Brain Buzz: Navigating Overstimulation

Join Youth Ambassador Belle-Ange and CMHA clinician Shaina in this episode as they untangle the web that is overstimulation, and provide tips and tricks to reclaim your focus and maintain your zen!

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Ben, Hello folks, and welcome to another episode of Get With The Grove podcast. If you tuned in last week, then you may remember me, but if not, I'm your host. Belange, a fellow youth ambassador at the grove Woolwich site. And for today's episode, we're going to be discussing a topic experienced by many but not talked about enough, over stimulation. More specifically, we'll be talking about what it can look like and navigating its effects. And join with us today is wool, which is very own clinician, Shayna, hi everyone. Thank you for having me, of course. So Shayna, tell us a little bit about yourself and your role here at the grove. It's the question that everyone loves the most. Tell us about yourself. Um, so I am the mental health clinician here at the Grove, Youth Wellness hubs. So I am wool, which is own, but my job is also to travel between all of the sites within Waterloo Wellington, specifically the Youth Wellness hub sites, and to do clinical therapy with young people who are interested. So that looks like young people ages 12 to 26 a pretty brief solution, focused model, so working towards goals, all of those things now that's the boring stuff outside of work. I'm a person who loves being outside. I love the sunshine. I love to go for walks. You can find me with a book in my hand if I ever have some free time, I love to volunteer with my community, and making space for my friends going out for tea and coffee is probably one of my favorite things. I love that so much. I think you're me. I mean, we knew that, like we met for the first time and we were like, are we soulmates? We're the same. So wonderful. Okay, so let's hop right in. So in our day to day lives, we come across so many people and things that may stimulate our nervous system or tire and reduce its activity. So because of this, it's not uncommon for us to feel, at times, overwhelmed or bombarded by these different stimuli that we interact with. Sometimes it can grow to become too much, and it's okay to recognize that to help navigate that we'll have a look at brain stimulation and over stimulation. So what is stimulation versus what's over stimulation? Let's first break down what stimulation is. So as previously mentioned, our nervous system, which is compromised of our brain, spinal cord and nerves, absorbs and engage in different experiences that activate and enhance our cognition, function, mood and overall mental well being throughout our senses, sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. You know the five, the core five. And what's over stimulation? Shana, so over stimulation, also known as sensory overload, is when your brain gets overwhelmed by too many of those sensory inputs all at once, which can lead to stress and discomfort when our senses receive more information than they're able to process at one time, our nervous system struggles to manage and respond to it accordingly. Now this isn't necessarily to be confused with being overwhelmed, despite both causing a feeling of unease, being overwhelmed is more tied to our emotions and our mental capacity, whereas overstimulation deals more with our sensory systems being overloaded. And that's not to say again that overstimulation cannot be overwhelming, right, right? So they're related, but they're not necessarily interchangeable. So like we said, one can definitely affect the other, and it's important to take care of both our mental and physical states. Okay, that makes sense. I feel like that was confusing at first for me when I was first learning about what overstimulation was. So it's good to be able to differentiate the two. Yeah. Um, here are some common causes. Um, contrary to popular belief, overstimulation can happen even in quiet places, as it varies from person to person based on their sensitivity, genetics, mental state and by situation, because we're all different, of course. Yeah. Um, so some common ones. Um, I expected this one, fast paced environments. Yeah. So that looks like busy streets, heavy traffic, honking horns driving downtown Guelph, you know, the whole everything, um, crowds and chaotic social interactions like loud concerts or even events with large crowds, high levels of auditory and visual stimuli sometimes at the same like at the same time, can be a lot for a person, and constant connectivity, especially in this day and age where social media has the rapid content changes to capture our attention and repetitive notifications on our phones, it can be a lot and the. Pressure to respond immediately and to just be on the move, go, go, go all the time. It's overstimulating. And even some lifestyle factors like poor sleep, lack of physical activity, lack of proper nutrition, constant multitasking, they can all lead to stress, which can then turn into overstimulation. So Shaina, what other factors do you think possibly lead to over? Yeah, so I've been thinking about this one a lot since you asked me to be on this podcast. And I think one thing that really sticks out to me, which I was telling you that I was probably going to bring up here, is culture, culture and environment, which really kind of acts as the representation of the different mixes and and breakups of, like, all the things that you just mentioned right like, I think of our North American Western Ontario world that we're living in right now, which is known to be even to folks who live outside of Ontario, really, really fast paced, really productivity driven, really efficiency driven, and not person centered. And so what that creates for us, naturally, maybe even without us knowing, is a world that is constantly bombarded by visual cues, like, I think of a shopping mall, and the way it's set up, right where we're immersed in the bright fluorescent lights, no windows, so we're losing track of time. We don't have