How to Deal with Overstimulation: Tips and Strategies

Bright lights. Crowded spaces. Emotionally intense movies. These are just a few examples of things that may feel like too much for your brain to handle, depending on your triggers.

This experience — known as overstimulation — happens when your brain has trouble processing all of the input it’s getting from your senses. Our brains process a lot of internal and external stimuli. But there are limits, especially if you’re prone to overstimulation.

Being overstimulated may affect your mental well-being and make it hard to function in your daily life. Fortunately, there are adaptive ways to cope with it. Below, we’ll dive into what overstimulation is, explore common triggers, and walk you through coping mechanisms to help you navigate the experience. 

What is overstimulation, and how can you recognize it?

Overstimulation occurs when your senses are overloaded. Your brain tries to keep up with all this input, but it’s too overwhelming. As a result, you might experience a wide range of physical, emotional, or psychological symptoms. 

External stimuli, like other people or noises, may cause overstimulation. However, internal stimuli (like your own thoughts and feelings) may also trigger it. 

How do you know if you’re overstimulated? Overstimulation presents differently from person to person, but some signs and symptoms of overstimulation may include:

• A strong urge to escape 
• Disorientation or dizziness
• Extreme stress or overwhelm 
• Racing or intrusive thoughts 
• Trouble blocking out sensations, such as sights or sounds
• Difficulty focusing or zoning out
• Sweating or shaking 

The science behind overstimulation 

Your nervous system has two main areas — one for arousal and one for calming. A balance between these systems is ideal. When this balance is disrupted, you might feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. Below, we’ll go over the scientific basics to help you understand overstimulation better.

Brain processing and sensory input 

Your brain is busy, constantly receiving information from each of your senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Then, it processes this input. When there’s too much for your brain to process effectively, you may experience sensory overload. 

Think of your brain as a computer that’s trying to handle too much data or run too many programs at once: It may crash or freeze as it overloads.

The role of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)

The RAS is a network in your brain that controls how alert you are and helps you move from sleep to wakefulness. This network also acts as a filter for sensory information, which helps determine what gets your attention. 

When overwhelmed, the RAS can’t do its job as effectively. That may lead to an influx of more sensory information than your brain can comfortably handle. 

Neurotransmitters and chemical balance 

Your brain produces chemicals (called neurotransmitters) that help regulate your mood, arousal, and sensory processing. These neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, work most effectively when your brain has the right amounts. 

What happens if you have an imbalance in these brain chemicals? You may have a lower capacity for handling sensory input. Or you might have heightened sensitivities to triggers, putting you at a higher risk of becoming overstimulated. 

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and stress response 

Your body’s ANS controls your heart rate, digestion, and other involuntary functions that you don’t have to think about doing. Instead, the ANS handles these processes around the clock. 

When you’re overstimulated, the ANS might send you into fight or flight mode as a stress response. Being in this mode may also cause physical symptoms like muscle tension, shallow or rapid breathing, and an increased heart rate. 

Neural fatigue and mental exhaustion 

Internal and external stimuli run along your neural pathways or nerves while traveling to your brain. Constant exposure to high levels of stimuli can tire out these pathways, leaving you feeling fatigued or burned out. 

Your body has a natural need for downtime after handling a lot of sensory input for prolonged periods. It needs time to recover before dealing with another round of stimuli. 

Common triggers of overstimulation 

What might cause you to become overstimulated? Triggers may range from the thoughts in your head to loud noises and other external stimuli. 

What affects you can vary based on different factors, like your personality, temperament, and any clinical conditions you may have. In the following sections, we’ll discuss some common triggers of overstimulation. 

Environment 

Being in a room or place that’s loud, brightly lit, too hot, too cold, or crowded may trigger overstimulation. Any kind of sensory-rich environment may have this effect. For example, you might feel overwhelmed and want to escape when you’re at a crowded party. Too many people, too much noise, or other triggers might make you have this reaction.

Personal or emotional concerns 

As mentioned earlier, it’s not always external stimuli that lead to overstimulation — it may come from your own thoughts and feelings, too. Personal stressors, unresolved trauma, or emotional turmoil may increase feelings of overstimulation. For example, you might feel overstimulated more easily when you’re also struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one.  

Work and school 

Whether you’re an employee or student, tight deadlines, pressure to do your best, and multitasking may all contribute to overstimulation. For example, trying to juggle multiple tasks at work might make it harder for your brain to process sensory information, resulting in overstimulation.

Social or situational factors

Certain situations and social factors, like group dynamics and intense interactions, may lead to sensory overload. 

