Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Much: My Overstimulation Recovery Routine
What overstimulates you? I’ll go first.
Sand at the beach.
Being sweaty, or having wet clothes on.
Tags in my shirt.
Repetitive beeping sounds that don’t stop after a few seconds.
Too much background noise when I am trying to listen to someone or talk.
If you are neurodiverse, you probably have your own list. Maybe it is fluorescent lighting. Maybe it is crowded stores. Maybe it is people talking over the TV while the stove fan roars and the dog barks in the background.
For a lot of us, there comes a point where your whole system just says, “Nope.” You want to escape. You might shut down or melt down. Your day feels over before it really began.
This post is about that moment – and what to do next.
I am going to break down what sensory overload actually is, how it shows up for ADHD and autistic adults, and the practical routine I use to recover when the world feels too loud, too bright, too much.
What Is Sensory Overload?
Sensory overload, or overstimulation, happens when your brain receives more sensory input than it can process at one time.
That can be:
Sounds
Lights
Textures
Temperature
Crowds
Overlapping conversations and background noise
Anyone can experience sensory overload, but it is especially common for autistic and ADHD folks. Many of us have what is called atypical sensory modulation. In plain language, our brains filter and prioritize input differently, so things that might barely register for a neurotypical person can feel overwhelming for us.
For me, it often looks like this:
I am ADHD and thrive on a bit of chaos, but the other half of me (the autistic one) demands order. I want stimulation until suddenly I realize I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, and once I am over the edge, it is very hard to come back down without a plan.
Meltdown vs Shutdown: How Overstimulation Shows Up
When I get overstimulated, I tend to move more toward shutdown than meltdown, though I have experienced both.
A meltdown might look like:
Snapping at people you care about
Raising your voice or crying
Feeling completely out of control emotionally
A shutdown might look like:
Running out of words
Staring at a wall or scrolling on your phone, totally zoned out
Feeling blank, numb, or checked out
Being physically present but mentally gone
Here is a real example from my life.
When I started dating my current girlfriend, there were a few nights where my day had been longer and more intense than I realized. By the time we sat down for dinner, I had nothing left. I went quiet. She was basically having dinner with a brick wall, and I felt awful.
At the time I could only say, “I’m just really tired.” I did not yet have the language to explain overstimulation, shutdown, or my neurodivergence. Once I understood what was happening in my nervous system, and once I shared that with her, she finally had context. Now the way I operate makes a lot more sense to both of us. Of course, also working on avoiding overload is the accountable thing for both you and the people in your life.
If you are newly diagnosed or just starting to connect the dots about autism, ADHD, or being otherwise neurodivergent, those “aha” moments can be powerful. But they also raise a big question:
Okay, so now I know I get overstimulated. What do I do about it?
Early Warning Signs of Overstimulation
Before we talk solutions, it helps to recognize your early warning signs.
Some common ones:
Irritability or feeling “on edge”
Sudden fatigue or energy drain
Difficulty focusing on what someone is saying
Feeling like you want to escape the situation
Tightness in your body, clenching your jaw, shallow breathing
If you blow past these signals, you are more likely to hit full meltdown or shutdown. So, step one is building awareness that these feelings are not you “being dramatic.” They are your nervous system saying, “Hey, I am at capacity.”
Step One: Do a Trigger Audit
The first practical step is what I call a Sensory Trigger Audit.
Take some time to honestly ask yourself:
What sounds, textures, lights, or environments drain me the most?
When do I start feeling agitated or desperate to leave?
Is it more visual, more auditory, more tactile, or a mix?
Is it overlapping stimuli, like multiple conversations plus TV plus a barking dog?
How do my clothes, shoes, or chair, etc. feel on my body?
What areas or aspects of my workplace or work space are too much for my senses?
Try to identify your top five repeat offenders. These are the things you encounter often and that tend to push you toward overload.
Once you know what your triggers are, you can start planning around them. Look at your calendar, your travel days, your work schedule, social events. Ask yourself:
“Where am I likely to encounter these triggers, and what can I do to soften the impact or support myself before and after?”
Step Two: Build Your Sensory Toolkit
Your sensory toolkit is made up of physical things you can carry or keep in key places that help you reset when stimulation climbs.
Some ideas:
Headphones or earplugs
These are my personal # 1 item. If I leave the house without my headphones, it is a problem. I once realized on the way to catch a bus to LAX that I had forgotten them. I was ready to spend an absurd amount of money at the airport on noise-canceling headphones because I knew how miserable my travel would be. Thankfully, that time a neighbor came to the rescue and brought them to me!
