How Sensory Overload Impacts HSPs

Do you know how Sensory Overload impacts you as a highly sensitive person (HSP)? It is when our senses take in more information than our brain can keep up with processing.  Many HSPs are not living to their fullest potential because of the challenges of Sensory Overload and the world needs you to thrive fully.  

I know before I studied and researched the trait of high sensitivity I didn’t know that Sensory Overload caused many of my challenges and that there were things I could do that would help me so much.

So what does Sensory Overload feel like?

I polled some HSPs and this is what they shared it feels like…

• Someone turned the volume up on everything

• Feeling out of control

• It’s like I can’t handle one more thing in my head. I become very irritated, and short-tempered. I sometimes also feel like I am overcome with anxiety.

• Emotional and verbal shutdown, inability to concentrate, headache, fatigue, irritability, feeling trapped, need to escape

• There is too much of everything, and it's all coming at me . . . sights, sounds, smells, colors, actions, people, thoughts, pressure. My mind and body try to shut it all out. . . . I start to shut down . . . go numb and blank . . . need to get away . . . to quiet and peace

• It's like electricity and light pulsing through my body, brain, and soul. Pure exhaustion and weight that I want free of. Makes me want to run and hide anywhere calm and peaceful

• I feel like I’m in a daze and can’t really process what’s going on around me completely. Feels like my head is all foggy. It’s all overwhelming, and I can’t figure it out.

• I can't think straight. My mind reels. A kind of slow panic. Feeling I need to escape as quickly as possible

• DRAINING. Mental and physical energy are completely depleted

• A bit like a panic attack. I get shaky, my chest tightens, and it’s hard to breathe. Instantly drained of all energy. And if I can’t remove myself from the situation, the room starts to spin, then I completely shut down.

• Migraine

• I always say my spidey senses are on overload!

• Head pounding, energy drained, overwhelmed, anxious, emotional, tears will no doubt come.

• I feel like my inside is spinning out of control with increasing anxiety. I want to run away to a safe and quiet place..

• Heart palpitations, migraine, vertigo, anxiety, claustrophobia. Brain shuts down and goes into survival mode. Chaos! Circuit overload!

• It starts as exhaustion, then escalates toward a panic attack. I also get extremely spacey. I have difficulty focusing on anything and make stupid mistakes. Afterwards, I am exhausted, and it can take me several days to recover

• Cognitive and physical fatigue

• Feeling raw and exhausted but being unable to relax

• Anxiety: Like you’re underwater.  Intense!!!!!

• Irritation and exhaustion.

• Overwhelming feeling of the need to get away from the person talking my head off 

• Suffocating

• Can’t breathe or make decisions

• Like my brain is pulsating or vibrating

• My vision starts to blur, and I often get a headache. I get anxiety, and I have a hard time focusing

• Heart start racing abnormally; heavy feeling in the brain; want to run away from meeting, complete energy loss 

• Like your brain is pushed to its absolute limit

• My system goes into shock. I get dizzy, I can’t process ANYTHING mentally. My heart pounds, I may get nauseous. then, probably collapsed on the ground sobbing uncontrollably

We take in more data than the majority.  When our brain is overwhelmed by this input, it enters the fight/flight/freeze mode making us want to flee or fight or we might shut down. Once that is activated everything changes! 

• We release chemicals into the body that can make our heart race, shift how our body uses oxygen and how it functions in general. 

• We might feel unwell and overwhelmed and lose access to our cognitive brain, lose focus and memory, have an emotional reaction/meltdown/anger burst/irritability

• we might get digestive issues, rashes, headaches, migraines, and other Short term, long term health issues

Imagine that happening every day and what impact that might have on our health! Sensory overload is really hard sometimes and this is just a portion of our experience. 

Solutions:

• Acknowledge

• Normalize 

• Validate

• Mindset shift You aren’t “too sensitive”, the world is too loud and chaotic. You are born sensitive because the population needs a group of people taking in more data and who have higher levels of awareness. But society is not set up for our sensitivity levels and can often cause sensory overload (think about how loud garden equipment is or loud cars or motorcycles, bus brakes, airplanes, announcements, alarms), etc

• Practice self-compassion instead of judgment (5 pounds vs 1000)

• Be alone a couple of hours daily in quiet nature.

• Spend a few days alone in a quiet and peaceful nature setting and discover who you are without sensory overload! It’s life-changing to realize you can feel so much peace and bliss in nature. Plus creativity increases when you aren't in overload!

• Practice “HSP” Self-care (balance lowers sensitivity challenges) 

• Advocate for your needs 

• Live consciously to lower sensory overload 

Further Recommended Resources

• Listen to The HSP Podcast episode, HSPs and Sensory Overload

• Join me for my free Masterclasses

  • High Sensitivity and Anxiety

  • Tools to Help the Sensitive Thrive in a Chaotic World

• Explore online course HSPs are calling life-transforming that helps you learn tools to reduce Sensory Overload: Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person, Techniques to Reduce Anxiety and Overwhelming Emotions.

Julie Bjelland is a Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, host of The HSP Podcast, and Founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community, whose mission is to create a paradigm shift where sensitivity is embraced, valued, and honored. Julie offers multiple essential resources for educating, inspiring, and empowering HSPs. Register for her free Masterclasses, take the Sensitivity Quiz, and profoundly transform your life in her courses and community. Her HSPs in Business Group is designed to support and empower sensitive people to grow heart-centered businesses, share their voices, and be part of the change the world needs. Her HSP Dating Group is a safe space bringing together conscious, kind, caring sensitive people, offering both hetero and LGBTQ+ HSPs.   JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)