Practice Of Returning Series: When You Feel Overstimulated
This mini-lesson is designed for the days when everything feels loud, scattered, or impossibly demanding. If you’ve ever felt pulled in too many directions or struggled to focus no matter how hard you try, this practice offers a grounded return to yourself. Through breath-based centering, gentle body awareness, and an understanding of how overstimulation affects your nervous system, you’ll learn how to gather your energy, reclaim your presence, and reconnect with the part of you that can stay steady even in a busy world. This session is a soft reset—an invitation to pause, breathe, and come back to your own center with clarity and calm. Background music by Liborio Conti.
Transcript
Welcome.
I'm glad you're here.
Today we're exploring a state many of us know all too well.
That feeling of being overstimulated,
Pulled in too many directions,
And simply unable to focus.
It might feel like your energy is everywhere at once,
Emails pinging,
Messages waiting,
Tasks multiplying,
And yet somehow you can't catch a single thread.
Your mind flits between thoughts,
Your body feels restless,
And even your breath seems rushed or shallow.
Maybe you try to concentrate but nothing sticks,
Or maybe you feel so drained that it's simply easier to scroll than to truly be present with any one thing.
If this sounds familiar,
Know that you're not failing and you're not lazy.
Your system is simply responding to an overload of external pulls without enough internal grounding.
This is the body's way of signaling that it needs a moment to recalibrate,
To find focus,
And to reconnect with your own energy.
Before we go any further,
Let's pause together.
We're not trying to fix your overstimulation in this moment.
We're simply going to settle into your body,
Draw your awareness inward,
And give yourself a little space to reconnect with your own center.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down,
Where your body can feel supported.
Let your weight rest fully into whatever is holding you,
Allowing your muscles to soften just a little bit.
Take a slow,
Deliberate breath in through your nose,
And let it fall out gently through your mouth.
Again,
Breathe in and release,
Noticing the subtle rise and fall of your chest or your belly.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring attention to the points of contact between your body and your support.
Feel the steady,
Grounding weight of the floor beneath you,
Of the chair holding you,
Or whatever surface supports you.
Imagine it as a safe,
Solid presence,
Able to hold you completely,
Without effort.
Place a hand over your heart or your belly,
Or wherever feels natural.
This is your anchor,
A gentle reminder that you can connect to your own body and your own energy,
Even when the world outside feels chaotic.
Notice any areas of tension,
Restlessness,
Or tightness.
You don't need to fix them,
Simply acknowledge them.
With each exhale,
Imagine releasing just a little bit of that tension,
Letting it flow down and out,
Leaving your body a bit lighter,
A little bit more centered.
Spend a few more breaths here,
Returning your attention to the support beneath you,
The warmth of your hand,
And the natural rhythm of your breath.
Allow this small pocket of grounding to exist,
Even if it's just a fraction of your attention.
When you're ready,
Carry this awareness forward as we move into the teaching portion,
Knowing that you've already begun reclaiming some of your scattered energy.
When your energy feels scattered and your attention pulled in many directions,
It's tempting to think that powering through,
Doing more,
Checking more,
Responding faster,
Will help you get more done.
But the opposite is actually true.
When your nervous system is overloaded,
Trying to function at full speed actually slows you down.
Your focus is divided,
Your memory falters,
And your ability to notice details diminishes.
The quality of your work suffers because your energy is dispersed.
You simply don't have enough presence available to bring full attention to any one task.
Physiologically,
Overstimulation occurs when your nervous system is constantly responding to external demands.
Each ping,
Alert,
Or request draws energy outward,
Leaving less available for internal regulation,
Sustained attention,
And thoughtful action.
Your body may feel restless or tense,
Your thoughts fragmented,
And your mind pulled into constant multitasking.
These responses aren't a flaw.
They're how your system tries to adapt to the demands placed on it.
Grounding practices help because they create a pause,
A moment to reconnect with your body and your internal energy.
When you slow your breath,
Notice the points of support beneath you,
Or bring attention to the sensations in your body you signal to your nervous system that it's safe to shift some energy back inward.
This allows focus,
Clarity,
And presence to return,
Even if it's only in small amounts at first.
Over time,
Consistent grounding helps prevent the constant dispersion of energy.
It teaches your system that you can respond to external demands without losing touch with yourself,
Improving both your efficiency and the quality of your work.
Small repeated pauses are not interruptions.
They're the foundation for functioning with presence and integrity in a busy,
Overstimulating world.
Now that we've noticed how scattered energy can pull us in many directions,
And how our nervous system responds to constant stimulation,
Let's take a moment to give ourselves a pause.
We're not trying to fix everything at once or force complete focus.
