which found that 50 repetitions were necessary to consolidate a habit. Dazza was also aware that it was very hard for him to think when he got that angry - which explained why the strategies to change his thinking were not working when he was feeling so angry. Dazza was very committed to Soccer and trained most days to keep his ball skills sharp. He understood the importance of practice and added the Sensory Reps exercise to his daily training. Dazza was very pleased when he next saw his OT, relaying his success in his next game. When he became frustrated, he automatically signalled to come off the field and poured the cold water over his head.

*Dazza is a fictional character 

References

Sensory Modulation Resource Manual

Ludvig (2019) Train the Brain to Form Good Habits Through repetition: https://neurosciencenews.com/repetition-habit-training-10652/