Anxiety VS Over-Stimulation

Two Things psychology knows for sure:

• There is a need and desire for an optimal level of stimulation. We all hate to feel bored or overwhelmed.
• People differ considerably in how much their nervous system is stimulated in the same situations.        

Sensitive’s pick up on the subtleties in the environment that others miss and so we naturally arrive more quickly at stimulation overload. It is important to not confuse a stimulated / alert nervous system with fear or anxiety. Stimulation is anything that wakes up or alerts the nervous system  AND

• It can come from outside OR inside of us (pain, hunger, memories, thoughts…to name a few)
• It can vary in intensity or duration or complexity
• When you feel you have no control over the stimulation it is even more upsetting. (music)
•  Fear certainly creates stimulation yet so do many other emotions: anger, sadness, joy…
• Naming it anxiety creates more anxiety and a feeling of being out of control.
• Stimulation may appear as blushing, trembling, heart pounding, hands shaking, foggy thinking, churning stomach, muscles tensing or cramping, perspiration, etc.
• The more you do something the less stimulating it becomes. (freeway driving, work, going out…)       
• When you stay with an activity and build up your resources for handling it…the easier it gets!!

Once you notice and name the experience ‘stimulation overload’ or ‘over-stimulation’ it is good to discover the source and decide which tactic or energy management tool is best for reducing the over-stimulation. 

Sensitivity has great social importance: We are born to be among the advisers, healers and thinkers, the spiritual and moral leaders of our time. So, a sensitive can be, and needs to be involved in the world. It truly needs us, yet, for us to thrive in this world, we have to be skilled at avoiding overdoing and under-doing it. The sensitivity is a gift and we thrive better when we discover new ways for living with this gift.

I teach many energy management tools for thriving as a sensitive. Come, let's work together soon so that you may create a life that is just right for you. I promise that all of this will make more sense when we talk!