What Is Sensory Overload? When you first hear “Sensory Overload”, pay attention to what happens in your body. Do you resonate with the concept of your nervous system being flooded with new information? If so, you are absolutely not alone. So many of us are consistently inundated with incoming data in various ways: Twitter, the news, Facebook, COVID-19 protocols, our phones, the changing weather patterns (and their accompanying allergens). Our bodily senses are constantly overwhelmed with new information on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, and minute-by-minute basis. Given that our physical bodies are human and have a finite threshold of containing new information, we almost always hit a wall with an overwhelming amount of input. Sensory overload can show up in many different forms, whether it is through sound, vision, touch, smell, taste, or emotion (As I like to call it, our sixth sense!). To self-disclose to my readers, recently I went to a massive indoor game arcade for my first time with a group of friends, and I felt completely unprepared for the new sensory data. The sounds of children screaming with excitement, the noises of the game machines, the sights of the bright lights flashing in the patron’s faces, the amount of crowded lines for the rides–I immediately recognized that I had sensory overload. I had also recently gotten off of a heavy work week, and by default I had very little space for new data input. Before we understand fully what to do during our individual moments of sensory overload, or how to handle the situation I was in as mentioned above, let’s first zoom in a bit closer on what sensory overload looks and feels like. Below are only just a few physical manifestations of sensory overload: Signs of Sensory Overload 1) Panic attack or severe anxiety: This would be one of the more common examples of sensory overload. High anxiety can feel like an increase in heart rate, sweaty palms, and an overall destructive feedback loop of intrusive thoughts (i.e. “This happened, and therefore I am responsible”). Panic attacks, the more severe version of anxiety, can feel almost debilitating. Persons who experience panic attacks can feel an increased need to flee a scene that is giving them anxiety, they feel trapped and unable to move, and they can almost feel dissociated from themselves. 2) Heightened irritability: This is another very common indicator of sensory overload. Persons who are irritable are almost always either overwhelmed with new information or deprived of some form of emotional need. Irritability can look like “grumpiness”, “grouchiness”, an easy upset to change or unpredictability, and have an overall shorter fuse. 3) Trembling or restlessness: Persons with sensory overload can feel extremely restless, almost appearing as though they are “fidgety”, “shaky”, or have a mind that “won’t turn off”. Trembling is more of a short-term effect of sensory overload, whereas restlessness can be more of a long-term indicator. 4) Fatigue and sleeplessness: Fatigue from sensory overload can feel like a general lack of energy, but it can also show up as depression as well as a lack of motivation to stay engaged. Sleeplessness is a more long-term reaction to sensory overload, and it can come from being unable to unwind after an extreme daily amount of sensory input. 5) Bodily tension: As a holistic therapist, I am constantly checking in with my clients as far as where their body discomfort resides. And even as you read this, does your body feel tense or unable to relax? If so, you might be experiencing signs of overstimulation. Even as you are checking in right now, where is the tension? And where do you think the overstimulation is coming from? As a Symptom of Other Conditions It is very important to know that sensory overload is a very large component of persons with autistic spectrum disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyper-active disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and dissociative identity disorder (DID). If you have not gotten a diagnosis for any of the above but still heavily identify with the concept of sensory overload, you may also be a highly sensitive person (HSP). HSP’s are easily perceptive to others’ emotions, easily upset by change around them, and have a differently wired nervous system than most of the population. Dr. Elaine Aron’s book “The Highly Sensitive Person” does a wonderful job of explaining this personality type in depth. Preventing Sensory Overload It’s first very important to understand that we should have plans of preventing sensory overload as much as we should have an emergency plan in case or overload is so heightened that it becomes an urgent matter. To refer back to earlier in this blog where I spoke of my own sensory overload being in the giant gaming arcade, there were several things that I did in the very moment that helped. Once I realized that I was experiencing restlessness, severe anxiety, panic symptoms, and higher irritability, I referred to the emergency coping strategies below: Emergency Coping Strategies: 1) Remove yourself from the sensory input: Go to a quieter, less stimulating area for at least 30 minutes to give your sensory receptors a break. This can be a nearby outdoor patio, restaurant, or restroom. 2) Rely on your nearby friends or loved ones: During my time at the arcade, I was able to rely on my friends who could immediately tell I was not comfortable or safe. If you are alone, do not hesitate to call your loved ones, friends, partners, or whoever else will hold space for you as you decompress from the immediate overload. 3) Do something that will immediately bring you joy: Shop Amazon and order your favorite book, order your favorite dish if there is a restaurant nearby, order your favorite beverage if you are near a coffee shop or bar (but be careful not to use alcohol as a default escape from sensory overload!)
Long-term Coping Strategies
1) Limit news intake: As I first mentioned, the news media is one of the most potent and overstimulating forms of new input. Only check your trusted news sources once or twice a day.
2) Listen to low-energy music: Some of my favorites when I need to rest my sensory input are Enya, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, and different film soundtracks like “Moulin Rouge” or “Black Swan” (I could write an entire blog series on music as healing, so I digress!)
3) Sitting in a dark room: This might seem odd, but light is a form of stimulation. Getting black-out curtains or keeping blinds shut are easy ways of limiting light sensory.
4) LIMIT SCREEN TIME: No, my caps lock button is not broken! This is something that we sadly are not aware of as much as we need to be. Screen time can be an onslaught of sensory input, and limiting your screen time in the morning, throughout the day, and before bed is an absolutely necessary way of preventing sensory overload!
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