Sensory Overload. How To Deal With It?

Sensory overload occurs when the brain and nervous system receive excessive sensory input, and it becomes difficult for the brain to process the information. This may happen when a person, for instance, is in the mall on a busy weekend and gets overwhelmed with bustling crowds, vibrant advertisements, and various scents from stores. 

People experiencing sensory overload may feel exhaustion, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and even panic attacks. For example, I once experienced sensory overload in an overcrowded casino, and since then I have played only in online casinos (and, by the way, with non gamstop no deposit bonus offers). If you are such a sensitive person like me, then read this article. There are various ways to handle this sensitivity and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Below, I will provide several practical and personally tested pieces of advice that may be helpful.

Symptoms of Sensory Overload

The symptoms are quite vague and nonspecific. They can be hysteria, irritability, anxiety, rapid mood swings, feeling exhausted, headaches, nausea, or a desire to pull a hood or clothing over the head – to cover up and wrap oneself up. Sensory overload isn’t just feeling annoyed by something. It’s more like feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated and not being able to handle it at the time.

Types of sensory overload:

Visual overload: occurs when a person has to look at bright light for a long time, continuously work with a computer, review a large amount of information, or be in a brightly lit place.

Auditory overload:  occurs when the level of noise around a person is very high. This can happen at concerts, clubs, on the streets during city holidays, or in places with a large crowd of people.

Tactile overload: occurs when the skin receives too much stimulation. This can happen, for example, when wearing very tight clothing or touching very rough surfaces.

Taste overload: occurs when a person consumes too much diverse food or drinks in a short time.

Olfactory overload: occurs when a person constantly has to be in strong smells, for example, in a room heavily scented with perfume or when using aggressive chemical cleaning agents at home.

Conditions that Increase the Risk of Sensory Overload

Everyone may occasionally suffer from sensory overload, but some are particularly sensitive to this condition. The risk of being unable to cope with intense environmental stimuli is higher for people with the following conditions:

Childhood Age

Young children have difficulty processing sensory information, especially when they are tired or when external stimuli are too strong. This is quite normal, especially if it occurs between the ages of 1 and 3 and does not happen too frequently. Some children are exceptionally sensitive to certain stimuli – bright light, water, loud noises, or the touch of certain types of fabric on the skin. Often, clumsiness and a low pain threshold accompany this sensitivity.

This could be a sign of sensory processing disorder – a complex neurological condition in which the brain struggles to process signals from the sensory organs. This is not a diagnosis, but rather an indication of the possible presence of other disorders. For example, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Anxiety 

Anxiety causes stress, and as a result, a person becomes more sensitive to external irritants. Symptoms of sensory overload can exacerbate the condition during anxiety or occur independently of it. The reverse situation can also occur – initially, the brain struggles to process incoming signals, and then anxiety arises.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Adults and children with this disorder have difficulty processing sensory information. This makes them particularly sensitive to bright light, loud noises, and strong smells. Additionally, people with this syndrome struggle to control their emotions and poorly tolerate changes in the environment. All of this increases the risk of sensory overload.

Autism 

People with autism are highly sensitive to their environment. They pay excessive attention to details and experience discomfort from stimuli that most neurotypical individuals don’t notice. For example, car honks or crowd noise. Therefore, the sensory organs of people with this disorder can easily become overwhelmed. To cope with stress, a person with autism may engage in repetitive actions. For example, clapping their hands, rocking back and forth, or repeating words and phrases.

How to Deal with Sensory Overload

The most effective way to alleviate sensory overload is to remove the stimuli that caused it. For example, leave a crowded room, put on headphones, take off a scratchy wool sweater, or remove too-tight jeans. Also, you can use relaxation techniques. They will help reduce the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, and make you feel better.

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath for a few minutes. Deep breathing can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress levels. 
•  Choose one sensory experience to focus on. For example, if you are in a noisy restaurant, try to focus on the taste of your food or the sensation of touching an object on the table.
•  If you feel that sensory overload is starting to affect your health and well-being, don’t hesitate to tell your friends, family, or colleagues about it. Tell them that sometimes you need time and space to recharge.

Pay attention to the places and situations that trigger sensory overload for you. Try to determine what exactly makes you nervous: an abundance of visual stimuli, noise or specific sounds, crowds of people, sharp odours… If you manage to identify the causes of overload, you will be able to avoid them in the future.

Ultimately, coping with sensory overload can be a challenging task, but that doesn’t mean it cannot be overcome. It’s important to understand that everyone is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. Therefore, you should experiment with different methods and find those that work best for you.

If sensory overload occurs too frequently for you and no relaxation methods help improve your well-being, seek help from a psychotherapist. A specialist will help identify the real cause of the problem and teach you how to effectively cope with overload.