Navigating Sensory Overload and Overstimulation: A Guide for Highly Sensitive People
Have you ever felt like the world around you is cranked up to full volume, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and on edge? You're not alone. As a therapist and coach who specializes in working with highly sensitive people, I understand the challenges you face when sensory overload takes hold.
In this blog post, we explore the experience of sensory overload and discover practical strategies to navigate its complexities. We also hear from other HSPs about what sensory overload or overwhelm feel like to them.
What Does Sensory Overload Feel Like?
I asked fellow sensitive folks on Reddit to share how they would describe the experience of sensory overload or sensory overwhelm to someone who has never experienced it. The answers revealed common themes:
Sensory overload or overstimulation: The experience of feeling overwhelmed by excessive sensory input, such as loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells.
Physical and emotional reactions: Various physical and emotional reactions to sensory overload, such as tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, panic, agitation, muscle tension, and a strong urge to escape or find solitude.
Loss of focus and cognitive impairment: The inability to think clearly, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and a sense of mental exhaustion or shutdown.
Hyper-awareness and heightened sensitivity: Being acutely aware of their surroundings and experiencing an amplified sensitivity to stimuli, including sounds, visuals, and even physical sensations on the skin.
Need for self-care and quiet: The importance of finding solace in quiet environments, seeking silence, deep breathing, and taking breaks to calm down and regain control.
Intensity and unpleasantness: The overwhelming and distressing nature of sensory overload, using vivid metaphors like drowning, suffocation, being trapped, and enduring constant discomfort.
Social interactions and misunderstandings: The difficulty of social interactions when experiencing sensory overload, including irritability, perceiving others as annoying, and the need to withdraw from social settings.
Do any of the descriptions below, shared by other highly sensitive people, resonate with you?
HSP Voices Describing Sensory Overload and Overstimulation
“For me, it feels like everything is turned up too loud. It makes me seem grumpy, but really, I’m just overwhelmed and trying to cope.
It’s like having a heavy weight on your chest, making it hard to breathe. It feels like a panic attack and a strong urge to run away.
When it’s really noisy, I feel a tightness in my chest and a tingly, overly alert feeling on my arms and neck. I even feel like crying right away. It’s like my emotions are stirring deep inside my body.
It’s like drowning, as if all the noise and light are a monster trying to swallow me. I can’t think straight, and all I can see, feel, and hear is that monster coming after me.
My chest feels tight, I can’t take in enough air, and I start getting more and more worried. Eventually, I feel like I can’t breathe and just need to get out of there.
It’s suffocating, my muscles ache, and I get a surge of adrenaline that makes me want to escape. It’s just as terrible as it sounds.
My muscles get tense, and everything around me becomes too overwhelming. It’s like my brain gets foggy and can’t think clearly.
For me, everything seems too loud and bright, like it’s too much to handle.
My brain stops working properly and I get really irritated by everyone around me. I can only see a narrow view, like looking through a tunnel. I have to go somewhere quiet to calm down before I lose control.
It’s like being at a super annoying concert where everyone is talking, and someone is trying to talk to you, but you can’t hear anything.
It’s like when your computer freezes because you have too many things going on at once. It’s just too much to handle.
It’s like being stuck in an elevator with someone who’s too close, has a strong smell, chews gum loudly, plays loud music, and there are annoying sounds repeating over and over.
It’s like dealing with a crying baby, someone knocking at the door, needing to use the bathroom urgently, being late for something important, and realizing you forgot to do something, all at the same time.
Feeling extremely overwhelmed is like experiencing a constant car accident over and over again.
I feel my toes curl, my teeth grind, my muscles tighten, and I start breathing heavily. It’s like a really unpleasant feeling inside my body, like nails scratching on a chalkboard.
It’s like someone is squeezing me tightly, making it hard to breathe, and all I want to do is run away. It’s a kind of pain, but it’s inside my head.
