Feeling overstimulated seems to be the norm for most people nowadays. Just because you’re getting used to it, doesn’t mean that it’s not bad for you. Constantly feeling overwhelmed is a recipe for stress, which is terrible for your health in the long run. If you’re looking for simple ways to start feeling less overstimulated, then here’s 5 tips to get you moving in that direction. Keep in mind that simple doesn’t always mean easy, but I’ve found these habits to be incredibly beneficial when I’ve implemented them into my life. Here they are:
1. Reduce Your Screen Time
This is arguably the most important one, and it’s probably going to be the hardest one to change. And I can’t act like I’m not usually glued to my phone for hours of my day. It’s not reasonable to say get rid of your phone altogether, so the alternative is just reducing the time we try to spend on it.
Social media and video games are usually the biggest culprit for chasing that dopamine rush. The problem lies in how long we’ll allow ourselves to indulge in these practices. It’s constantly engaging in high-dopamine activities (with no breaks to our brain) that causes our feelings of overstimulation.
I find that the easiest way to limit how much time we spend on certain apps is to set up app time-limits that automatically block you from the app once you reach your max daily use time. If you have an IPhone, you can see how to set up these app limits in my last post here.
The term “screen time” is really broad though, and can be extended well past your phone. Also big culprits, “screen time” would include time spent on your PC or console video games too. I believe it’s best to establish a maximum time limit you’re okay with spending on these things everyday, and then start a timer to make sure you don’t exceed those times when using them.
My general rule of thumb is if I’m using the screen time for entertainment (not actual work), then I should be setting a time limit, so I don’t get carried away.
2. Stop Using Music As Filler
Personally, I’d say this is the easiest to first implement. It’s not flashy, but I found this one gives a surprising ROI.
This one is all about simply cutting out listening to music throughout your day. This is NOT permanent, just hear me out.
I would absolutely agree that music is a great way to boost your mood and feel good. The idea here isn’t to punish ourselves by removing something harmless that feels good; rather, it’s about reducing these hyper-stimuli that we constantly expose ourselves to. In my opinion, music just happens to be an easy starting place.
During your day, when you’re jumping from social media to eating junk food to playing video games to listening to music, you’re constantly stimulating your brain. Your brain needs a break.
For many, it seems to be hard to completely give up social media, video games, or junk food, so I feel like it’s easier to just cut out music while you’re at your job, working out, or while you’re driving.
When you’ve started changing your other habits, and start reducing the other hyper-stimuli in your life, then I don’t see the harm in introducing music back into your daily routine again. Plus, if you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend just giving up music for 1-2 weeks, and you’ll see how much more you enjoy it when you finally get a chance to listen to it again.
I just feel that cutting out music is a quick and easy way to start giving your brain a little break from the high levels of dopamine we’re always chasing throughout the day.
3. Start Practicing Meditation
I know you’ve probably heard this one a thousand times, but now’s the moment to actually give it a try. Again, the main point here is to just give your brain a break from the chaos that everyone finds in their day.
It’s okay to be selfish here. This time is dedicated just to you.
There isn’t a wrong way to meditate. Just find which style works best for you. Some people find that focusing on the inhales and exhales of their breaths is what relaxes them. Others find comfort in finally sitting with their thoughts and fleshing all of them out.
Personally, if I have too many thoughts going at once, I like to write as much of it down on paper before I start meditating, so I can go in with a clear head. If you’re fixating on all the things you need to get done in the day, just write all of it down and you can tackle that afterwards.
There’s a million ways to meditate, and each may come with their own benefits. If you’ve never done it before, I think a great starting place is simply sitting alone with your thoughts for 5-10 minutes. Just make sure you don’t have any other distractions going on around you; that means no TV, no music, no phone, no anything.
It may be boring at first, but that’s okay. Boring doesn’t mean it’s bad. Your brain is used to constantly being entertained, so meditating is finally training it to slow down and be more present.
4. Eat Less Junk Food
This one may seem like a bit of a reach, but it has to do with how much it taps into your brain’s reward system. Our cravings tell us that we want these junk foods, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for us.
Highly processed and sugary foods are highly addictive because of how good they taste. I would argue the dopamine rush you get from eating a lot of these foods contributes to feeling overstimulated. Especially if you’re scrolling social media and eating junk food simultaneously, that can be a sensory overload after some time.
Eating less junk food is going to improve your overall health in the long run anyway, so there’s that benefit to look forward to too. Like I said, eating junk food alone probably isn’t going to overstimulate you, but when it’s paired with other harmful activities, it certainly doesn’t help. You don’t need to give into every impulse of wanting to eat junk food because it sounds good. Stop chasing short term satisfaction at the expense of your long term well being.
5. Stop Watching Adult Videos
We all know what videos I’m talking about here. I have yet to ever meet anyone that feels any sort of real fulfillment after watching it. It’s cheap and easy dopamine. Just because it feels good doesn’t mean it’s good for you though.
I know this one’s hard to quit because it activates such a primal part of our brains. That’s the problem though, because our brains weren’t designed to see so much of that content at one time. These types of videos are so hyper-stimulating, it’s not a shock at all that it can contribute to your feelings of overstimulation.
I’m sure you’ve heard experts talk about the negative long term side effects of watching these videos anyway, so that should be another reason for wanting to quit. Watching these videos is short term gratification that doesn’t help you in the long run at all. If you feel like you can’t stop watching it altogether, then at least try to reduce your time watching.
If you’re watching these videos, you’re also likely guilty of some of the other habits listed above that we’re trying to break (i.e. excessive social media use, eating sugary/processed foods, etc). As mentioned before, it’s the combination of all of these habits that add to feeling overstimulated. When your day is full of back-to-back activities that spur high levels of dopamine, your mind is eventually going to get exhausted.
Conclusion
These 5 ideas are a foundation for you to go off of. As simple as it is, at the end of the day, reducing overstimulation comes down to simply reducing stimuli in your life. As I said, it’s super simple, but not always easy. Think about the things in your daily life that you use just for entertainment, and see if you can start using those a little less. When you don’t give your brain a break, and you’re constantly chasing stimulating behaviors, you’re absolutely going to feel overstimulated. Sometimes it just comes down to analyzing your daily habits and seeing what practices don’t really serve you in the long run. It’s chasing constant excitement and entertainment that leads to a lot of overstimulation. Learn to slow down and bit, and be okay with being bored sometimes. Don’t forget, our minds need some down time too.