Highly Sensitive Person? 5 Ways to Reclaim Your Calm
Do you feel easily overstimulated by crowds, noise, or even your own excitement about an idea?
You may be a highly sensitive person.
If so, learning how to calm an overstimulated nervous system could make a world of difference for you.
Everyone functions best when their nervous system is moderately aroused. But people vary considerably in the degree of nervous system arousal that occurs in response to the same triggers.
According to pioneering researcher, Dr. Elaine Aron, a highly sensitive person (HSP) is more susceptible to over-stimulation probably due to brain differences. What causes moderate nervous system arousal for the average person may cause high arousal for a highly sensitive person.
Even a normal day at work can be overstimulating for an HSP.
Researchers say that 20% of the population shares the trait of high sensitivity. Overstimulation is just one of four main characteristics shared by highly sensitive people as described in Aron’s “DOES” model:
D = Depth of Processing: A HSP processes information more deeply.
O = Overstimulation: A HSP notices more in the internal and external environment and thus becomes overwhelmed more easily.
E = Emotional Reactivity: A HSP feels more and thus reacts more to both negative and positive experiences.
S = Sensing the Subtle: A HSP perceives more of the subtleties around her.
But given the stressful lives most people lead these days, it makes sense to pay attention to the health of your nervous system on any given day. There are easy ways to turn overstimulation around before you become the victim of chronic stress.
The Definition of Overstimulation
Let’s take a quick look at what overstimulation is, what triggers it, and the signs that indicate you’ve had too much.
What constitutes stimulation?
Stimulation includes anything that fires up the nervous system and potentially makes it go into overdrive, internal or external.
For example:
Noise
Crowds
Stress
Pain
Hunger
Thirst
Memories
Ideas
Fantasies
These are some of the signs that can occur when your nervous system is over-stimulated:
On edge
Hypervigilant
Increased pain
Elevated heart rate
Increased breathing rate
Rise in blood pressure
Sweating
Anxiety and panic
Anger or irritability
If these signs frequently occur in your life in response to inner or outer triggers or prolonged exposure, you may be wondering how to stop overstimulation. There are many different methods that can help with overstimulation. Below I share five that I have personally found easy to implement in a variety of situations.
1. Drink a class of water
Stress, which often leads to overstimulation, can trigger dehydration and dehydration can trigger stress.
According to Web MD, dehydration can increase your levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. And, when you’re stressed, you’re more likely to become dehydrated because heart and respiration rates increase.
“Studies have shown that being just half a liter dehydrated can increase your cortisol levels.
“Cortisol is one of those stress hormones. Staying in a good hydrated status can keep your stress levels down. When you don’t give your body the fluids it needs, you’re putting stress on it, and it’s going to respond to that.”
— Amanda Carlson, RD.
As soon as you notice stress rising, drink a glass of water. Create a plan to stay hydrated throughout the day so you’ll be more resilient to stress and the overstimulation it can cause.
2. Use Your Voice
It’s easy to send yourself negative or even panicked messages when you feel over-stimulated. Perhaps you tell yourself, “I can’t handle this.” Or, “This is too much for me.”
Learn instead to soothe yourself with your words and the tone of your voice. For example, repeat a calming phrase, prayer, or mantra. Or tell yourself encouraging messages like, “I’ll be fine.”
This works because voice sparks the ventral vagal nervous system, which lowers the heart rate and brings other body systems back into balance.
You might already have a special phrase, prayer, or mantra that you associate with inner peace. If not, select one. Use it whenever you begin to feel overstimulated. Encode it into your brain as a message of comfort.
A few suggestions:
Even though I feel stressed, I completely love and accept myself.
Relax, release, ease.
I’ve done this before. I can manage it again.
Be here now.
Let it be.
3. Take a walk
Like all aerobic exercise, a brisk walk reduces stress hormones and releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators.
The rhythm and repetition of walking can feel soothing too. For this reason, walking or running is sometimes called “muscular meditation.”
According to Harvard Health, even a 20-minute walk can reduce an overstimulated nervous system.
If you find yourself repeatedly overstimulated at the end of the workday, make it a habit to take a walk at lunch. Or at least take a walk when you leave work to down regulate your nervous system.
4. Orient to Your Environment
Use your senses to orient to your environment. Doing so activates the calming branch of the nervous system.
For example:
Look around slowly and let your eyes rest for a few moments on anything that catches your attention. The objects can be anywhere in the room—close to you or across the space. Repeat a few times until you feel a sense of calm returning.
Or do the same looking out a window. Slowly scan the environment and then let your eyes rest on the sky, a tree, a building. After a minute or two, repeat.
Turn your attention to the furniture in the room. Touch the surface. Is it hard, soft, rough, ridged, and so on?
Feel the temperature in the room.
Listen to whatever sounds touch your ears from inside or outside the room.
Feel the warmth of the coffee or tea cup you hold in your hands.
Feel your back against the chair.
Get into the habit of orienting once every hour. You can orient for a quick second, just noticing your back against the chair. Or take anywhere from one to to five minutes to let your eyes wander around the room.
A regular habit of orienting can help you stay in the zone of resilience.
5. Leave the situation
This isn’t always possible, but sometimes it is.
If you’re work place is chaotic, look for a new job. If your relationship is tense, take a day or a weekend away. If the grocery store is crowded, leave. Return at a time that’s usually less busy.
Another way to leave the situation is to close your eyes for a few minutes. While this won’t protect you completely from sensory overstimulation, it will close down one channel of input. You can do this at a crowded shopping mall, in a corner at a party, or at the movies if a film becomes too much.
Taking breaks is another form of leaving that can give you respite for a short while. You might need short breaks every hour to avoid overstimulation. You know yourself best. Do what’s right for you.
Closing Thoughts
Many of us live and work in highly stimulating environments. These environments are especially overwhelming for the nervous system of a highly sensitive person.
But whether you’re a highly sensitive person or not, there are many strategies that can help with overstimulation. Use one or more of these methods to return to calm after over-activation or to build resilience so you’re less like to become overstimulated.
Drink a glass of water
Use your voice
Take a walk
Orient to the environment
Leave the situation
These methods are simple to use. They don’t take excessive amounts of time. And, they can make a significant difference to your health and well-being.
Don’t hesitate! Try them out the next time your nervous system cries out. See if they make a difference for you.
Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious! Don’t forget to sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self.
You might also like to check out my Living with Ease course or visit my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always. With love, Sandra