I was a ‘passenger’ on You Me Bum Bum Train last month.
If you know, you know. If you don’t—imagine stepping into a parallel universe where, every few minutes, you’re thrown into a completely different scene, character, or world… and expected to go with it.
That was my experience as a passenger on You Me Bum Bum Train.
It was a long journey to get there. Then came the experience itself—surreal, immersive, disorienting, beautiful. A blur of voices, lights, unexpected roles, and rapid transitions. And then another long journey home. I couldn’t sleep. My system was still buzzing long into the night.
During the experience, at first, I thought it was anxiety. My heart was racing, I felt shaky and nauseous. But I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t worrying something would go wrong. In fact, I knew something big was about to happen… and I was excited and I loved it.
It wasn’t anxiety. It was overstimulation.
There’s a big difference:
- Anxiety is fear-based—full of “what ifs”.
- Overstimulation is sensory-based—your system is simply full.
This experience got me thinking about how often the two are confused—not just personally, but socially and medically. How often are people prescribed anti-anxiety medication when what they’re actually experiencing is overarousal in an overwhelming environment? Maybe the problem isn’t our minds, but the pace, intensity, and demands of the world around us. We know as HSPs that simple changes to our environments yield big changes in how we feel.
As an HSP, my nervous system picks up on everything. Details, energies, emotions. I often describe it like this:
My brain is a sponge. And yesterday, it soaked up a lot. By the time I got home, the sponge was saturated. I couldn’t switch off—not because I was scared, but because I was full to the brim.
Understanding the difference matters. If I’d treated it as anxiety, I might’ve tried to talk myself down. But what I really needed was rest, quiet, and time to let my nervous system recalibrate.
It took me a few days afterwards to wring out the sponge. Slowly, gently.
What about you? Can you tell the difference between anxiety and overarousal? How might this be helpful to you?
Have you ever mistaken overstimulation for anxiety—or labelled your body’s full response as something to push through, rather than something to care for?
I’d love to hear how you recognise the difference, and what helps you come back to centre.
