Overstimulated and Kinda Annoyed: A Guide for Humans
What Does “Overstimulated” Even Mean?
The word overstimulated has made its way into pop culture. I hear it from neurodivergent folks, stay-at-home moms, and teens who are annoyed at their parents. But what does it actually mean? And how do we get less stimulated?
At its core, overstimulated means your nervous system is overloaded. Our brains are constantly sorting input—sights, sounds, smells, emotions, chemical dumps, perceived danger, and more. When the brain gets more input than it can handle, it can trigger anxiety, irritability, or overwhelm.
Being overstimulated often feels like:
- “I need to get out of here.”
- “I’m about to jump out of my skin.”
Why Do We Get Overstimulated?
1. Some Brains Are More Sensitive
Some of us are more sensitive to daily sensory input than others. Neurodivergent individuals are more likely to have sensory processing differences, which makes filtering input harder.
Example: trying to listen to someone talk while the AC sounds like a jet engine and the music down the hall feels like it’s inside your skull. For some brains, everything feels equally loud and important, which is exhausting.
2. Too Much Environment at Once
We can also get overstimulated when we experience more stimulus than usual.
Common situations include:
- Working in a busy boardroom instead of a quiet cubicle
- Concerts with loud music, bright lights, and crowds
New or intense environments can overload the nervous system fast.
3. The Mom Tax (aka Hypervigilance)
I hear “I’m so overstimulated!” from a lot of moms in my practice. Mothers are wired to pay attention to their kids at all times, which can lead to hypervigilance—being on high alert and scanning for needs or danger.
Add daily life, and you get scenes like:
TV on + cooking dinner + a child hugging your leg yelling “Mom! Mom! Mom!”
This isn’t just irritability—it’s overstimulation disguised as irritability.
4. Mental Multitasking (Your Brain Has Tabs Open)
We can also overstimulate ourselves with our own thoughts.
Example:
If I’m making a grocery list, half-listening to the TV, trying to remember weekend plans, and asking my spouse to check the pantry, my brain is juggling too much. Cognitive overload can feel the same as sensory overload.
How Do We Cope With Overstimulation?
1. Figure Out Your Sensory Triggers
Ask yourself: Which senses overwhelm me the fastest?
For example, I am sensitive to sound when I’m overstimulated. My husband can confirm how many times I’ve asked him to turn down the TV.
Once you know your triggers, you can plan for them.
Some options include:
- Wearing headphones or AirPods to reduce noise
- Wearing sunglasses if lights bother you
- Switching into comfy clothes after work
- Turning down the car radio when navigating (we all do it)
We make sensory accommodations more than we realize.
2. Schedule Low-Stimulation Time
If you never give your nervous system a break, it will take one for you—usually as irritability, a meltdown, or shutting down.
Ideas include:
- Drinking coffee alone before the house wakes up
- Coloring instead of doomscrolling before bed
- Eating lunch alone in your office instead of the break room
Quiet and stillness are not luxuries—they’re maintenance.
Modern Life Is Basically an Overstimulation Factory
Anyone can get overstimulated, and it’s more common than ever.
We live in a world where:
- Screens are available 24/7
- True silence is rare
- We don’t follow natural light or rest cycles
- We can always “do one more thing”
Because our world never stops, we have to choose which stimuli matter and which are making us miserable.
If you are or have been experiencing overstimulation for a prolonged amount of time, you are experiencing anxiety, depression, and/or irritability due to overstimulation, therapy can help.
The therapists at Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting would love to help you in your journey of reducing the noise and overstimulation of life so you can relax and feel better.
About the Author
Karlee Beville, LCSW, specializes in working with teens and adults to overcome past trauma and move toward a life where they can truly thrive. She’s also passionate about supporting individuals exploring neurodivergence or navigating how to better help a loved one.
Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting’s mission is to inspire hope for change to help individuals move forward and live fully.
Click here to schedule an appointment today.
