You’re not lazy, you’re probably just overstimulated

Every day, your body receives a wealth of sensory information received by your five senses: sound, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Information is passed to the brain and nervous system, where it is processed so that appropriate responses can be taken. But when it’s too much and you feel overstimulated, the only thing you want to do is close your mind and do nothing. Sound familiar?

But there’s actually a clinical term for what you’re feeling. Sensory overload is “something we all experience when we have too much sensory information,” says April Snow, LMFT, a California-based marriage and family therapist who works with highly sensitive and introverted people. he says. When incoming sensory input exceeds the processing capacity of the nervous system, the nervous system can misinterpret it as a threat and go into hyperarousal (fight-or-flight) or hypoarousal (freeze), Snow explains. This will be explained in detail later).

Thankfully, with the right strategies, you can learn how to regulate and manage the effects of sensory overload, says a Canadian-based expert who regularly works with parents who experience overstimulation. says Caitlin Slavens, MC, RPsych, a registered psychologist. Here, expert therapists explain more about sensory overload and share tips for managing overstimulation.

What causes sensory overload?

“If you’re already experiencing anxiety, depression, sadness, or experiencing a lot of stress, you’re more likely to experience sensory overload because your nervous system is already taxed.” says Slavens. Snow then explains that because the bucket is nearly empty, the nervous system is scrambling and trying to regulate itself with minimal reserves. In other words, if you already have enough on your plate, you’re even more limited in what you can do.

Sensory overload can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, when you feel sick, hungry, thirsty, tired, or not getting restful sleep, your nervous system also has a harder time managing incoming sensory information. But that’s not all.

“Some people are naturally more sensitive at baseline,” Snow says. “It’s very sensitive, similar to people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or sensory processing disorders, where the brain takes in sensory information in a different way,” Snow added. Regular trauma may also make it difficult to regulate your senses, which can increase your risk of experiencing frequent overstimulation.

How to tell if you’re overstimulated

When your nervous system is overstimulated, it goes into fight or flight mode or freezes. Fight or flight is a stress response in which your body decides whether to face a threat head-on or flee from it altogether. Freezing, on the other hand, occurs when your body feels stuck, stiff, or well-frozen when faced with a stressor. “We often oscillate between two stress responses,” Snow explains.

During fight or flight, you may experience the following:

But when you’re having a freeze reaction, you might feel like:

Lethargy or laziness Sadness Numbness Shutdown Difficulty concentrating Difficulty making decisions and completing actions

“When you’re under stress conditions where the nervous system is dysregulated, the front part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, goes offline, and executive function declines with it,” Snow explains. It’s hard to make decisions, it’s hard to concentrate. And it’s hard to sleep when you’re in that condition,” she added.

So what can you do to stay calm?

When you experience sensory overload, you often feel like there’s nothing you can do to stop being overwhelmed. But we are here to tell you that there is a way to calm your mind. Here are some of our favorite, expert-approved strategies to try when you’re feeling overstimulated.

tell yourself you’re safe

While talking to yourself may seem strange to some, in my experience it works and is an effective way to calm yourself down, Slavens explains. Imagine you’re caring for a crying toddler who tells you they only have five minutes left to play outside. By reminding your nervous system that you are safe, your nervous system takes its foot off the “threat” pedal and releases you from its previous fight, flight, or freeze response.

focus on other environments

This tip is especially helpful if you can’t escape an overstimulating object or environment that is causing sensory overload. Try this. Turn your head and look all the way to the left, then to the right. The idea is to take in more space, Snow says, rather than focusing your gaze and attention on what your nervous system perceives as a threat. It helps paint a picture of safety, and your brain and nervous system can begin to feel some calm.

Slow down what you’re doing, even if it’s just a small part.

We know that the to-do list is never-ending. But instead of rushing through the day’s action items, take your time. By slowing things down, you give your nervous system more room to process the sensory information you’ve already received, so it’s ready to take in the information that comes next. “My clients are always surprised by this. It seems so simple, but it’s so effective,” Snow says.

remove yourself from overstimulating environments

“If you need a sensory break, give it a rest,” says Slavens. Spend a few minutes alone in the bathroom, in an empty room, or in your garden. “Resting your senses calms your nervous system and allows your mind to temporarily catch up,” says Snow.

Mothers often say they feel “touched” and wonder if it’s okay to take a break from holding their young child. Slavens, who has children of her own, says that’s true. It’s okay to let your baby lie down in a safe place for a few minutes while you rest your senses in a nearby room. It’s okay to say to your children, “Mommy needs space right now, so you can sit next to me, but not on top of me.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the airplane oxygen mask analogy many times before, and the sentiment behind it is true. Take care of yourself before you can no longer take care of others.

practice mindful breathing

Adding mindful breathing techniques can reduce stress and calm your nervous system when it’s overloaded, experts say. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. We like to try box breathing. This involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding your breath for a count of 4, exhaling for a count of 4, holding your breath for a count of 4, and repeat as many times as necessary.

Participate in interactive movement

Moving from left to right, or from side to side (also called bilateral movement), has the effect of “waking up the brain and allowing it to process the information it picks up,” Snow says.

Going for a walk is a form of interactive exercise. If you’re standing and talking to people at an event, chances are you’re slowly shifting your weight between your legs from left to right. If you’re at a meeting or dinner, you might tap your thighs back and forth with both hands under the table. Whichever bilateral movement you choose, working on it will bring your attention back to your body and away from the information that is overstimulating you.

put pressure on the body

“Pressures on the abdomen are very comfortable for most people’s nervous systems,” Snow says. She recommends taking your hands and pressing into your lower abdomen, pulling your knees up to your chest, or hugging yourself. Use your hands to hold your chest or place something weighty against your body, like a weighted blanket or a furry friend, Slavens adds.

As an added bonus, try combining the techniques we’ve discussed so far. For example, put your hands on your chest and apply deep pressure to yourself, practice breathing, and say to yourself, “I’m safe.” Ideally, you should have these different management techniques in your pocket so that you can switch between them if they start to become less effective after a while.

When should you see a health care provider?

While these management strategies we just discussed are great ways to calm your nervous system when you’re feeling overstimulated, they may not be enough in some cases. If your symptoms of sensory overload are interfering with your daily life, interfering with things you want to do, or are occurring on a regular basis, experts recommend contacting your health care provider. . They can learn more about your experience, test you for underlying health conditions, and connect you with a mental health professional for additional support.

conclusion

Everyone experiences some type of overstimulation at some point in their life. Sensory overload can be frustrating, but it’s also simply your body’s way of letting you know that your nervous system is at its peak processing capacity. It’s not easy to completely protect ourselves from overstimulating environments, but thankfully there are proven methods that can help calm our minds and bodies. So the next time things feel a little too much, there are strategies you can use to feel a little more at ease.