On Stimulation Differentials

Today, I wanted to share about Stimulation Differentials.

“Stimulation Differentials” is a term I invented. They’re helpful for understanding why you might use technology or food in a way that doesn’t serve you — or why you’re a bit anxious… all the time.

Here’s the idea:

Going from a high-stimulation environment to a low-stimulation environment (e.g., going across a “stimulation differential”) can feel uncomfortable or agitating in our bodies, especially if we’re not accustomed to making this transition.

And in 2021, many of us are extremely unaccustomed to making this transition.

Let me say more:  

Our bodies get revved up, to some degree, when we do something with more stimulation. So once we take that stimulation away, our bodies are still revved up.

Here are examples of when this can happen:

• You’re checking Instagram on your phone (higher stimulation)…and you turn it off (lower stimulation).

• You’ve been at work (higher stimulation — you had a lot to think about, and people to interface with), and you just got home (lower stimulation).

• You go from exploring the supermarket (higher stimulation) to waiting in line to check out (lower stimulation — fewer things to explore, do, and think about).
  

If you’re not accustomed to the process of calming your nervous system, then suddenly noticing all of these stimulating body sensations can feel surprising and disorienting. You may feel uncomfortable, agitated, or jumpy — like you want to jump out of your skin.

Or maybe you never notice the Stimulation Differential at all — you just notice that you need to take out your phone and check something when you have a minute of time in between activities. You notice that you need to eat a cookie as soon as you come home from work every day.

In 2021, many of us almost never bridge the Stimulation Differential but rather keep ourselves chronically stimulated, because we are afraid of the slight discomfort of being more stimulated than our environment.

But this is a serious loss because those moments of emptiness and lower stimulation are when:

• Our brains truly recover — so we can approach our next task with the maximum amount of focus and creativity.

• We get intentional about our next action, rather than simply reactive.

• We have insights about what we truly want in life.

• We recover and find the spaciousness, grounded-ness, and calm that so many of us yearn for.
  

When my 1:1 coaching clients tell me that they’re chronically a little bit anxious or they don’t know what they want from life, one thing I often explore is whether they are allowing themselves to come down — to truly land in a lower-stimulation environment.

Or are they just keeping themselves stimulated all of the time?

If we’re constantly stimulated all of the time, how can we expect to feel calm, less anxious, or clearer on our lives?

…

I saved the best news for last:

Once you get accustomed to bridging the Stimulation Differential…it’s actually not so uncomfortable.

You just know that, for example, at the end of your workday you are a little revved up. So you need to let your body come down by — perhaps — reading a book for a half hour (rather than going on the internet, which would also be stimulating).

Which is to say: what’s hard about Stimulation Differentials actually is significantly reduced by practice.

So this week, I’ll ask: are you avoiding bridging your Stimulation Differentials? If so, how’s that working for you?

Sign up for my newsletter to get helpful + encouraging essays like this every Sunday morning. It’s free!

I’m in your corner rooting for you.

Katie