You don’t need to be a therapist to notice it — the world feels loud right now.
Not just in the obvious ways — honking traffic, kids crying, endless notifications, the hum of headlines — but in the quieter, subtler ones too. The never-ending to-do list that keeps getting pushed off until tomorrow. The pressure to keep a clean home. The ping of “urgent” messages that can’t wait until morning. The constant comparison scrolling that leaves your nervous system running a marathon it never signed up for.
We’re living in an age of chronic stimulation, and our brains (beautifully complex as they are) just may be at maximum capacity. So, if you’ve been feeling scattered, tense, or just done lately, you’re not broken. You’re just overstimulated and overwhelmed.
What Overstimulation Really Means
When your senses or emotions are flooded by too much information — too much sound, light, conversation, responsibility, even joy — your brain hits a kind of “system overload.” You might notice:
Difficulty focusing or completing simple tasks
Heightened irritability or anxiety
Physical fatigue that no amount of sleep fixes
That eerie, disconnected feeling where everything feels too much and not enough at the same time
Your body is waving a flag, not failing you. It’s saying: I need less right now.
Click here to learn more about overstimulation
Overwhelm
We often think overwhelm comes from having “too much to do,” but more often, it’s about too much to process. Every decision, every notification, every bit of news adds another layer to our cognitive load. We live in a 24/7 world with nervous systems designed for sunrise and sunset. No wonder we’re fried! If you think you’re alone in this, think again.
Simple Practices to Soothe an Overstimulated Mind
If your brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open, try these small resets:
Go offline (literally). Silence notifications for 20 minutes. The world will survive without you — and you might just rediscover your own breath.
Engage your senses intentionally. Touch something textured. Smell something calming. Look at something natural. This helps your brain come back to the present moment.
Name what’s enough. Instead of asking, What else can I do?, try asking, What’s enough for today?
Create a quiet ritual. A nightly tea, a walk without headphones, or even two deep breaths before unlocking your phone. Consistency matters more than duration.
Reach out, not scroll. Connection calms. A five-minute conversation with someone safe can do more for your nervous system than an hour of passive scrolling.
Here are additional strategies to try!
You’re Allowed to Power Down
The truth is, being overstimulated and overwhelmed doesn’t make you weak — it makes you human. The goal isn’t to toughen up or tune out. It’s to tune back in — to your body, your limits, and your needs.
Because sometimes the most radical thing you can do in a world that demands constant engagement…is to disengage.
Take a breath. Step away. Let quiet be your rebellion.
You don’t have to earn rest. You just have to remember it’s yours.
Other Resources
To learn more about Cathrina, please visit her bio page. She is currently accepting new clients and sees clients both in person in Evanston and virtually via telehealth.