5 Simple Ways to Reduce Everyday Sensory Overload
Given that we all have different brains, different nervous systems, and different life experiences, it makes sense that we all experience the world differently, doesn't it? And if that makes sense doesn't it also make sense that we all are experiencing varying levels of overwhelm and sensory overload each day? What feels comfortable or tolerable to you may be overstimulating to your partner. What feels energizing to your kids might be unbearable to you.
Once we accept that there's nothing broken about us when we are feeling overstimulated, we open up to more ways of supporting ourselves in order to reduce overwhelm and nervous system burnout. Below are ways to support yourself if you experience sensory overload regularly.
1. Noise Canceling Headphones or Protected Quiet Spaces
Auditory processing issues, noise sensitivities, and distractibility are all experiences that exist on a spectrum. For some people, background noise feels like a physical intrusion — a hum that grates at their nervous system or makes it hard to think. For others, silence can feel just as uncomfortable, leaving too much space for internal noise or racing thoughts. Every brain has a different threshold for what feels “too much” or “not enough.”
Understanding where you fall on that spectrum can help you better support your focus and nervous system. Some people thrive with gentle background music or white noise to stay regulated; others do best with noise-canceling headphones or designated quiet zones. There’s no right or wrong — only what allows you to stay connected to yourself and your environment in a sustainable way.
Equally important is learning to protect your quiet spaces and times. For neurodivergent individuals, sensory rest isn’t a luxury — it’s maintenance. This might mean carving out a few minutes of silence before work, setting boundaries around background TV noise, or communicating your need for quiet to those you live or work with. When your brain gets predictable moments of calm, it can recover from overstimulation and handle transitions with more ease.
Honoring your sound environment is part of honoring your nervous system. Whether that means turning the volume down, curating background sounds that soothe you, or giving yourself full permission to seek silence — tuning in to what your brain needs is an act of care, not control.
2. Task-Chunking
Time management strengths or struggles — as well as task-completion abilities — exist on a spectrum. What feels easy or automatic for one person might range from moderately challenging to nearly impossible for another. For neurodivergent adults, these differences often have less to do with motivation and more to do with how the brain processes time, transitions, and executive tasks.
Understanding where you fall on this spectrum — and noticing which situations, environments, or types of tasks are harder for you — allows you to plan with your nervous system, not against it. Breaking larger tasks into smaller, bite-sized steps can make initiation easier and reduce overwhelm. Tools like visual timers, countdowns, or even friendly “races against the clock” can make abstract time more tangible and help sustain focus.
For example, instead of thinking, “I have an hour to get ready,” it might help to break that down into specific, concrete actions:
“I have 3 minutes to brush my teeth, 17 minutes to do my hair, 15 minutes for makeup, 5 minutes to get dressed, and 20 minutes to eat breakfast or drink coffee.”
This kind of detailed mapping gives your brain structure and predictability — both of which support executive functioning.
When you approach time as something to collaborate with rather than conquer, you build rhythms that honor both your brain and your capacity. Sustainable productivity comes not from doing more, but from doing what matters in ways that feel manageable for you.
3. Buffer Time
Equally important is learning to protect your time and energy boundaries. Just as sensory rest helps the body recover, temporal rest helps the mind reset. This might mean blocking off quiet “transition zones” between commitments, saying no to back-to-back obligations, or setting alarms to remind you when it’s time to step away. Protecting unscheduled time is not laziness; it’s a way of keeping your nervous system within its window of tolerance.
For many neurodivergent people, buffer time is essential for preventing sensory and emotional overload. Moving directly from one task, conversation, or environment to another can be overstimulating, even if the activities themselves aren’t stressful. Our nervous systems often need space to decompress, regulate, and reorient before taking on something new.
Buffer time can look different for everyone:
Sitting in silence in your car for five minutes before going inside.
Taking a quiet walk between meetings or after social events.
Scheduling extra time between appointments so you can transition slowly instead of rushing.
Allowing yourself to linger in low-demand activities — scrolling, doodling, stretching — before switching gears.
These small pauses are not wasted minutes; they are recovery moments that help your brain process sensory input and emotional energy. Over time, consistently giving yourself buffer time can reduce burnout, improve focus, and make daily life feel more sustainable.