Let’s say you’re going to a work function where you’re expected to mingle with people you don’t get along with or don’t know very well outside the office. You’re feeling stressed and anxious about the situation, making it tough for your brain to process sensory stimuli. 

Physical discomfort 

Feeling physically uncomfortable may contribute to overstimulation. Specific textures, physical ailments, lack of sleep, and other kinds of physical discomfort are all possible triggers that may leave you feeling overwhelmed. For example, the feel of wool clothing on your skin might make you so uncomfortable that your brain becomes overstimulated.

When overstimulation may signal a deeper issue 

Being overstimulated doesn’t always mean there’s a clinical issue. It’s quite common for many people to feel overwhelmed occasionally. To help you better understand the difference, let’s explore normal overstimulation and sensory overwhelm that may signal a deeper issue. 

Normal sensory overwhelm vs. clinical concern

Experiencing sensory overwhelm occasionally isn’t unusual. For example, you might feel overstimulated at an outdoor concert in the heat — but it’s not a regular occurrence for you. 

Feeling overstimulated on a frequent or persistent basis may indicate a clinical concern. Certain clinical conditions are associated with overstimulation, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and sensory processing disorder (SPD).

Overstimulation in neurodiverse populations 

For some individuals, overstimulation may happen often. Those with SPD, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for example, tend to have sensory processing differences. But why does this happen? These populations may have greater sensitivity to certain stimuli, which may result in becoming overstimulated more easily. 

Coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with overstimulation 

Being overstimulated may be an uncomfortable experience, and it may be challenging to handle it adaptively. The good news is that there are many productive strategies for approaching overstimulation, which we’ll explore in greater detail below. 

Seek professional mental health support 

Although overstimulation can be overwhelming by its very nature, remember that you don’t have to cope with it alone. A licensed mental health professional can provide guidance and support to help you build more adaptive coping mechanisms.

Getting professional help through therapy or counseling can be a great way to manage overstimulation and understand it better. If it’s affecting your daily life, the right help is even more important. 

At SonderMind, we help you quickly and easily connect with a therapist who can help you navigate overstimulation so it doesn’t affect your day-to-day life. Simply tell us a bit about yourself and your therapeutic goals, and we’ll connect you with mental health professionals who meet your unique needs. 

Practice mindfulness and meditation 

When you feel overstimulated, finding a way to calm your brain may help. Mindfulness practices provide effective ways to help your mind relax. In fact, research published in Clinical Psychology Review shows that mindfulness and meditation have a calming effect on the brain. 

Being mindful or meditating can ground you when you’re feeling sensory overwhelm. For example, try sitting still and focusing on your breathing to help ease sensory overload — or you might do “walking” meditation instead, focusing on your steps as you move. 

Set boundaries with yourself and others 

Having boundaries involves knowing what your personal limits are and communicating these to others. This may help reduce overstimulation or ensure that others know what you need when you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

For example, you might let others know that you can only stay in a crowded or noisy place for a short period of time. If you feel overstimulated — or close to becoming overstimulated — you’ll need to seek a quiet place to decompress. 

Create a sensory-friendly environment 

Knowing your triggers is an important part of managing overstimulation. You may keep these triggers in mind while creating a sensory-friendly environment that’s soothing instead of stressful. For example, you might keep lights low if you’re sensitive to bright lighting. Or you might reduce noise with sound-absorbing decor choices, like curtains, rugs, or acoustic panels. 

You might find it helpful to take multiple steps to reduce sensory stimuli in general, especially if you’re highly sensitive to them. For example, you might keep your personal space organized, dim the lights, wear noise-canceling headphones, and maintain a comfortable room temperature. 

Learn grounding techniques 

Keeping yourself grounded may help ease the effects of overstimulation. Simple grounding techniques include deep breathing exercises or moving your body slowly, such as stretching. Alternatively, you might close your eyes and visualize yourself in a calmer setting, like a quiet beach.

Grounding techniques help redirect and focus your attention when you feel overwhelmed. A therapist can help you learn these techniques or adjust them as needed for the most effective outcome.

SonderMind is your partner in navigating overstimulation 

Being overstimulated may make it challenging to enjoy certain activities or carry out daily tasks. However, being aware of your triggers and how to cope with overstimulation is a great first step toward handling it more effectively. Therapy can provide an additional layer of support, giving you personalized guidance for handling your specific triggers and symptoms in an adaptive way.

Let SonderMind pave the way to a calmer state of mind — find a therapist today.