Shifting Away From Sensory Overload

In the age of sensory and information overload, how can we let ourselves be? 

I struggle to simply be in this digital age of information and sensory overload. 

I’ll speak from my own experience here and maybe you can relate. Because I’m in the mental health field, my social media algorithm is full of mental health content. 

Even if I weren’t in the mental health field, I’m sure my algorithm would still be filled with mental health content because I’ve always been low-key obsessed with learning more about my mental health. That’s often the gateway to becoming a therapist isn't it?

And I don’t consider this mental health information consumption a bad thing whatsoever. It can be incredibly supportive!

I’ve been able to make sense of myself because of mental health content and have often felt really seen by it. 

Free, quick to digest psycho-education is so important especially when 1:1 therapy is a huge privilege and inaccessible to many (thanks to our health and mental health systems). I, myself, have experienced a lot of healing through self-help books before social media was the thing it is today.  It makes ton of sense.

I sometimes worry though: are we taking too much of this information in, at a pace that is completely overwhelming and indigestible for our systems? 

We consume information that comes in, in bite sized clips, one after the other, and we do so rapidly. This type of fast-paced sensory input takes us out of our embodied present experience and into a mental space that runs a mile a minute. 

So what do we do? When this content can be so affirming and educational, but also so overwhelming and disembodied? 

I don’t have all the answers by any stretch. 

What I do know is what helps me. 

*I try to stay as curious as I can when I’m hopping on social media. This is way easier said than done, because the rapid nature of so much content takes me out of my embodied experience REAL quick. But I try. 

*I also try to slow things down. If I see something that sparks my interest online- whether it’s because I feel seen or it’s helping me to make sense of my experience… I TRY to pause with it, sit with it, write it down, breathe with it vs. move on to the next thing right away. 

*Lastly, I call on my yoga practice. 

The fifth limb of yoga is pratyahara: conscious withdrawal of the senses. This might literally mean closing your eyes, your ears, etc. to go more inward. This sensory withdrawal, however, can be incredibly activating, especially for folks with a trauma history… so we engage with this at the level that feels tolerable, of course.

The practice of managing our sensory and information intake feels really important especially in the current world we live in.

Where in your life do you experience sensory overload? How might you become curious and notice how you’re feeling in those moments? How might you slow things down just a bit? How might you know to step away when you’re overloaded? 

These are questions I sit with on the regular and I imagine you do, too! If you're curious to develop more capacity to slow down, become present, and notice your experience, I encourage you to reach out!

I am a trauma therapist and yoga teacher in Wyndmoor, PA, in between Glenside and Chestnut Hill, PA. I offer in-person and virtual therapy and teach yoga in the community. To learn more about ways we can work together, let's talk.

With lots of care,

Abby