Instead,
We're going to gently practice gathering scattered energy,
Reconnecting with our body,
And creating a small pocket of presence.
As we move into this longer practice,
Allow yourself to be curious and compassionate.
Even a little reconnection is a step toward steadiness and clarity.
And that,
That's enough for right now.
Begin by settling into a comfortable position,
Sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
Allow your body to feel fully supported.
Let your weight sink gently into whatever is holding you,
Noticing the contact with the surface beneath you,
Like roots reaching into the earth,
Steady and secure,
And holding you effortlessly.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose for a count of four,
Hold it for a count of two,
And exhale gently through your mouth for a count of six.
Again,
This time I'll count.
Inhale for four,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold for two.
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
With each breath,
Allow your body to soften,
Letting tension melt out of your shoulders,
Your jaw,
And your belly.
Place one or both hands over your chest and belly,
Feeling the warmth and gentle movement with each breath.
Let this contact anchor your attention,
Reminding you that your body is present,
Capable,
And receptive.
Now bring awareness to the energy in your body.
Notice where it feels scattered,
Restless,
Or pulled outward.
Imagine it as small glowing particles floating in different directions.
With each inhale,
Draw those particles inward toward the center of your chest or your belly.
And with each exhale,
Let them settle,
Becoming calm,
Cohesive,
And steady within you.
We'll add a subtle breath pattern to help gather this energy further.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Imagine you're drawing scattered energy into your center.
Hold for two.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Releasing tension,
Restlessness,
And any lingering distractions.
Let's try it again.
We're inhaling for four,
Holding for two,
And exhaling for six.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold for two.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Repeat this cycle for several breaths,
Moving slowly and mindfully,
Allowing the inhale to collect the energy,
And the hold to consolidate it,
And the exhale to clear what is unnecessary.
As you continue,
Imagine your gathered energy forming a small,
Luminous orb in your center.
Each breath nourishes this orb,
Making it brighter and steadier and more present.
Even a tiny pocket of collected energy is enough to restore focus and grounding.
If your mind drifts or outside distractions pull at you,
Notice them with curiosity and gently return to your breath,
Your hand,
And your orb of energy.
Each return strengthens your ability to stay centered amid stimulation.
Spend a few more cycles of this breath work,
Sensing your body supported,
Your energy gathered,
And your awareness returning inward.
Finally,
Take one last long,
Deliberate inhale,
And release fully,
Letting the orb of energy settle comfortably in your center.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch if it feels natural.
Bring your attention back to the room around you.
Carry this pocket of presence and focus with you,
Knowing that even amidst external pulls,
You can reconnect with your own center through breath,
Awareness,
And grounding.
Take a moment to notice how your body feels now,
After collecting your energy and reconnecting with your breath.
As you reflect,
You might ask yourself,
Does this feeling of being scattered or overstimulated show up often in your life,
Or was it more of a one-time experience?
If it tends to happen repeatedly,
Can you notice if there are particular situations,
Environments,
Or even people that usually leave you feeling pulled in too many directions?
When that happens,
What small choice,
Boundary,
Or act of self-care could you use to protect your energy and reclaim your focus?
If this was a rare or one-time moment,
What about the circumstances made it feel overwhelming,
And what might you do differently next time to support yourself?
And finally,
How does it feel to notice that even a few intentional breaths,
A pause,
Or simply tuning into your body can help begin to restore clarity and presence?
There's no need to solve everything right now.
Simply let these questions sit gently with you,
Noticing what arises with curiosity and compassion.
Reflection in this way is a quiet,
Kind step toward understanding your energy and caring for yourself more deeply.
As we close,
Take one last,
Long,
Grounding breath in,
And release it fully,
Letting your body feel the support beneath you and the collected energy resting in your center.
Allow yourself to notice any subtle shifts,
The sense of focus returning,
The scattered energy settling,
Or just the gentle rhythm of your own breath.
Even a small pause like this is enough to begin reclaiming your energy and your presence.
As you move forward,
Carry with you the awareness that your energy is yours to tend to.
You have the ability to create pauses,
Set gentle boundaries,
And return to your center whenever you need to.
Each breath,
Each moment of attention to your body,
Is a quiet act of reclaiming focus and clarity.
If this practice helped you connect with your own energy and sense of presence,
I invite you to follow Create the Calm here on Insight Timer.
You'll be notified whenever I release new teachings,
Practices,
And classes,
Including my full class,
Coming Home to Your Body,
Designed to help you cultivate steadiness,
Focus,
And calm,
Even amidst life's pulls.
In the meantime,
May you carry this calm,
Clarity,
And centeredness with you,
Now and always.
