Sensory overload – supportive strategies from Ayurveda
We live in a time where we are more connected than ever before. The internet has given us the ability to communicate with others across the world at any time of day and receive information on all topics in an instant. We have 24-hour news channels, multiple entertainment streaming platforms, and social media, all vying for our attention.
However, so much connectivity can bring a sense of overwhelm with it too. Ayurveda teaches us that we make sense of the world around us through our sensory organs. Indriya agni (the metabolic component of our sensory pathways) contains enzymes and neurotransmitters to digest and process this incoming information into knowledge. Our senses are vital to our interaction and understanding of the world. But, Ayurveda understands when used inappropriately, to excess or when deprived of them, we can experience imbalances in our health. In fact, misuse of the senses is one of the three key causes of disease as understood by Ayurveda.
Over-use of our senses can look like overstimulation through too much screen time, very loud music, over-eating, and addictive behaviours. Under-use of our senses includes confinement, lack of physical touch, and oversleeping. Inappropriate use of the senses might include using screens late at night (blocks melatonin release, confusing our circadian rhythm) or watching or listening to distressing images and news, causing our nervous system to respond as if there is an actual threat.
A person who is overstimulated may feel tired but wired, may experience feeling anxious, have difficulty sleeping or have difficulty concentrating. Someone who is under-using their senses may feel dull or sluggish. When consuming information that is inappropriate (shocking, distressing, dramatic), we may notice a person becoming agitated or upset.
We only have to look at the fact that sensory deprivation is used as a torture technique to appreciate just how important the senses are to our overall wellbeing. Equally, we can see just how too much incoming sensory information can lead to distress in a person with Autism, for example. So, we need to strike a balance and care for our senses.
The practice of Pratyahara in Yoga is understood as sensory withdrawal. It’s the intentional redirecting of our attention away from external stimuli, which is part of the process in cultivating focus and concentration to reach self-realisation. What this leaves us with is a renewed clarity and appreciation of our senses.
Pratyahara isn’t the only way we can take care of our senses though. Ayurveda has many tools and practices which can easily be adopted into our daily lives and give our senses some respite. Give some of these a try.
Sight:
Close your eyes and take regular breaks from the screen, especially if you work at a computer for most of the day.
Reduce artificial light at night time (overhead light, TV, phones).
Soak cotton wool pads with rose water and place this compress over the eyes for 5 minutes. Rose has a cooling effect on the intense Pitta which can become aggravated with over-use of our eyesight. This is especially effective for that burning eyes sensation we can get when we’ve had too much screen time.
Trataka candle-gazing is one of the six cleansing actions (shad kriyas). Out of all the five elements, fire is the one that has the capacity to purify. Through this practice, we cleanse and rejuvenate our vision, gain clarity of mind, and experience relaxation amongst many other benefits. This is best done at dusk or dawn and not too close to mealtimes. Sit comfortably with your hands on your knees. Sit at an arm’s length away from a candle that is at the same level as your eyes. Close your eyes and take in a few deep breaths. When you open your eyes, gaze intently at the candle without blinking for as long as is comfortable for you. The idea is to continue staring until you cannot stare any longer and tears flow from the eyes. At this stage, close the eyes and visualise the flame. When this image has faded, begin the process again, starting with taking deep breaths with the eyes closed and then gazing at the candle with concentration.
Hearing:
Silent mornings or wind-downs – deliberately tuning out all noise for a period of time in the day can be a refreshing change from the constant background hum that can make us feel stressed or agitated.
Take a walk outdoors without the phone to really unplug and just take in the different sounds that nature offers. Research shows that our nervous system responds in a more relaxed state when listening to sounds of nature compared to artificial sounds. So, if you can’t get outdoors, consider listening to sounds like rainfall, waterfalls, or birds chirping on your music device.
Massage the ear canal with 1-2 drops of sesame oil. Increased Vata can cause disturbance to our hearing and sense of balance. Sesame oil is soothing and restorative.
Smell:
Neti is the practice of nasal cleansing. The cilia (little hairs in our nostrils) filter out a lot of debris and pollutants when we breath. By irrigating the nose with sterile, salted water, we clear the nasal passages and improve our sense of smell.
Limit strong smells and the use of artificial fragrances, air fresheners, and candles at home. Repeated exposure to synthetic fragrances has shown to impact our health in many ways including respiratory problems, skin irritations, and headaches. Consider using natural fragrances such as essential oils instead.
Consider swapping out clothes detergent and cleaning products for those that use natural ingredients or try making cleaning products at home to reduce your exposure to harmful ingredients.
Use the power of smell to help calm the nervous system and help you drift off to sleep. Try essential oils such as lavender, bergamot, jasmine, sweet orange, rose, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Taste:
Eating whole foods and reducing our intake of ultra-processed food means we have less exposure to additives and flavour enhancers that can distort our sense of taste. Beyond taste, additives have also been implicated in behavioural changes in children (hyperactivity).
Keep to a routine for mealtimes and try not to snack in between to give Agni (metabolism) time to re-establish.
No blanket advice can be given regarding fasting as each person’s needs and health state will be different. But, eating with the rhythms of the day helps. Pitta dosha is high at midday and so our metabolism is at peak stage here. This is the ideal time of day to take your biggest meal of the day. Try not to eat too large a meal or too late at night as this will make sleeping difficult. This also gives our body essential down-time overnight to naturally fast and detox.
Touch:
Consider the temperature and atmosphere in your environment. Is it extremely hot, cold, dry or humid? The skin is our largest organ and is in direct contact with our outside environment. If possible, try to modify the environment you are in so that you are comfortable.
Wear clothing that is comfortable. Think about sensations against the skin and the fit – is the clothing restrictive at all?
Abhyanga is self-massage and carries many benefits in soothing our frayed nerves. Massage is a beautiful was to ground ourselves and calm down the nervous system when we’re feeling overstimulated. Read more about Abhyanga here.
The sheer excess of stimuli that we come across on a day-to-day basis today is an assault on our senses and more than our brain can process. Hyperstimulation has brought us to a place of either feeling numb or frayed at the edges. But, there are things we can do to help support, nourish and restore our senses. By taking a proactive approach, and building in some of these practices into our daily routine, we give our mind and body a much-needed break and some love.
References:
Gould van Praag et al. (2017) Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds. Scientific Reports, 7
McCann et al. (2007) Food additives and hyperactice behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blined, placebo-controlled tiral. The Lancet, 370 (9598)
Radis-Baptista (2023) Do synthetic fragrances in personal care and household products impact indoor air quality and pose health risks? Journal of Xenobiotics, 13(1)
Song et al. (2023) Effects of nature sounds on the attention and physiological and psychological relaxation. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 86
Steinemann (2016) Fragranced consumer products: exposure and effects from emissions. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 9(8)
Steinemann et al. (2018) Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatic Australians. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 11