In the same way your body needs sleep, your brain needs space between things. Protecting that space is an act of self-trust — it tells your nervous system, I won’t push you past your limits to keep up with expectations that don’t fit how you’re built.
4. Fidgets or Sensory Supports
Just as supporting your auditory and executive functioning needs is vital to your well-being, it’s equally important to recognize and honor your sensory needs. And where do these needs exist? You guessed it — on a spectrum.
What might seem silly or unnecessary to one person could be the very thing that brings regulation and calm to another. Our nervous systems each have unique ways of seeking or avoiding stimulation. Understanding your personal sensory profile helps you know when to lean into certain sensations and when to minimize them, creating balance rather than overload.
Sensory supports don’t have to be complicated or expensive — they just have to work for you. That might mean rocking or swaying for a minute, shaking out your limbs, fidgeting with a textured object, using a weighted blanket, lying flat on the floor, or humming and singing in the car. The key is noticing what sensations bring comfort or clarity and intentionally incorporating them into your daily rhythm.
It can also help to create a “sensory toolkit” — a small collection of items or practices that help you regulate on the go. This could include fidgets, textured fabrics, noise-canceling headphones, scent-based tools like essential oil rollers, or even playlists that match your energy needs. The goal isn’t to eliminate sensory sensitivity but to support your nervous system in real time, with options that are both grounding and accessible.
When you start viewing sensory needs as valid and worth meeting — not as quirks to suppress — self-regulation becomes easier and more sustainable. Your sensory preferences are not flaws; they’re cues from your body about what safety and balance feel like.
5. Grounding Techniques or Mindful Breathing
Once we recognize our sensory and executive needs, it helps to have practices that can bring us back to the present moment when our nervous system feels scattered or overwhelmed. Mindful breathing and grounding techniques are simple, accessible ways to do this — and they exist on a spectrum too, meaning you can adapt them to what feels manageable and effective for you.
Mindful breathing doesn’t have to be complicated. Even a few slow, intentional breaths can signal to your body that it’s safe to pause and recalibrate. You might try counting your inhale and exhale, focusing on the sensation of air moving through your nostrils, or simply noticing the rise and fall of your chest. The goal isn’t to “perfect” your breathing — it’s to anchor yourself in the moment.
Grounding can take many forms, depending on your preferences and context. You can:
Press your feet firmly into the floor and notice the connection.
Touch a textured object and focus on how it feels.
Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
Move gently or shake out tension to reconnect with your body.
The power of these practices comes from choosing what works for you and using them consistently when your nervous system needs a reset. They aren’t about forcing calm or control; they’re about providing your brain with signals that it is safe, supported, and capable of moving forward.
Integrating mindful breathing and grounding into your morning or daily routine can make transitions smoother, reduce overwhelm, and enhance your ability to focus. Over time, these small, intentional pauses help your nervous system recover, making everyday demands feel more manageable.
Want faster reset tools? Check out the post on Micro-Breaks that Actually Help You Reset After Overwhelm
Every brain experiences the world differently, and every nervous system has its own thresholds for stimulation, focus, and recovery. There’s nothing “broken” about needing quiet, needing breaks, or needing sensory supports — these are signals from your body and brain about what you need to thrive. By noticing where you fall on the spectrum of auditory, executive, and sensory needs, and by giving yourself permission to meet those needs, you can reduce overwhelm, prevent burnout, and create a day that feels manageable and even nourishing.
Start small. Experiment with one strategy at a time: try wearing noise-canceling headphones during a busy period, break a task into smaller chunks, or schedule a short buffer before your next appointment. Notice how your nervous system responds, and adjust as needed. Over time, these intentional moments of care build resilience, focus, and balance.
Your nervous system deserves support, and so do you. If you’d like more guidance on creating neurodivergent-friendly routines and self-care practices tailored to your brain, I help clients do exactly that through one-on-one therapy sessions. You can learn more and schedule a consultation here.
If you enjoyed this post You might also appreciate our article on Recognizing ADHD Burnout Signals to deepen your awareness of how your nervous system gives you feedback.