that access to daylight, these giant pictures telling us who we need to be, what we need to buy in order to be that person? How do we get the money and the resources to be those people in the ads, right? Social media, same thing, the highlight reel. How do I live a life that looks like that all the time, and the constant change and trends all the time? Yeah? Add to that, yeah, thinking of, like, just this, this norm that we have in our North American western culture, which, um, tells us to hustle all the time, right? Like, I think of all the people who have a side hustle, who who can't remember the last time they took a day off, or even, like, a lengthy vacation, just because they're on the grind, right? And that's just the culture that we live in. And then you add in things like we just went through a time change, right, which really messes with our senses. We were talking about that last episode, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so how does that change our tolerance to the different stimuli that are coming in all of the time? And we have two time changes in a year, then we have daylight that changes every day of the year, right? And significantly at several times of the year. And so I think where we live and how we live is a really important factor to consider. That makes so much sense. Oh, wow, I didn't consider all of that, right? But yeah, culture makes a big difference? Yeah, we don't realize that, because it's what we're used to. It's our norm, yeah? But yeah, it's Go, go, go. Like, for example, taking a day off work. I'm still waking up at the time I would for work. I still know what I'd be doing at that time, yeah? And thinking of like, Oh, if I was at work, I would be doing this. I should be doing this, yeah? And it's like, it's almost like you feel guilty for even taking that time to yourself, because you're so inclined to be, go, go, go, yeah, yeah. And I'm a traveler, and so it's really interesting going to like coastal towns, because I grew up in Ontario. I live in Ontario Now, obviously, but I think you go to places like British Columbia, Pei or even if you had the Europe direction, right, like Spain, Portugal, those places like and research has shown it, are shown to be a culture which is so much more relaxed, right? It's a go with the flow. Life satisfaction is so much higher there. And so you start to go like, why is that? What is that? And how is their culture set up differently, even if we're in like, the same country of Canada, how is BC and Pei and maritime set up differently from Ontario in terms of that, like, productivity and efficiency dynamic, and how is that contributing to, like, overall our wellness? See, because I think about that, because, like, what would the effects of over stimulation look like if you were there versus here, right? Yeah. And so since you're talking about it, do you want to mention some of the effects? So since overstimulation can vary on its causes and effects, someone experiencing sensory overload will not necessarily look the same across the board. So you experiencing sensory over stimulation is going to look very different from me experiencing it, because we have so many factors contributing to who we are and how we are. However, we have some kind of common themes that have shown up in different individuals that might not might. Not necessarily act as a prescription of what to look for, but give us an idea of what to be aware of. Okay, right? So some physical things to look out for, headaches, feeling nauseous, feeling like sweaty or dizzy, noticing that our heart rate increases or that we're shaky, trembling, your hands kind of vibrating when they don't typically do that, right? Emotionally, it can look or feel like being really irritable, right? Like yesterday, this wouldn't have made me mad, and today, this is the thing that's gonna break me, okay, right? Increased anxiousness or feeling really tearful, afraid or overly excited. Again, remembering that this is kind of describing something that isn't typical for a person, right? And so some people are naturally. They kind of naturally have these characteristics, maybe a little bit more irritable, maybe a little bit more anxious or tearful or afraid, but for someone who maybe doesn't experience those things on on a regular basis. If they start to pop up, we can start asking questions, right? Okay? And then cognitively, we might notice that we have some difficulty concentrating. We might have some confusion or some memory issues, right? Like, Oh, I can't even remember what I ate for dinner yesterday, you know, let alone wrap my head around what I'm going to eat for dinner today. Um, which leads into that point of trouble making decisions. See, I mean, as someone who's experienced sensory overload, I can definitely say that some of these symptoms are very accurate to me. Um, the way I would always describe it to people who may not have experienced like, very high overstimulation. It's like being Spider Man. All your senses are heightened and sensitive to everything at the same time, and it's tiring and overwhelming and draining, and you get irritated and just anxious. The headache does come after the fact for me, but the dizziness of the increased heart rate and the trembling I definitely relate to that, yep. Um, so what about you? Shayna, have you ever experienced that or supported someone who's had to deal with that? Yep, absolutely I think it's a both. And have I experienced that? Yes, absolutely, right. And I think someone who hasn't experienced it either might not know what to be aware of, or is, like, really good at staying grounded, in which case I'd like to be friends with them, because I'd like to know how to avoid it, right, right? And then I think it's, it's a really common experience with young people, and I don't necessarily see people coming, coming into therapy, going, I'd like to work on this goal of overstimulation, right? I think often overstimulation is linked to other things like anxiousness, low mood, stress, and I think I really feel for our young people in this day and