I’m interested in how others deal with feeling overstimulated and how that might play into pain and perception of pain. I’m aware that TMS theories point to getting re-involved in normal activity as far as possible... however I find that this sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn’t. Often at the moment I end up feeling really overstimulated and in a lot more pain when I try to just engage as normal and get more depressed about my lack of progress. I think I must be pretty sensitive to my surroundings and environment, although I can think to times in the past when I was able to throw myself into so many things without care and of course it would be nice to get back there at some point... I do know that sometimes at this point it feels like I’m doing more harm than good by pushing my limits too far and end up feeling really crappy as a result. How can we work out how to push ourselves within certain limits?
The simple answer is pleasure. Pleasure softens and soothes, it renders the sensual, it expands our experience of joy and it makes compassion (and self-compassion) easy. It was the accidental re-discovery of pleasure that turned my healing around and to this day it remains a devotion.
Pleasure is natural. It dissolves tension. It transforms overstimulation into an intensity that can be re-imagined, diminished, played with.
You may also like to consider how and why you are overstimulated. Too much time online and too much time indoors is wearing for our nervous system. We need to be in Nature, we need real friendships, real books, real food and such. For most of us a favouring of the natural world and real things is enough to counter excess.
Many people here, myself included, need solitude. We need quiet time, alone time, to replenish. This allows us to re-engage with the world on more intimate and authentic terms. We all ebb and flow in this regard.
Lots of the sweet souls here are HSP or highly sensitive people and a huge part of recovery is learning how to care for and respect this beautiful quality. There is artistry in this endeavour.
The more you settle into the goodness of your life, the easier it becomes to resume normal activity. No need to push through or force. Slow and gentle is the way to go. As you build confidence and understanding of TMS it truly becomes much easier.
Plum x
(the serene waterbaby)
