In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or mentally exhausted without always knowing why. One common, but often overlooked, cause is overstimulation, a state in which the brain is bombarded with more sensory input than it can process effectively.
While being overstimulated is often a concern related to children, particularly those with autism spectrum conditions, people can experience sensory overload at any age. Sensory issues in adults can be just as troubling and challenging as they are in children.
“When someone feels overstimulated, their brain is basically receiving too much sensory input or too many demands at once, and it struggles to process it all smoothly,” says Christina Kay, PhD, a Massachusetts General Hospital clinical neuropsychologist.
She explains that overstimulation can relate to several factors, including:
- Sensory overload: The brain receives inputs from various senses—sight, sound, touch, etc. “When this is excessive —loud noises, bright lights, multiple conversations—the sensory regions of the brain become flooded with signals,” Dr. Kay says.
- Amygdala overactivation: The amygdala, which processes emotions and threats, may become hyperactive. “It can interpret overstimulation as a type of stress or danger, triggering a ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response,” Dr. Kay says.
- Strain on the prefrontal cortex: The prefrontal cortex is responsible for attention, decision-making, and self-control. “When overwhelmed, its ability to filter and manage stimuli decreases, making it harder to focus or regulate emotions,” Dr. Kay says.
- Neurochemical imbalance: Neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, may become dysregulated, and this imbalance can contribute to feelings of anxiety, irritability, or being “on edge,” Dr. Kay explains.
- Reduced inhibitory control: “Normally, the brain can filter out unnecessary stimuli,” she says. “When overstimulated, this filtering system weakens, leaving people more sensitive to sensory inputs that would otherwise be ignored.”
What Does Overstimulated Mean?
The stimuli that cause overstimulation in one person may not be the same as what triggers overstimulated reactions in someone else. But the result is often similar. “Overall, overstimulation is like the brain’s ‘bandwidth’ being maxed out, causing stress and making it harder to process or respond to the environment calmly,” Dr. Kay explains.
She adds that recognizing common signs of overstimulation early and intervening effectively can prevent burnout, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation. These signs include:
- Physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, muscle tension, headaches, gastrointestinal upset, and hot or cold flashes
- Emotional symptoms, including irritability or feeling on edge, mood swings, anxiety, and being moved to tears easily
- Cognitive symptoms, such as concentration problems, difficulty making decisions, brain fog, racing thoughts, and feeling cognitively overwhelmed
- Behavioral symptoms, including avoidance or withdrawal, restlessness, and impulsivity
What Are Sensory Issues?
Sensory issues in adults can vary from person to person. You may be particularly sensitive to loud noise, flashing lights, or certain odors. Dr. Kay says that some common sensory issues in adults include:
- Sensitivity to noise: Difficulty tolerating loud or sudden noises (e.g., sirens, crowded places); feeling overstimulated by background sounds or multiple conversations
- Sensitivity to light: Discomfort with bright lights, fluorescent lighting, or flickering screens; difficulty focusing in visually busy environments
- Touch sensitivity: Discomfort or irritation from certain textures (e.g., tags in clothes, certain fabrics); avoiding certain types of touch or physical contact; a sensation of being easily overwhelmed by physical sensations like hugs or crowded spaces
- Taste and smell sensitivity: Strong reactions to certain smells or tastes (either aversion or intense preference); feeling nauseated or overwhelmed by strong odors
- Vestibular sensitivity: Difficulties with balance or coordination (without a medical cause); feeling off-balance or dizzy in certain situations (e.g., escalators, rides); need for strong pressure for stability (e.g., weighted blankets)
A number of conditions are commonly associated with sensory overload:
- Autism spectrum disorder, which includes hypersensitivity (or sometimes hyposensitivity) to sounds, lights, touch, and other stimuli
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which sometimes involves difficulty filtering sensory input, a phenomenon that can lead to sensory overload, especially in overstimulating environments
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often involves feelings of being overwhelmed from sensory cues that trigger reminders of prior traumas
- Sensory processing disorder, characterized by neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities in which the brain struggles to process sensory information appropriately
- Anxiety, which can heighten sensory sensitivity
- Migraines, which often include certain sensitivities, especially to light and sound, which are common migraine triggers
- Concussion and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), which often involve damage to frontal regions of the brain, leading to impaired sensory processing and increased sensitivity
- Fibromyalgia, which frequently includes a heightened sensitivity to touch, and sometimes to light and sound
Managing Overstimulation
Prevention and intervention strategies can be helpful both in the moment (intervention) and to stave off instances of overstimulation (prevention), Dr. Kay says.
Identifying which sensory issues are most problematic for you is the first step in managing your overstimulation concerns. Dr. Kay notes that some effective interventions include removing or reducing noxious stimuli. “Leave the situation, turn down lights/sounds, or use noise-cancelling headphones or sunglasses,” she recommends.
She also advises using grounding techniques, such as mindfulness and deep breathing. “Do a body scan,” she suggests. “Notice where you are holding tension and consciously relax those areas. It can also help to hydrate and nourish. Drink water and/or eat something. Dehydration and hunger can exacerbate overstimulation.”
Dr. Kay also recommends taking a five-minute break to reset your mind. Step away from a task or situation that may be leading to sensory overload.
Preventive strategies start with knowing your triggers. “Track when overstimulation happens, and look for triggering patterns, such as crowds, noise, multitasking, etc.,” Dr. Kay says. “Also, build in recovery time. Schedule ‘decompression time’ after taxing tasks, use mindfulness techniques, take a brief walk, or engage in silence with breathing.”
Using helpful tools, such as earplugs, fidgets, weighted blankets and white noise, may be effective. Dr. Kay also suggests setting up your environment so that your home and workspace are decluttered. “Reduce visual noise, and create a calm, soothing environment,” Dr. Kay says. “Communicating boundaries is also important. Let others know when you need a break. Ask to converse in quiet, distraction-free spaces.”
If you feel that overstimulation is disrupting your daily life so that you avoid essential places (stores, public transportation, etc.) or are finding that basic tasks such as dressing or bathing are becoming difficult because of sensory issues, Dr. Kay says therapy may be appropriate.
“Therapy or professional treatment from a psychiatric/psychological provider is highly recommended for managing sensory issues when those issues begin to significantly impact a person’s daily life, mental health, relationships, and/or ability to function,” she says. “Sensory sensitivity is a normal variation in how people experience the world, but when it crosses into distress, dysfunction, or safety concerns, intervention can make a real difference.”