It feels like there’s a painful sensation inside my head that gets worse with noise, smells, and even how gravity feels.
I instantly get agitated and focus a lot on my breathing to try and calm down. I just want to be alone in a quiet place.
I feel numb and my brain stops working properly.
I feel like I’m hyper-aware of every little thing touching my skin, and it becomes too overwhelming to handle.
My brain stops working properly, everyone around me annoys me, and I can only see a small view. I have to step away, breathe, and find silence before I lose control.”
These shared experiences from fellow highly sensitive people illustrate the profound impact of sensory overload on their lives. It's important to acknowledge and validate these feelings, as they are real and valid. Remember, you are not alone in this journey.
What is Sensory Overload?
As the descriptions above indicate, sensory overload is like being in a crowded room where every sound becomes deafening, scents overpowering, and even the gentlest touch feels magnified. It can feel like a rollercoaster ride that can leave you feeling like a raw nerve, yearning for solace.
More specifically, sensory overload refers to a condition where an individual's sensory system becomes overwhelmed by an excessive amount of sensory input from their environment. This can include various stimuli such as sounds, sights, smells, textures, and even social interactions.
When someone experiences sensory overload, it can lead to feelings of overwhelm, stress, and an inability to process or filter out the sensory information effectively. Essentially, it's like having too much information bombarding your senses all at once, making it challenging to stay focused, calm, and regulated.
Amplified Sensory Experience: The Volume Cranked Up
Just like turning the volume knob to its maximum, sensory overload amplifies even the simplest sounds, making them feel like thunderous booms in your ears. It's as if your senses are on high alert, causing a tightness in your chest and a longing to retreat to your sanctuary.
Seeking Solitude: Escaping the Onslaught
When sensory overload strikes, all you desire is peaceful solitude. Activities like watching TV, reading, or listening to music, which usually bring joy, become additional sources of stimulation. It's important to understand that it's not about being cranky or grumpy; it's about feeling overwhelmed and doing your best to cope.
Key Takeaway: Sensory overload is like experiencing the world with the volume turned up way too loud, leaving you feeling like a raw nerve and yearning for solitude.
Signs and Symptoms of Sensory Overload
Now that we've uncovered the essence of sensory overload, let's explore how it manifests in the lives of highly sensitive individuals. Remember, each person's experience may have unique nuances.
Physical Sensations: Tightness, Breathlessness, and Adrenaline
During sensory overload, you may feel a tightness in your chest, as if the weight of the world is pressing down on you. Your breathing may become shallower, intensifying worries. In extreme cases, adrenaline rushes through your veins, triggering a primal urge to escape, as if your very survival depends on it.
Mental and Emotional Turmoil: Agitation and Fogginess
The mental and emotional impact of sensory overload can be overwhelming. Your mind may become foggy, making it challenging to think clearly, and your thoughts may feel jumbled. Anxiety and agitation creep in, intensifying the cycle of overstimulation. In some instances, voices and sounds may even feel like physical tremors, distracting your brain entirely.
Key Takeaway: Sensory overload not only affects your physical well-being but also takes a toll on your mental and emotional state, leading to tightness, breathlessness, agitation, and mental fog.
How to Handle Sensory Overload Like a Pro
Now that we've delved into the depths of sensory overload, it's time to equip you with practical strategies to navigate these stormy seas. Remember, you possess the power to find balance and reclaim your serenity. Handling sensory overload can be a personal journey, and what works for one individual may not work for another.
Grounding Techniques: Calming the Storm Within
When sensory overload threatens to engulf you, grounding techniques can work wonders. Close your eyes, take slow, deep breaths, and repeat a soothing mantra to yourself. While they may not work every time, these techniques can bring you back to a place of calm in the majority of situations.
Practicing mindfulness exercises, deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm the nervous system and reduce sensory overload symptoms.
