How Daily Sensory Experiences Create Stress and Fatigue

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Have you ever noticed how certain sights, sounds, scents, foods and moves can instantly shift your mood? Sensory inputs affect us even when we’re not fully aware of them. We often blame our fatigue and stress on busy schedules or lack of sleep, yet our modern surroundings and lifestyles may amplify or even cause these feelings. Recognising sensory overload is crucial for enhancing our health and overall wellbeing.

It’s easy to underestimate how our senses impact our wellbeing. While we usually think of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch as ways to navigate and survive in the world, they do much more than that. They form the foundation of how we feel and function every day because they affect our emotions, stimulate our energy, and build our resilience. This is why the phrase ‘sense of wellbeing’ exists. We just haven’t fully acknowledged its literal significance.

The Hidden Impact of Sensory Overload

Our senses evolved over millions of years to help us survive in a natural world, one vastly different from the urban landscape of today. Back then, our senses were in tune with nature; we awoke to the sun and were free from fast-paced and complex environments we call cities with their maze of streets, people and constant noises. We are now surrounded by a continuous stream of stimulation from electronic devices, artificial lighting, urban sounds, and synthetic scents to name just a few.

Unfortunately, we haven’t had a sensory ‘software update’ to adapt to these dramatic changes. This has created a mismatch between our environment and what our senses are designed to handle. This gap can lead to sensory overload, causing fatigue and stress, often without us realising it. Such overload exacerbates the pressures of life. According to recent data from Statista, 31% of people identify stress as their top health concern.[i] This reflects a significant and growing worldwide trend. It’s time to understand how our senses play a role in this and how we can influence them to not only reduce stress, but also use them to improve our sense of mental fortitude and resilience.  

Normal modern-day life creates sensory overload

From visual overload to sudden noises, here are just some examples of how daily sensory experiences can leave us feeling depleted:

Sight

Information Overload: Our environments are filled with stimuli such as advertisements, never-ending news feeds and fast visuals that demand attention. Even seemingly trivial inputs, like scrolling through social media consume our limited mental energy contributing to fatigue.[ii] Our brains didn’t evolve to constantly processing random and varied visuals. This alone can leave us feeling ‘fried’ by the end of the day, never mind any work or people issues we are trying to deal with. 

Clutter and mess create stress and fatigue.

Light, another aspect of sight, also affects how we feel.

Indoor Layouts: Overly busy interiors can create mental strain that goes beyond aesthetics. Processing a complex environment taps into our primal need for orderly spaces that signal safety. Assessing objects drains our mental resources and heightens fatigue subtly affecting our mood and ability to relax. Our brains do this whether we notice it or not. To say ‘I don’t care’ or ‘I’m used to it’ is irrelevant; your brain still has to do the work.                       

Sound

Low-Frequency Noise: Background hums from air conditioning or refrigerators create subtle stress which raises the stress hormone cortisol. We may not even be conscious of this. Such noises can disrupt our ability to relax and concentrate, leaving us tense and overstimulated.[iii]

Most of the time we would attribute these feelings to something going on in our lives or in the moment – perhaps both. While this is may be so, we don’t need subtle sensory influences making these feelings worse.  

Unpredictable Noise: Sudden irregular noises, like doors slamming or smartphone notifications trigger our startle response. This keeps the brain in a heightened state of alertness. Over time, these ‘microbursts’ of stress deplete our energy and impair focus, making us feel drained even from seemingly small disruptions.[iv]

Noise distractions don’t just break your focus. They require effort to block out - sapping your energy and raising your stress levels

Smell

Artificial Scents: Synthetic fragrances in cleaning products, perfumes, and air fresheners can overload our olfactory system and trigger headaches or allergies. Our sense of smell is directly linked to our emotion centre; when bombarded with artificial scents, the brain works harder to filter out potentially harmful substances. This sensory exhaustion can impact our mood and focus.

Absence of Natural Scents: In modern spaces, we’re often deprived of the subtle aromas of nature, such as the smell of soil after rain (petrichor). I imagine not many people even consider this smell. Why would you miss what you don’t know? It has a musky note which combines the smell of the soil with plant oils from the flora in the area. This aroma frequently brings pleasure through connection with the emotion centre because it reflects our ancient understanding that with rain comes growth which links to food and survival.[v] Beyond this, research shows that natural aromas with active plant compounds can provide calming and stimulating effects on mood and behaviour.[vi] This is where flowers and pure essential oils in the home can help compensate for our lack of time outside. They can also provide sensory reprieve from artificial smells.

Smell is the only sense with unfiltered access to the limbic system, our emotion centre.

It can create a sense of instant displeasure or joy which can influence our behaviour.

Taste

Ultra-Processed Foods: High levels of fat, sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients in modern diets can interfere with brain health, affecting our emotions, cognitive ability, and physical health. Our ancient wiring hijacks our reward centres when we eat these foods and encourages us to eat more because they are energy dense which we need for survival.[vii] This disconnect between our evolutionary needs and modern lifestyles now causes more harm than good.

Late-Night Eating: Eating late, especially heavily processed or sugary foods, disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm, impacting not only sleep but also next-day energy and mood.[viii] The efficiency of our digestive system reduces at night but how realistic is it to go to bed just after sunset? This is why it is important to understand which foods and ways of eating can support brain health and energy levels in today’s world. 

Conscious food choices can make a significant impact on how you feel and function in body and mind.

