In addition to the above signs of a fight-or-flight response, someone experiencing sensory overload might experience: This process can be sped up for some by calming or down-regulating practices (deep breathing, meditation, hand-on-heart exercises, and similar). These feelings and symptoms can take up to half an hour to subside. Obviously, if sensory overload is making you feel the same as you would if you were attacked by a predator, you won’t be feeling good-unsafe, fearful, panicky, sweaty, pale, and shaky. Just like you’d leap out of the way of an out-of-control vehicle before you’ve completely processed what is happening.Ĭonversely, it means you also need to work hard to control this response. This unconscious decision occurs almost immediately. Your hands and feet may get cold as blood is diverted. Your heart rate and breathing will increase, delivering more oxygen to the large muscle groups you need to fight or run. If you’re sent into fight-or-flight mode, your body will prepare for action. With limited options, it can fight for its life, run away ( flight) or freeze in the hope it’s not seen. The fight, flight or freeze response, or stress response, is your body’s natural reaction to danger.Ĭonsider how an animal behaves in the wild when under attack by a predator. Overwhelmed by all the input, the brain responds as it would to a life-threatening situation and enters fight, flight, or freeze mode. Sensory overload is when your five senses-light, sound, taste, touch, and smell-take in more information that your brain can process.
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