More and more people in today’s fast-paced working environment feel perpetually on edge: unable to focus, plagued by a nonstop stream of notifications, and exhausted long before the day even ends. And though stressors have long been recognized as workplace issues, a newer, quieter phenomenon is very much on the rise: overstimulation.
While traditional workplace stress tends to be linked to heavy workloads or tight deadlines, overstimulation is an incident where the brain becomes overwhelmed by too much sensory, cognitive, and emotional input — in other words, far more than it can efficiently process. It may result in irritability, exhaustion, lowered productivity, and, finally, burnout. The modern workplace, with open-concept offices, constant digital communications, and the demand to be “always on,” has become a prime contributor to this growing problem.
What is overstimulation, and how does it differ from stress? Overstimulation is the state that one goes through after being put through excessive use of information or sensory input in a very short period of time. It may be noise, bright light, constant meetings, or multitasking pressure in the hyper-connected world. In overstimulation, the brain can’t filter out distractions and is unable to focus on the processing of emotions or any meaningful work.
While stress tends to be related to a challenge of some kind, overstimulation is more a question of the total amount of information, interactions, and sensory experience that outpaces the brain’s capacity to process. A 2023 study in The Journal of Neuroscience reported that sensory overload complaints had increased 40% from pre-pandemic levels; this may well be a shift exacerbated by a return to the office spaces and a surge in digital communication.
How Modern Work Environments Amplify Overstimulation
We work a lot differently now than we did just ten years ago, and many of the innovations in the modern workplace, well-intentioned to help people collaborate and work more efficiently, surely served to increase overstimulation in their own ways. Here’s how:
The Open Office Dilemma
Open-concept offices were once lauded as the future of collaboration. In reality, they’re often a sensory minefield of conversation, ringing phones, clacking keyboards, and impromptu meetings where it’s nearly impossible for workers to focus. Researchers at Harvard Business Review found that due to noise and distraction, employees in open offices experience a 15% loss in productivity.
The average worker gets 121 emails a day and countless messages, texts and notifications. And with the expectation of immediate response, employees are constantly switching between tasks, leading to cognitive fatigue. According to a study by the University of California at Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption, making digital overload one of the biggest contributors to overstimulation in the workplace.
Back-to-Back Meetings and Multitasking
Most employees find themselves caught in a vicious circle of back-to-back meetings, leaving little or no time for deep work. The compulsion to multitask — doing emails while on calls or messaging during meetings — prevents full engagement and increases cognitive strain.
The “Always-On” Culture
With the introduction of remote and hybrid work, the line between personal and professional life has continued to blur: many feel obligated to check emails after hours or respond to late-night messages, leaving little time for actual mental recovery.
What Employers Can Do to Reduce Overstimulation
Creating a healthier work environment isn’t just about reducing stress; it’s about rethinking how we structure work to minimize cognitive overload. Employers can make a difference by instituting changes that protect mental well-being while sustaining productivity.
Normalize Quiet Spaces and Flexible Work Zones While collaboration is invaluable, employees also need spaces where they can work without interruptions. Quiet rooms, soundproof pods, and “focus hours” can help temper the sensory overload of open offices.
Rethink Communication Overload Organizations should set norms around communication to limit unnecessary digital interruptions. Encouraging scheduled check-ins rather than constant instant messaging, and implementing email-free focus periods, can make a big difference.
Prioritize Meaningful Breaks Brief, intentional breaks throughout the day-say, walking outside, meditating, or simply looking away from screens-reset the brain and prevent overstimulation from building up.
Create Meeting-Free Time Blocks Companies like Shopify and Asana have successfully introduced “meeting-free days,” allowing employees uninterrupted time for deep work. Limiting meetings to specific time blocks can give employees more control over their schedules.
Encourage Separation of Work and Personal Life Employers should model healthy boundaries by not intruding on employees’ time outside of work. Simple things, such as discouraging after-hours emails and setting clear expectations around availability, can prevent the always-on mentality that contributes to overstimulation.
What Employees Can Do to Protect Themselves
While organizational change is crucial, employees can also take proactive steps to manage overstimulation in their daily routines:
Identify Your Triggers Notice where and when overstimulation usually occurs, such as a noisy office, constant email pings, or back-to-back meetings. Set boundaries with your digital tools: turn off non-essential notifications, batch and check emails, and set “do not disturb” on during your focus time.
Take a Sensory Break This may be time away from screens, breathing exercises, or sometimes just closing one’s eyes for a few moments; anything to help the nervous system reboot.
Expressing Needs Wherever the workspace constitutes overstimulation, workers should communicate their concerns to management.
The Future of Work Deserves Smarter Spaces
The conversation about mental well-being in the workplace is beyond mere stress management. Now, overstimulation in itself is considered a challenge and calls for meaningful steps toward healthier, more sustainable work environments. It means rethinking office design, digital communication habits, and workload expectations to create a space where employees don’t just survive the workday but thrive in it.
At Give an Hour, we believe that mental health and workplace well-being go hand in glove. In fact, one of our most popular trainings is our “Help the Helpers” series, which is customized to many different organizations looking to better employee mental health. Taking proactive steps to reduce overstimulation isn’t just about productivity; it’s about creating a culture where employees can bring their best selves to work, without the constant burden of mental overload.
Editor’s Note: Ryan Young is an advocate for mental health, blending creativity, leadership and personal passion to make a difference. His personal experiences inspired his mission to reduce mental health stigma and improve access to care, a commitment he channels as marketing and social media manager for Give an Hour. Founded in 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, Give an Hour is a national organization dedicated to transforming mental health by building strong and healthy individuals and communities.