Podcast - Overstimulation
00:00:39 Speaker: Hello and welcome to the highly sensitive Return. I'm going to speak quietly and gently for you in this episode. Today, as we are focusing on overstimulation, when you are absolutely full to the brim with stimulus
00:00:59 Speaker: and talking lights, sounds, messages, emotions, to do lists, feelings, there is so much that can go on in one day. And if we don't give ourselves enough time to unwind, rest, relax, and let go, this cumulative build up of overstimulation can wreak havoc. It can feel like irritation. You want to cancel plans, you're jumping in between tasks, avoiding messages, scrolling. You're probably really craving silence and a bit of solitude. And the body's got all that jaw tension, shallow breathing pressure in the head, tired, but you still feel really buzzy. Shoulders might be aching. And there's really like this tipping point. So if this is for you, that's where you're at. This is really a time for you to just let go. This is only going to be ten minutes long and you deserve this time. So pop headphones in, get somewhere really comfy. Perhaps you even light a candle. Perhaps you go outside whatever feels right for you, as long as you are not going to be disturbed and you can fully relax. I'll invite you to close your eyes all you can just have a soft gaze at a neutral point ahead of you. I want you to take a breath in. And let it go. Notice if all your tensed up on the inhale, just try and breathe in. Imagine just allowing your body to relax on the inhale and the exhale. The breath might be small but relaxed. And just keeping that really gentle in and out. Every time the mind wanders and begins to attach on to something, just bring it back to the breath. Feel the air going in through your nose and then moving out through the mouth. Perhaps you even count one, two, three, four To give your mind something simple to grasp on to. And as you feel this slow return to yourself, like you're pulling chords and aspects of yourself out of different people, places, experiences. You start to feel just one percent calmer, maybe more. As we begin to move from the thinking mind into the feeling body. So I'd like you to pay attention to your feet on the ground. If you're lying down, you can just gently bend the knees and place the feet flat on the ground. And I want you to take all your energy, your intention, and your focus. And I want you to feel the soles of the feet. Feel each toe touching the ground. Notice the pressure. You pressing really hard or is it just lightly touching the floor? Is it hot or cold? Any tingles? Perhaps you're curling your toes without realizing and just let them unwind. If the mind wanders, just come back to the physical body, to your breath. As you begin to connect to your back. Feel the chair or the floor holding the back. Notice which parts of the back actually touch the floor beneath you. Notice. Do you feel held and safe? Or is there a holding a bracing in the body? Perhaps asking a body, can we just relax another one percent more in this moment. From the feet and the back body. Connecting back to that breath. Your life force. As you bring your attention to the chest. Perhaps you place one hand on your chest or the upper belly. Keeping that breath nice and natural. Perhaps you sense the material of your clothes beneath your hands. Maybe you feel the warmth of your hand on your chest. Perhaps you sense your beating heart. Fast or slow? No judgment. Just simply noticing. And just see if you can let go in that chest. Another one percent. See if you can let go. And soften just a little more. And then focus on your hands. Is there any gripping or tension in the hands? Perhaps you begin to rub them together. You can move them quickly or slowly. You might feel some warmth and some tingles. I want you to touch your fingernails. Your fingers feel the difference between the texture of the nail compared to your skin. Maybe you trace around your hands with your finger. And feel that tickly sensation. And just notice the sensations. Or maybe you notice a lack of sensation. There's nothing to do right or wrong in this moment other than just witness and be with your body. I want you to imagine your whole body now. Really sense every part of the body, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, almost like a 3D scanner. You have landed back into your body. You're here and now. I'm gonna do three slow inhales and exhales together. Inhale for four, exhale for eight. And on the inhale, I want you to imagine breathing in less input and breathing out more body. I want you to say those words in your mind. Okay, so breathing in. Less input and breathing out. More body. More like that for me. Breathing in. Input. More body. Final time. Less input. More body. You are now ready to take a couple of moments, actually keeping your eyes closed and just begin to move the body in really gentle ways. Maybe you roll your wrists and your ankles, Take a long stretch overhead, and perhaps you begin to sense the light going into your eyes before you gently open them. And before you rush away into the next part of your day, I want you to ask yourself, how can I create less input for myself today? Can I go for a walk instead of watching more content or TV? Can I read a book? Ask yourself what feels really nourishing for you right now. No judgment. But what will bring you more into your body and less in the mind? Well done. Come back to this episode whenever you need to detox from all of that stimulation and come back home yourself.