age, right? It's a difficult life stage to figure out who you are and who you want to be and how you want to be known. And then I think it's also a world which demands so much of young people that pressure really piles on, particularly in that grade like 1112, stage is when I really started to feel it, maybe even grade 10, now that I'm thinking about it, so I think it often shows up as like, not a symptom, but as a result of other things that are going on for me, my grade 10 experience was very different, because that's when COVID hit, yeah? So it went from being constantly over stimulating to just to not just like nothing, yeah, it was like as if noise canceling headphones were put on my entire world. Yep, I was young. It was quiet, it was nice, and going outside would become over stimulating. Yeah, it was weird, because it forced you to slow down, like it forced me to slow down, to take a breath, to go at a new pace. It was very against my nature too, because I was very Go, go, go, and just goal oriented with when it came to school and overachieving. And I'm like, I'm just home. Yeah, it was very different for me. But the pieces of one for stimulation, like returning back to school, Oh, definitely, because it's like, there's also this level of anxiousness with returning back. You know, we had all of our masks. And classes work differently with the cohorts. Yeah. So everything was different. So there was definitely, like, unease when it came to that. And even just anything that deviated from this new norm and that reverted back to our old norm, felt like overstimulating to me, yeah, industry, yeah. And I think that's such a good illustration of like, what we were saying about culturing where we live and how we live, right? Because we live in such a go, go, go, world that doesn't promote that, that aspect of weight, stop and remember that there's a whole life happening around you, and take it in, right? Because you are fully here and living life of value. Yeah, right. And so, like I. Agree with you. I was obviously not in grade 10 at that time. Was a little bit, I think I was doing my undergraduate degree at that time, but living in Toronto, right? Sudden, living that like student life of like, go to class, go home, work out, do your homework, go to bed with very free few moments. And I agree just just stopping and having nothing to do, I felt same, like, like a void or an emptiness, because we don't live in a world that promotes How to Be still and how to ground and it's right, the complete opposite from over stimulation. Yeah, it's like you almost get over stimulation. Over stimulated from, yeah, not having enough stimuli. Yeah, yeah, it's so interesting. So what tactics would you suggest to overcome this? So I think, just like everyone's experience of over stimulation is going to be different, I think the way that every person navigates it is going to be different. But a place that I tend to start with folks is that, you know, like we were saying at the beginning, over stimulation often happens because we are moving too quickly, or things are happening too quickly for us to process. And so in that moment, something needs to give, right? Often, those things are happening, you know, because of whether or not we're anxious about something, and then we're really sensitive to the inputs that are coming in or or we have a lower tolerance for stuff coming in, like, literally, whatever it is, depending on the person. And so my, my kind of starting point for people is really becoming intentional about practicing the pause, right? Because we live in an over stimulating world, and we can't necessarily change that, but we can change where our attention goes and what we're going to ground ourselves in, okay? And so I often send folks home with like, grounding strategies, right? What? What does it actually look like to take a deep breath and and use the way that we inhale and we exhale to communicate with our nervous system that things are calm and we are okay. Or what does it mean to mindfully tune into what is going on, right? Going. Why am I stressed? You know? Why are my hands shaking? I'm sweating. My heart is beating. What is going on, right? You know what is going on in this moment, and then as we understand what is going on, how can we mindfully tackle that? Right? I think of inside out to spoiler alert for those who haven't seen it, you can fast forward 30 seconds, but there's this wonderful anxiety character, which so many people relate to, right? I did. And I'm thinking of the end of the movie, when she's like buzzing all around and, you know, they've, they've kind of realized that anxiety is useful. She gets to stay around in the control center, and joy comes in and goes, Okay, you're spiraling. She sits her in a in a vibrating chair, hands her a cup of tea, and goes, you can't control over those things. Remember what we're working on. What can we control and anxiety? Can kind of sit back with her cup of tea or whatever she was drinking, and she goes, we have a test tomorrow, and we can study for that. Yeah, great. You did your job, right? Suddenly things are okay. Yeah, right. So I'm really overstimulated. My brain is spiraling. What is going on? Okay, this isn't helpful for me right now. What can I do in this moment to make it easier? Okay, right? So that's often where we start with the young people that I work with. That makes sense. I'm going to take some of these, um, some of the tactics of self regulation tactics you're talking about. I think they go hand in hand with some of these as well. Yeah, like creating a calm environment, yep. Like anxiety in her little in her little chair, yep. So maybe that calm environment may look like dim lighting, minimal noise. Like trying to put yourself in that environment where you can calm down, you can slow down, yeah? Um, establishing routines to provide structure and predictability in your life, because we're so go, go, go, but sometimes we're also all over the place, yeah, so establishing routine might help minimize some of those little you know, life anxieties, yep. Um, knowing