Sunglasses or a hat
Bright sunlight can be incredibly overstimulating, especially if you live in a very sunny place. Sunglasses and a hat at least keep it out of your face. Try it, it helps!
Comfort items
A small fidget, stress ball, smooth stone, or something scented that calms you
Anything you can hold, fidget with, or smell that brings you down a notch
Keep versions of your toolkit:
In your bag or backpack
In your car
At your desk or workspace
You want these things to be within reach when you’re at home, or on the go.
Step Three: Adjust Your Schedule and Environment
If you work in an office or on-site job, I know it is not always possible to control your environment. But here are some examples of small adjustments you can make:
Ask if the lighting around your workstation can be changed to something less harsh.
Use headphones to block out chatter if that is allowed.
Add small comforts like a soft blanket over your lap, or a wrist pad for your mouse.
If you have a private office with a door, experiment with working with the overhead lights off and a lamp on instead.
Even if you cannot fully control or overhaul your schedule, you can give yourself micro-breaks:
Step into the bathroom and do three minutes of breathwork.
Sit in your car with the radio off during lunch.
Take a lap around the building and focus on your breath and your feet hitting the ground.
A minute or two sounds insignificant, but repeated small resets can be the difference between “I made it through the day” and “I completely lost it at 3 p.m.”
If you work from home or are self-employed, you have more control. Use it:
Wear what actually feels good on your body.
Adjust lighting and sound.
Create a calm space to recharge, even if it is just one corner of a room.
Step Four: Create a Safe Space at Home
You need a place where your nervous system can drop its shoulders.
Your safe space might be:
A favorite chair with a soft blanket
A little reading nook you build with pillows
A hammock chair or sensory swing
A weighted blanket, heated blanket, or cooling blanket
A big cozy robe or wearable blanket
The idea is to have something to look forward to when you get home. A place where your body can finally relax without pressure points or demands.
Step Five: Your Emergency First Aid Kit
Sometimes, despite your preparation, you hit emergency status. You are past “a little uncomfortable.” You are at “I am going to melt down or shut down if I do not do something right now.”
Your first aid kit here is not about physical objects. It is about a routine.
Some options:
Excuse yourself and find a quiet place, even if it is a bathroom stall or your car.
Use a simple breathing technique like:
Triangle breathing: inhale for a count, hold for the same count, exhale for the same count.
Box breathing: inhale, hold, exhale, hold, all for equal counts.
Put on a short guided meditation or breathwork track if you can.
Focus completely on your breath and the sensations in your body until you feel yourself come down a bit.
The goal is not to fix everything. The goal is to bring yourself down several notches so you can get through what absolutely must be done and then call it a day if you need to. After an emergency day, treat yourself like someone who has been through something hard.
Take a bath or shower.
Watch something comforting.
Take a short nap or rest.
Move your body gently or exercise if that helps release pent-up energy.
Movement is underrated for neurodivergent people. Yes, certain aspects of exercise can be overstimulating, but finding a form of movement you can tolerate regularly can be an important outlet, as well as maintaining a healthier lifestyle to feel better overall.
Step Six: Make Sensory Check-Ins a Daily Habit
Awareness is what keeps you from living in constant crisis.
Build sensory check-ins into your everyday routine:
Set reminders on your calendar or phone a few times a day.
After known stressful activities or meetings, consciously ask yourself:
How is my body feeling?
How is my energy?
Do I need a small reset?
These small check-ins help you catch rising overstimulation before you hit meltdown or shutdown. Over time, you will notice clear patterns in what triggers you and what actually helps.
The Most Important Reframe
Overstimulation is not a character flaw. It does not mean you are weak or broken.
Overstimulation is information. It is a signal that your nervous system is overloaded and needs attention. The more familiar you become with what pulls you out of alignment, the more power you have to design a life that supports you rather than drains you.
So here is your assignment: Pick one recovery strategy and test it out this week.
Some ideas:
Adding a specific item to your sensory toolkit
Changing something small about your environment
Scheduling two one-minute breath breaks into your workday
Setting up a little safe space for yourself at home
Keep experimenting. Notice what does not work just as much as what does. Knowing what you do not want is just as important as knowing what you do want.
Want Support With This?
I’m Ashley. I’m a life coach who helps people going through big life changes, burnout and spiritual shifts find their purpose, as well as ADHD and autistic folks who want to find their flow and build lives that actually fit how they function.
If you are tired of trying to push through overstimulation alone and you want help creating a more sustainable, aligned life, you can learn more about working with me here.
You deserve a life that feels less like constant sensory survival, and more like being genuinely present for it.