Quick meals don’t have to lack nutrition.

A note on the circadian rhythm; this forms a key component of our sense of wellbeing as it helps regulate many processes over a 24-hour period such as our sleep-wake timing, digestion and cell regeneration.

Touch

Lack of Natural Textures: In a world where plastics and synthetic materials are common, we miss out on the benefits of natural textures. Natural materials can have calming effects such as touching grass with bare feet or feeling the roughness of tree bark. These sensations can bring a grounding sense of peace and reduce stress levels. While being in nature would be ideal, studies show that these effects can be achieved by experiencing natural elements within urban environments too.[ix] This occurs because our brains are wired for physical contact with organic textures, and their absence may leave us feeling disconnected which can induce stress.

 Physical Disconnection: The rise of virtual interactions reduces physical contact like hugs, handshakes, or even a friendly back slap. Such physical experiences make us feel wanted and liked by others through the release of chemicals that make us feel good and relaxed. These positive sensory sensations stem from primal behaviour that rewarded us for being part of a tribe which increased our chances of survival. Choosing to do things online instead of in person can deprive us of these feel-good moments leading to sadness, a sense of loneliness and increased anxiety.                        

The convenience of virtual engagement means humans have never been as deprived of connection as they are today.

The examples demonstrate how modern-day influences can keep our brains and bodies in a state of simmering stress, and how every day experiences can drain our mental energy without us even realising.

This just scratches the surface of how the senses affect our mood and behaviour. Sensory wellbeing isn't only a concern for children or individuals with neurodiverse profiles; in today's world, it's an issue that impacts everyone. We just haven't called it out—until now.

Enrich Your Life Through Total Sensory Wellbeing (TSW)

Total Sensory Wellbeing (TSW) delves into how everyday sensory experiences shape our quality of life. This goes beyond common stress management and self-care tips. While burning a relaxing candle may ease stress, counteracting constant sensory challenges takes more than isolated acts. TSW explores the interplay between the senses, providing explanations of why specific actions work, what’s happening in the brain and body, and how to make choices that truly enrich wellbeing.

Insights are drawn from multiple evidence-based disciplines to inform and empower you to take proactive, purposeful steps to foster calm, zeal, focus, improved sleep and resilience, creating a foundation for lasting mental fortitude.

Reframing the Senses for Total Sensory Wellbeing

In the context of TSW, the senses are reframed to reflect their impact on thought and behaviour. Sight is reframed as Aurora to highlight the role of light and colour, while Atmosphere explores the impact of our surroundings and their layout. Acoustics represents sound, and Aroma refers to smell. Appetite replaces taste to emphasise the importance of gut-brain health. Touch is expanded to Action to encompass touch, movement, and temperature—all of which are processed through the somatosensory system, influencing our mood and behaviour.

It Makes Total Sense      

Our senses are powerful tools that, when balanced and nurtured, can significantly enrich our daily experiences. In a world that's constantly vying for our attention, taking control of our sensory input isn't just beneficial—it's essential.

This is just the beginning of understanding TSW. Future articles will explore the concept further and dive deeper into each sense, exploring them from scientific insights through to cultural perspectives. A holistic, evidence-backed approach is vital because while our bodies process sensory input similarly, how we interpret them is individual, shaped by our unique sensory profiles and past experiences.

Through Total Sensory Wellbeing, you will uncover why and how the senses can transform your wellbeing from the inside out and the outside in. Embracing Total Sensory Wellbeing really does make total sense.

For more insights and advice visit Nriched Living and follow on IG at Total Sensory Wellbeing for enlightening nuggets of information and tips. See you there!

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 References

[i] Statista. (2024) 'Stress as a top health concern worldwide', Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1498280/stress-as-a-top-health-concern-worldwide/

[ii] Levitin, Daniel J. (2014) 'The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload', Dutton, New York, NY.

[iii] Hahad, Omar, Prochaska, Jan H., Daiber, Andreas & Muenzel, Thomas. (2019) 'Environmental noise-induced effects on stress hormones, oxidative stress, vascular dysfunction: Key factors in the relationship between cerebrocardiovascular and psychological disorders', National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6878772/

[iv] Radun, J., Maula, H., Rajala, V., Scheinin, M., & Hongisto, V. (2022) 'Acute stress effects of impulsive noise during mental work', Journal of Environmental Psychology, 79, Article 101751. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494422000640 

[v] Smithsonian Magazine. (2015) 'What Makes Rain Smell So Good?', Smithsonian Magazine. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-makes-rain-smell-so-good-13806085/

[vi] Cheng, Han, Lin, Li, Wang, Shi et al. (2022) 'Aromatherapy with single essential oils can significantly improve the sleep quality of cancer patients: a meta-analysis', BMC Complement Med Ther, 22, 187. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-022-03668-0

[vii] Avena, Nicole M., Rada, Pedro, & Hoebel, Bartley G. (2009) 'Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake', Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), pp. 20-39, National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/#:~:text=Sugar%20is%20noteworthy%20as%20a,dependence%20in%20an%20animal%20model

[viii] Mughal, Imran. (2024) 'Saturated Facts', Penguin Life, pp. 101-108.

[ix] Kim, Yun-Jin, Choi, Soo-Wan, & Park, Sin-Ae. (2023) 'Effects of tactile stimulation using an assortment of natural elements on the psychophysiological responses of adults', Horticulturae, 9(12), 1293. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121293