You may not know what sensory overload is, but you've definitely been through it at least once. For example, you come to a party and get lost, what to pay attention to: music, strangers, friends, flickering lights, etc. Now imagine that this happens every day. And most likely it is.
ContentWhat is sensory overload and what causes itWhat is sensory overload: symptomsWhat can you do to stay calm?
Every day, your body receives a huge amount of sensory information, which is perceived by your five senses. This information enters the brain and nervous system, where it is processed, which allows you to take appropriate action. But sometimes, when it's all too much and you feel overwhelmed, all you want to do is switch off and do nothing. Sound familiar? WomanEL offers to learn more about this new phenomenon for humanity.
What is sensory overload and what causes it
There is a clinical term that means that you “Sensory overload is something we all experience when we are bombarded with too much sensory information,” says psychotherapist April Snow.
When the amount of sensory information coming in exceeds your nervous system's capacity, it misinterprets it as a threat, which can lead to hyperarousal (fight or flight) or hypoarousal (freezing). Fortunately, with the right strategies, we can learn to regulate and cope with the effects of sensory overload, says psychologist Caitlin Slavens.
“If you’re already feeling anxious, depressed, sad, or under a lot of stress, you’re more likely to experience sensory overload because your nervous system is already stressed,” Slavens says.
Sensory overload can occur for a number of reasons. For example, it’s harder for your nervous system to process incoming sensory information when you’re sick, hungry, thirsty, tired, or sleep-deprived. But that’s not all.
“There are people who are just naturally more receptive,” Snow says. “For example, people with ADHD, spectrum, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or sensory processing disorder, where their brain perceives sensory information differently.” Snow adds that people who have experienced long-term trauma may also not be able to regulate their emotions well, which can increase the risk of feeling overwhelmed more often.
It can be very difficult to wake up in the morning in winter. We understand. But this does not mean that nothing can be done about it.
What is sensory overload: signs
When your nervous system is overstimulated, it either goes into fight-or-flight mode or freezes. Fight-or-flight is the stress response in which the body decides whether to fight or flee a threat. Freezing, on the other hand, occurs when your body feels constricted, stiffened, or simply frozen when faced with a stressor. Snow explains that “we often switch between the two stress responses.”
When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, you may experience:
- Anxiety;
- Irritability;
- Anger;
- Depression;
- Rapid breathing;
- Random thoughts;
But when you are in a state of “freeze” reaction, you may feel:
- Lethargic or lazy;
- Sadness;
- Numbness;
- Withdrawn;
- Trouble concentrating;
- Difficulty making decisions and taking action.
“When you’re stressed, when your nervous system is disrupted, your prefrontal cortex, the front part of your brain, shuts down, and with it your executive functioning,” Snow explains. “It becomes hard to think clearly, it becomes hard to make decisions, it becomes hard to focus. And when we are in this state, it is also difficult for us to fall asleep,” she adds.
So what can you do to stay calm?
While it’s not easy to completely isolate yourself from a stressful environment, fortunately, there are proven methods to help you maintain a calm mind and body. Source: freepik.com
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it often feels like there’s nothing you can do to stop feeling overwhelmed. But we want to tell you that there is a way to calm down. Here are some expert-approved strategies:
- Tell yourself you are safe. By reminding your nervous system that you are safe, your nervous system takes its foot off the “threat” pedal, easing the fight, flight, or freeze response it was in.
- Focus on a different environment. Try this: turn your head, look left, then right. Try to take in the whole space instead of fixing your gaze and attention on what your nervous system has perceived as a threat. This will help you paint a more complete picture of safety so that your brain and nervous system can begin to feel calm.
- Slow down your actions, even if it’s just for a split second. By slowing down, you give your nervous system a chance to process the sensory information it’s already received so that it’s ready to take in whatever information comes your way next time.
- Remove yourself from the stressful situation. Spend a few minutes alone in a bathroom, an empty room, or in the garden.
- Practice mindful breathing. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
- Use bilateral movements. Walking is a form of bilateral movement. If you’re standing and talking to people at an event, this could be a slight shift of weight between your legs from left to right. If you’re in a meeting or dinner, this could be tapping your hips back and forth under the table.
- Put pressure on your body. You can press your chest with your hands or place something heavy on your body, such as a weighted blanket or a furry friend.
Do you know what happens to your body during the holidays? We talked about it in detail here.
