GNT #120: You’re not broken. You’re overstimulated.

read time: 3.5 minutes

The average adult now sees between 6,000 and 10,000 ads every single day.¹ 😱

That doesn’t include push notifications, inbox pings, background noise, Slack/Teams messages, group chats, or the infinite scroll of content competing for our attention.

So it’s no surprise when someone tells me:

“I don’t feel burnt out... but I feel kind of off. Like I’m going through the motions — productive, but weirdly numb.”

That came up in a recent convo with a client — a sharp, purpose-driven business owner who’s usually calm, focused, and intentional. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

She wasn’t tired from the work itself. She was tired from everything else.

It wasn’t burnout.
It wasn’t laziness.
It was overstimulation.

Today, we’re unpacking how overstimulation is quietly draining your energy, blurring your focus, and muting your motivation — and more importantly, what you can do to start turning the volume down.

Because sometimes the real problem isn’t that we’re doing too much — it’s that we’re taking in too much.

(p.s. I need this topic today just as much as anyone.)

Let’s get to it.
 

Why this matters

We are operating in a world that floods our brains with more input in a single day than our great-grandparents processed in a month. And our biology hasn’t caught up.

According to author Johann Hari in "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again", the average human attention span has decreased dramatically over the past decade — and much of that is due to information overload, technology, and constant context-switching.

My client couldn’t stop checking LinkedIn on her phone. Responding to DMs, scrolling the comments, getting sucked into the feed…

It wasn't her willpower that was broken.
It was her nervous system that was maxed out.

Here’s what’s happening — and what to do.
 

What overstimulation really is

At its core, overstimulation = too much input + not enough regulation.

Our brain is like a vintage computer running with 150 tabs open — music autoplaying, pop-ups flashing, notifications pinging.

(It’s exhausting reading that... 🤦‍♀️)

This shows up in business and life as:

• Constant fatigue

• Decision fatigue

• Mood swings

• Trouble focusing

• Avoiding people (even the ones you love)

And according to Hari, it can even mimic the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

6 ways to de-stimulate (no, you don’t have to move to the woods)

You don’t need a total life overhaul. You need small intentional moments to help your nervous system come down from red alert.

Here are a few ways Hari suggests we turn the volume down:

1. Create a low-stimulation ritual

• 10 minutes a day with no tech, no tasks, and no noise.
• Examples: sip your coffee in silence, walk outside without your phone, or sit and look out the window over your lunch break.

Just 10 minutes of quiet daily can reduce cortisol and improve cognitive function. Most days I set a timer and lay on the floor of my office.

2. Delay phone use in the morning

• One notification can hijack your mindset for the entire day.

• Instead, start your morning with intention before inputs.

Even 30 minutes of phone-free time post-wake-up can reduce stress and help you think more clearly.

(This one I am working on...it's sooo hard, but I notice the difference!)

3. Batch your notifications

• Turn on Do Not Disturb. Only allow notifications from people in your inner circle — close family or key team members.

• Set 2 “notification windows” each day (e.g., 9–12 and 4–5).

I’m not there yet, but I love this idea. Most of it is noise anyway.

4. Try a 24-hour stimulation fast

• One day a week (or month) with no screens, no music, no inbox. Just you, your people, and your presence.

I'm a smart watch user with calling/incoming call abilities. I'm starting to realize I can leave my phone at home.
 

5. Prioritize deep focus

• One task at a time.

• 30–60 minutes of “deep work” strengthens your prefrontal cortex (the part that handles decision-making and impulse control).

If I have my phone anywhere near me during deep work times, I'm tempted to pick it up out of habit. When I need to focus, I'll put it in another room.

6. Recalibrate in nature

• Replace artificial stimulation with natural rhythms.

• Walk in the woods. Sit in your backyard. Forest bathe, as they call it in Japan.

• Studies show ² it reduces cortisol and improves connection to self and others.

I 100% need this every single day. And can tell the difference when I don't get outside in nature.

Takeaway

You don’t need to do more.
You might just need to do less.

That client I mentioned earlier — the one feeling “off” even though she was staying productive? She decided to delete LinkedIn from her phone and only check it during focused work blocks at her desk.

A simple change.
But one that made her feel more like herself again.

If you’ve been feeling foggy, fried, or “not yourself” lately — please know this:

You’re not broken.
You’re overstimulated.
And that is reversible.

Your family, your work, and your well-being all depend on a regulated nervous system and a focused mind.

So here’s your prompt for this week:

👉 What’s one low-stimulation moment you can add to your day — starting tomorrow?

Block the time. Let it be quiet. Give your mind and body the grace to catch up.

My goal isn't to keep up with the noise. It’s to build a life where I don’t have to.

See you next Thursday, friends.

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If you liked this article, you might also like:

GNT #41: You are more than your job. Don't let work define you.
GNT #55: Learn who you really are (without running off to be a monk)
GNT #025: How to switch off from work

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