your limits and setting boundaries for exposure to over stimulating environments or activities. Yep, knowing that you can say, Okay, I'm gonna slow down. I'm gonna actually stop now. Yep, I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take things at my own pace, and even using sensory tools like weighted blankets or noise canceling headphones. I definitely have a pair of noise canceling headphones. I've got a weighted blanket. Love. It is my life. I want one so bad. Um, taking sensory breaks. And would you step away from over stimulating environments, whether that's stepping outside and taking a deep breath, yeah. I mean, it's like the colder months now, but just even like having the cold air just hit your face a little bit. Yeah, very it can help, like it genuinely helps, yeah, limiting screen time and. Taking regular breaks from media consumption. Yes, everything's on our phones nowadays. Yes, even being careful with like, what notifications are coming through, right? And how many times is your phone drawing attention or drawing your attention from? You know, I think of how many times I'm sitting down to do like work at home, and my phone pings and suddenly 20 minutes has gone by. Um, right. So what notifications are coming through? Do I really need to know when someone has posted on Instagram or Tiktok? Exactly right? And that goes hand in hand with prioritizing self care. Yeah, you don't always have to be on your phone. You're allowed to click that do not disturb button, amen, ensuring adequate sleep, a balanced diet, regular physical activity, practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques, deep breathing, meditation and yoga practice to practice being present and in the moment to help calm down your nervous system. Yep, yeah. Do you have any favorites? You know what? I love all of those. Oh my gosh. I'm scrolling through them right now. I love, I love, love. Love. That creating a calm environment. Piece, I think even of the like the psychological impact and the impacts of on our brain, of like fluorescent lighting, which is everywhere, right it's above us right now, in the hub, it's in malls, it's in hospitals, it's in schools, and even the type of light that we're exposed to has such a dramatic impact on on how well we do in those spaces. And so love that piece about like, what is it? What does it mean to go outside for even just to get that cold air, that warm air, depending on where you live, in your face, on your face, and to be fed by natural light can have such an impact. It makes such a difference. Yeah? For me, my favorite is definitely the sensory tools. Yeah, I go everywhere with my nose scans and headphones. I love it. Love them. So much. Yeah, let's see. Okay, well, what about for people that might want to reach out, that might want support. What can that look like? What kind of support is there for them? Yeah, well, like we previously mentioned, experiences of those overstimulation moments over an extended period of time can be really challenging to physical and to mental health and well being. And so luckily, where we live within the Guelph Wellington region, there are a few supports available to help navigate those challenges. And of course, the first one that we're going to hype up is the grove Youth Wellness house, right? So like we were saying, for youth, age 12 to 26 this is a safe and inclusive walk in center that not only provides a welcoming space, it offers youth led programming and access to lots of community agencies, agencies and services. We've got mindfulness and DBT programming. We've got useful tools for young people to learn how to prevent and manage overwhelming feelings. And so does that necessarily mean that everyone's going to want to come in for therapy? Not necessarily, but I think of even our space which is in which, like in this hub right now, which our Youth Advisory Council really, really work towards designing and so the space that we're in right now really works to be that, not over stimulating piece, right? We've got common colors, we've got lots of natural light in different spaces that we can utilize to really make sure that the experience is healthy for young people. We also have the Guelph Community Health Center, so they offer primary health services and community programs specifically for priority populations. You can get individual counseling for up to 12 sessions, and if you need something more immediate, there's drop in counseling available Monday to Friday, from 3pm to 5pm and then the last one we have listed here is Ontario, 211, this is a service that provides access to a ton of local resources like mental health services, counseling options and even wellness programs that focus on mindfulness and Stress relief if someone is looking for support groups, coping strategies, or is just in need of someone to point them in the direction of the right services, anyone can call or visit their website to find exactly what they need in their area. That's wonderful. I love these services. Honestly, I never would have known these existed if I didn't do the research. Yeah, so it's great. We generally have a lot of our disposal, and I think that's great for the community. Yep, any final thoughts you'd like to add or share about today? Today's topic, you know what? I think this was a really wholesome, fulsome conversation. But I think one thing that you know, if anyone was going to walk out with and remember, my hope would be that overstimulation is actually quite normal, and everyone experiences it to some degree, right? And so if someone is listening to this, you know, feeling like, oh my gosh, this speaks to my soul, right? That that you are not alone, but this is such a. Normal experiences, experience and we at the hub, these services that we mentioned are all around to help. Thank you so much, Jana, for all your insight. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you. It was great having you, and thank you everyone for tuning in to another episode of Get With The Grove. Stay positive, stay connected, and we'll see you another time. Bye. You.