Designing a Sensory-Friendly Haven: Your Sanctuary
Creating a sensory-friendly haven is akin to building your own sanctuary, where you can find respite from the overwhelming world. Consider the following tips:
Establish Safe Zones: Designate specific areas in your home where you can retreat when sensory overload strikes. Fill these spaces with calming elements such as soft lighting, comfortable cushions, and soothing scents.
Sensory Diet: Just like maintaining a balanced meal plan, nourish your sensory diet. Identify the sensory inputs that bring you joy and relaxation. It could be listening to gentle music, engaging in creative activities, or surrounding yourself with pleasant textures. Make it a regular practice to incorporate these activities and keep your senses in harmony.
Environmental Modifications: Take charge of your environment by minimizing sensory triggers. Adjust the lighting to a softer glow, use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to block out unwanted sounds, and create a clutter-free space that promotes a sense of calm.
Establish Boundaries: Communicate your needs to your loved ones, explaining what sensory overload feels like and how they can support you. Set boundaries and establish signals that indicate when you require some quiet time or space. Remember, advocating for yourself is essential in maintaining your well-being.
Key Takeaway: By implementing grounding techniques and creating a sensory-friendly haven, you can effectively manage sensory overload and reclaim a sense of balance and serenity in your life.
Embracing Your Sensory Superpowers
Now, let me share some good news. Sensory processing sensitivity, the trait that makes highly sensitive people more susceptible to sensory overload, also gifts you with incredible strengths. It can be helpful to reframe your perspective and celebrate the benefits of your trait:
Deep Empathy: Your heightened sensitivity allows you to connect deeply with others' emotions and experiences. Use this gift to offer support, understanding, and compassion to those around you.
Attention to Detail: Your ability to notice subtle nuances and details enables you to appreciate the beauty in life's simplest moments. Embrace this superpower and let it enrich your daily experiences.
Intuitive Insights: Your heightened sensory perception often goes hand in hand with intuition. Trust your gut instincts and embrace the wisdom they hold. Your intuition can guide you towards making choices that align with your authentic self.
Key Takeaway: Sensory processing sensitivity is not just a challenge; it's a gift that brings unique strengths such as deep empathy, attention to detail, and intuitive insights.
Professional Support from a HSP Therapist or Coach
Consider working with a therapist or counselor who specializes in sensory processing sensitivity or highly sensitive people. An HSP therapist can provide guidance, support, and specific strategies tailored to your needs.
Working with a HSP coach is another option, particularly if you want support and accountability in working towards your goals. An HSP coach works collaboratively with you, tailoring their approach to meet your specific needs. They provide a supportive partnership where you can openly discuss challenges, explore solutions, and celebrate successes.
Remember, when seeking an HSP therapist or coach, look for professionals with experience and expertise in working with highly sensitive individuals. They should have a deep understanding of sensory processing sensitivity and a compassionate approach that aligns with your needs and goals.
Find Support from the Online HSP Community
Connect with others who share similar experiences and challenges related to being an HSP and experiencing sensory overload. Online communities or local support groups can provide a sense of belonging, validation, and a platform for sharing coping strategies. One resource is the HSP community on Reddit.
Participating in the online HSP community offers a unique opportunity to find like-minded individuals who can relate to your challenges and provide empathy and understanding. It can be a place to celebrate your strengths as an HSP, share your successes, and receive encouragement from others who have walked a similar path.
While online communities are valuable, it's important to remember that they should complement, rather than replace, professional support. The information shared in these communities is based on personal experiences, and individual needs may vary. It's always a good idea to consult with a qualified mental health professional or an HSP coach who can provide personalized guidance tailored to your specific circumstances.
Remember, you are not alone in this experience, and there is strength in embracing your sensitivity. By implementing grounding techniques, creating a sensory-friendly haven, and celebrating your superpowers, you can thrive as a highly sensitive individual and find harmony amidst the sensory symphony of life.
So go forth, my friend, and may your heightened senses continue to enrich your journey, bringing you closer to a life of authenticity, understanding, and inner peace.
