The Overstimulated Human: How Modern Life Hijacks the Body’s Ancient Systems

Most people assume they’re tired because they’re 'busy', anxious because they’re 'stressed', unfocused because they’re 'lazy', or overwhelmed because they 'can’t keep up'.

But underneath the labels and self-blame lies a deeper truth: Modern life is overstimulating an ancient nervous system that was never designed for the world we live in today.

This isn’t a personal failing.

It isn’t a mindset issue.

It isn’t a lack of willpower.

And it definitely isn’t a spiritual misalignment.

It’s biology doing exactly what biology does under chronic load.

Your nervous system is a 200,000-year-old operating system running on sensory environments that didn’t exist until the last 100 years. The world has changed faster than the human body can adapt — and most people are living in a state of constant activation without realising it.

This blog explores how that happens, why it affects some people more than others, and how to begin restoring balance even when you can’t easily change your environment.

But first — a lived example.

When a 'Normal Day' Was Actually Overload

For a long time, my days followed the same strange pattern: I would wake up — often after a disrupted or restless sleep — and still feel reasonably calm. Even with morning demands, I was able to stay patient with my daughter Emma, and hold steady with my husband John through his injury and recovery. On the surface, I was functioning. I looked 'fine'.

But as the day progressed, there was a slow tightening inside me — almost imperceptible at first — until by mid-afternoon I felt agitated, stiff, depleted, overstimulated, and stretched well beyond my edge. Tiredness made sense. Parenting made sense. Stress made sense. But something didn’t feel like me.

What confused me was that on weekends (when there was less construction), or on days when we went out, especially into nature, I came back to life. I felt more like myself. My capacity for everything increased. My clarity sharpened. My nervous system softened. I felt present again — regulated, grounded, alive. Until we got home again...

So why was the same human responding so differently?

It took me over a year to see the truth clearly.

I could usually hold calm with my family — but anything beyond that, my system simply didn’t have capacity for. At first, I blamed myself. Maybe I was burnt out. Maybe I wasn’t strong enough. Maybe my health was declining. Maybe I needed to 'push harder'.

But the real answer only revealed itself when life, and my body, forced me to slow down.

Our finances tightened. I couldn’t distract myself with day trips, shopping or errands. I stepped back from developing my passion projects. I returned to L-Theanine — which I’ve used before — and gradually, as the stimulation of my life reduced, the deeper truth began to surface:

It wasn’t me.

It was my environment.

For someone regulated, living in a new subdivision amid constant construction might be tolerable — especially if they left the house daily for work, social connection, or nature. But we were home nearly all day, every day. John was healing. Emma was young. And I was exhausted.

We weren’t working traditional jobs — we were spending time together, living from the equity of our house sale, resting, recovering, recalibrating. In that state, the environment didn’t support us — it overwhelmed us. But it wasn't super noticeable until John got injured in late July 2025 and we couldn't go out as much as we used to - then it was unavoidable.

And it wasn’t just the noise. Or the dust. Or the machinery.It was the absence of nature.

You see, I grew up in rural New Zealand, surrounded by trees, rivers, and quiet. Nature was a huge part of my upbringing. Even our old home — the one we recently sold — backed onto hills and valleys, wrapped in greenery with a garden I grew, nourished and loved. I healed a lot in the 11 years we lived there, but then we outgrew that container and the environment began to impact our wellbeing.

Our current house has served a perfect purpose, but — while modern, functional, and spacious — was surrounded on three sides by fences. No trees. No natural shade. No softening. A subdivision of four houses that turned into twenty, with more being built directly beside and behind us.

I was completely out of my element — and it took almost two years to truly recognise it.

But that contrast was also a gift.

It allowed me to tangible feel the difference with exquisite clarity.

To finally understand what my body had been trying to tell me all along.

To see that I was not 'failing' — I was adapting as best I could to an environment that exceeded my ancient biology’s limits.

Now that I am aware, I can listen — and return to harmony. And yes… we are now actively looking for a new home that respects mine and my family's sensitivities, biology, and need for nature. I can already sense how dramatically things will shift once we land somewhere aligned.

MODERN LIFE IS TOO LOUD FOR AN ANCIENT NERVOUS SYSTEM

Every human nervous system evolved for:

• quiet natural landscapes

• slow rhythms

• predictable sensory input

• long periods of rest

• face-to-face community

• sunlight

• trees and open sky

• cycles of activity and stillness

• darkness at night

• clean air

• water

• simplicity

What it did not evolve for:

• construction noise

• traffic

• chemicals

• air pollution

• constant notifications

• bright LED lights

• financial pressure

• 24/7 stimulation

• multi-tasking

• algorithm-driven attention hijacking

• dense housing

• social isolation

• artificial environments

• chronic uncertainty

The gap between what your biology expects and what it receives is the root of much modern dysregulation.

SIGNS YOU’RE OVERSTIMULATED (EVEN IF YOU 'SEEM FINE')

• irritability with no clear trigger

• exhaustion that coffee cannot fix

• overstimulation from sound or visual clutter

• sudden emotional outbursts

• a shorter patience threshold

• tension in the jaw, shoulders, or lower back

• disrupted sleep

• craving silence, darkness, or solitude

• fogginess, forgetfulness, or poor focus

• feeling 'wired and tired'

• slower recovery from stress

• feeling overwhelmed by small tasks

These aren’t flaws.

They’re signals.

Your biology is trying to tell you: “I’m taking in more than I can process.”

THE CORE ISSUE: TOO MUCH INPUT, NOT ENOUGH BUFFER

Ancient humans lived with massive sensory buffers:

• trees

• wind

• birds

• earth

• water

• sky

• silence

• community

• space

These acted as natural regulators — constantly resetting the nervous system.

Most modern environments do the opposite:

• everything is sharp

• everything is loud

• everything is fast

• everything is artificial

• everything demands attention

Your nervous system was designed for presence, not bombardment.

Overstimulation is not weakness.

It’s biology overwhelmed by an environment it wasn’t built for.

WHAT YOU CAN DO — EVEN IF YOU CAN’T MOVE OR CHANGE YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW

You don’t need a forest.

You don’t need acres of space.

You don’t need a perfect home (yet).

You just need to create micro-buffers that help your biology regulate.

Here are some simple, powerful ways:

1. Sensory Reduction Moments

• Turn off lights

• Sit in silence

• Reduce visual clutter

• Step outside and close your eyes

• Lower the volume

• Limit input for a moment

2. Nature Substitutes

Not everyone lives near trees — but your nervous system doesn’t need perfection to self-regulate. Try:

• nature soundscapes

• a single houseplant

• nature images

• sunlight through a window

• a cup of tea outside for 2 minutes

• touching soil in a pot

• grounding barefoot in grass

3. Pattern Interrupts

Your biology resets when you change sensory channels:

• look far into the distance

• shift from noise to quiet

• shift from screens to sky

• step outside between tasks

4. Breath

The fastest way to shift a nervous system.

Slow, long exhales.

No complicated techniques required.

THE GOOD NEWS: YOUR BODY REMEMBERS HARMONY

You are not starting from scratch.

Your nervous system remembers:

• trees

• sky

• rhythm

• breath

• slowness

• nature

• safety

• presence

• silence

• coherence

Even the smallest dose of harmony begins healing the system.

You don’t need to 'fix yourself'.

You just need to reconnect with what your biology has always known.

NEXT IN THE SERIES — BLOG FOUR

“The Nervous System and the Spirit: Why Sensitives, Empaths, and Intuitives Feel Everything More Deeply”

A look at why some people “sense more,” why it’s not weakness, and how to protect your sensitivity without shutting it down.