Felix Brabander

Happy Sunday! As a sensitive high achiever, you might feel both the excitement of new possibilities and the heaviness of overwhelm creeping in. Today, let’s address a crucial topic: learning to conquer overstimulation and anxiety so you can keep moving toward your goals—without burning out.

Why Overwhelm Happens

When you’re sensitive, you naturally pick up on subtle cues—whether that’s a tight deadline at work, a friend’s unspoken stress or just background noise in a busy environment. Add in the drive for achievement, and you’ve got a recipe for intense pressure on your mind, body, and emotions. Over time, this can manifest as racing thoughts, physical tension, or mental fatigue—all signs of an overactive stress response.

The good news: you can learn to spot the early warning signs of overwhelm and hit pause before it spirals out of control.

Strategies to Handle Overstimulation & Anxiety

1. Create Mindful Pauses Throughout the Day

• Why it Helps: By deliberately weaving in short breaks—think 1 to 2 minutes every hour—you give your brain a chance to reset. When you return to your tasks, you’ll regain clarity and calm.
• How to Do It: Set a gentle alarm or reminder on your phone or computer to chime every 60–90 minutes. When it goes off, close your eyes or soften your gaze, take a few deep breaths, and mentally note how you feel. Are your shoulders tense? Is your heart racing? Do you feel scattered? Simply acknowledge whatever’s there without judgment, then take a moment to slowly exhale.

• Why it Helps: Overstimulation often occurs because we’re absorbing too much from our environment—work tasks, social media updates, family concerns, background chatter. Mental boundaries act as gates that let in only what’s most relevant and beneficial.
• How to Do It: Visualize having a “mental shield” that selectively lets in important information. For instance, if you’re in the middle of an important project, silence phone notifications or close unrelated browser tabs. You can also imagine yourself in a bubble of calm energy when you step into a noisy or emotionally charged setting. This mental trick, while simple, reminds your brain to stay centered on what truly matters.

• Why it Helps: Sensitive high achievers often fill their schedules to the brim—leading to panic when the unexpected arises. Buffer time is the extra space between tasks or appointments so you’re not rushing or feeling behind.
• How to Do It: Aim to schedule at least 15–20 minutes of buffer between major tasks. Use this time to wrap up, mentally switch gears, or deal with small hiccups. Knowing you have a cushion can dissolve a big chunk of anxiety.

The Power of Breathing for a Quick Reset

One of the fastest, most effective ways to calm an overstimulated mind is through conscious breathing. When done correctly, it signals your nervous system to shift out of fight-or-flight mode and into a more peaceful, rest-and-digest state.

A Simple Breathing Technique

1. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
2. Hold your breath gently for a count of 2.
3. Exhale through your mouth for a count of 6 (or even 8 if that’s comfortable).
4. Repeat for at least 3 rounds.

Pro Tip: As you exhale, imagine releasing tension, worry, or mental clutter. With each breath out, let the feeling of calm expand within you.

Key Insight: Mindful Pauses & Mental Boundaries

The essence of handling overwhelm lies in awareness and intention:

• Awareness: Recognize when you’re nearing your capacity. Notice your heart rate, muscle tension, or racing thoughts.
• Intention: Choose to pause, to breathe, to say “no” when you need to, or to step out of an overstimulating environment.

By consistently tuning in to your body and mind, you can catch overwhelm early—preventing it from derailing your day (and your mental health).

Action Step for Today (should you choose to accept it) 😊

1. Adopt a Quick Breathing Technique: The next time you feel stress building, pause for one minute and do the inhale-hold-exhale cycle outlined above. Even a single round can make a difference.
2. Mental “Check-In”: As you perform the breathing technique, do a quick scan. Are your shoulders tight? Your jaw clenched? Just noticing tension can help you begin to let it go.

Try this whenever you feel that anxious energy creeping in—during a tough conversation, after reading a stressful email, or at the end of a busy day. Make it a habit, and you’ll see how quickly your mind can shift from chaos to calm.

Why This Matters

For sensitive high achievers, success isn’t just about hitting your goals—it’s also about protecting your well-being so you can continue performing at a high level. When you learn to navigate overwhelm, you’re effectively safeguarding your creative energy, emotional balance, and passion for the work you do.

The path to achievement doesn’t have to be riddled with burnout and anxiety. In fact, the more you respect your sensitivity and give yourself space to breathe—literally and figuratively—the further and faster you’ll go.

P.S. I’d love to hear how this breathing technique works for you! Hit “reply” and let me know if it helped you feel calmer or more grounded. Your feedback helps me tailor future newsletters to your needs as a sensitive high achiever.


Warmly,

Felix Brabander
Founder of SensitiveHighAchievers.com

PERSONAL NOTE
I often think back to when I was a kid, pasting constructions with cardboard  for hours without a care in the world. That sense of wonder and total absorption reminds me of the power of creativity—even now. It’s a feeling I like to tap into when tackling any project, big or small. I reminds me that great ideas oftentimes pop up when I step out of ‘trying’ and surrender to and be surprised by what may pop up out of nowhere.