Watch out for sneaky stimulation {Quote of the Week}

Do you feel exhausted at the end of the day and you don’t know why? It could be that you’re being overstimulated at work or school and you don’t realize it. For highly sensitive people (and for introverts, too), even the little things can become too much–being in a crowded, loud classroom all day or constantly getting interrupted at work when you’re trying to concentrate. Eventually you get used to these little annoyances, and you think they aren’t bothering you, but really, they are still there in the background. Dr. Elaine Aron, author of the book, The Highly Sensitive Person, explains:

Often we can get used to stimulation. But sometimes we think we have and aren’t being bothered, but suddenly feel exhausted and realize why: We have been putting up with something at a conscious level while it was actually wearing us down. Even a moderate and familiar stimulation, like a day at work, can cause an HSP (highly sensitive person) to need quiet by evening. At that point, one more ‘small’ stimulation can be the last straw.

What may be overstimulating for one person is not overstimulating for another:

Stimulation is even more complicated because the same stimulus can have different meanings for different people. A crowded shopping mall at Christmastime may remind one person of happy family shopping excursions and create a warm holiday spirit. But another person may have been forced to go shopping with others, tried to buy gifts without enough money and no idea of what to purchase, had unhappy memories of past holidays, and so suffers intensely in malls at Christmas.

It’s all about knowing yourself and understanding how you best operate. What overstimulates you?

What’s your personality type? We recommend this free, quick test from our partner Personality Hacker.

Read this: 12 signs you’re a highly sensitive person