Your colleague's perfume assaults you every time you walk by, the noise of the refrigerator obsesses you to the point where you have to wear earplugs, and your partner's facial expressions send you into a rage. If your senses are on edge and react to the slightest stimulation, you may be suffering from sensory overload, yet another facet of anxiety.
Sensory overload, when the senses are saturated
The slightest thing irritates you. The clinking of a fork on a plate, the clicking of hands on a keyboard, the sound of slippers on the parquet floor, the smell of coffee in the open-plan office, the aroma of fried food wafting from restaurants, the fumes of exhaust pipes, the glow of streetlights. You feel overwhelmed by your surroundings, and even your partner's sneezes get on your nerves. Ultimately, you experience everything more intensely, as if your inner volume is at its peak and your body is experiencing every sensation in augmented reality.
At first, you downplay your discomfort by blaming it on your period, which is about to start, or you jump to the simplest conclusion: "I'm just on edge right now." Yet, this is sometimes a sign of sensory overload, a period when you've reached your limit. For example, the whirring of your computer fan, which you'd never noticed before, suddenly becomes unbearable. So does the bright flash of the pharmacy light, which practically screams at you and forces you to look away.
"Sensory overload occurs when the brain struggles to interpret, prioritize, or process sensory information. It then sends the body a signal that it's time to withdraw from these sensory stimuli. This message triggers feelings of discomfort and panic," explains the health publication Medical News Today . Anyone can experience sensory overload, but some people are more predisposed. This is particularly true for those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD. They are hypersensitive to the world around them. This explains why they wear noise-canceling headphones in the supermarket and cover their eyes when faced with bright fluorescent lights.
The symptoms, from the most obvious to the most insidious
Sensory overload doesn't always manifest dramatically. Sometimes it creeps up silently until the body sounds the alarm. The first signs may seem innocuous: unusual irritability, a sudden urge to flee a noisy place, or fatigue that hits like a ton of bricks in the middle of the day.
Some people feel an urgent need to isolate themselves, as if their brains are demanding an immediate break. Conversations become difficult to follow, noises overlap, and the slightest stimulation seems amplified. Too much bright light, too much of a smell, or too much loud music can then trigger genuine discomfort.
For others, sensory overload manifests physically: headaches, neck tension, palpitations, or a feeling of tightness in the chest. The body goes into "alert" mode, as if it were protecting itself from an invisible danger. This phenomenon is also closely linked to the nervous system, which struggles to filter all the information coming from the environment.
You might experience terrible discomfort from the feel of a velvet garment, just as you might freeze at the sound of a chair scraping on the floor. Sensory overload makes you feel like you're in a hostile environment where every stimulus feels like an attack.
How can we soothe this sensory overload?
Depending on its severity, sensory overload can be particularly debilitating. It forces you to decline invitations, isolate yourself, and rethink certain habits, even depriving yourself of simple pleasures. The good news is that there are ways to calm this inner turmoil. The first step is often to recognize what triggers the overload. Is it the constant noise of an open-plan office? The overly bright lights of a supermarket? Crowded public transport at the end of the day? Identifying these factors allows you to anticipate and better protect yourself. You can keep a journal to note all the distracting elements that overwhelm you.
Some people find relief by reducing stimulation around them: listening to soft music with headphones, dimming the lights at home, or taking a few minutes of silence after a busy day. Sensory breaks, such as walking in a park, breathing deeply, or simply closing your eyes for a few moments, can also help the brain reset. Medical News Today also mentions "safe zones," places where you can "take refuge," such as restrooms or empty meeting rooms.
Ultimately, sensory overload is neither a whim nor a sign of fragility. It is often a signal that the body has reached its limit and needs to slow down.
