Overcoming Overload: Strategies for Managing Overstimulation in New Environments

Welcome to 'the POD', the mindhamok podcast, your go-to resource for young adults navigating the exciting but sometimes overwhelming challenges of study abroad, student travel, and international education. Whether you’re adjusting to life in a new country, preparing to travel as a student, or balancing academics, friendships, and self-care, this podcast is here to support you every step of the way.

In this episode, we focus on a topic many students face when living abroad: overstimulation. Moving to a new city or country brings incredible opportunities, but the constant stream of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and demands can lead to feelings of overwhelm. Our guest, Ben Mckie, an experienced therapist with mindhamok, explains what overstimulation is, how it impacts your mental health, and what you can do to find calm amidst the chaos.

Ben shares actionable strategies like grounding techniques, mindfulness, and creating a “calm toolkit” to manage the sensory overload that often comes with student travel. We also discuss how screen time, academic pressure, and cultural differences can heighten stress and anxiety, and how to set yourself up for success before and during your journey.

If you’re preparing to travel as a student or currently studying abroad, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you stay resilient, thrive in new environments, and truly enjoy your international experience. Whether you’re exploring a bustling city or settling into campus life, Ben’s advice will guide you toward creating balance, peace, and a sense of home no matter where you are.

Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Visit www.mindhamok.com to connect with a therapist who understands the unique challenges of international education and student travel. You might even be matched with Ben himself!

Subscribe to the mindhamok podcast for more episodes tailored to the realities of studying abroad and navigating life as an international student. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@mindhamok) for daily inspiration and resources to make your journey as enriching and stress-free as possible. Let’s face the challenges of life abroad together—and turn them into opportunities for growth! 🌍✨

mindhamok, there for your social, physical and mental health as you explore your life. Find out more at www.mindhamok.com

Transcript

Welcome to mindhamok, your go-to podcast for social, physical, and mental well-being, specially designed for those navigating living or studying in a new country or city as young adults. Whether you're balancing studies, friendships, work, or experiencing life abroad, we've got you covered. Each episode will share insights, stories, and tips to help you thrive and make the most of these formative years.

If you're not already, go ahead and follow our Instagram at mindhamok and subscribe to this podcast for more discussions like today's. So grab your headphones and a snack and let's dive in. In this episode of the mindhamok podcast, we are going to look into the challenges of managing overstimulation, especially for students and young adults living abroad or in a new place.

We'll explore the triggers, the impact on mental health, and practical strategies to create balance and peace in overwhelming situations. Whether it's the bustling city streets, the constant stream of new experiences, or the academic pressures, we've got tips and insights to help you thrive. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with one of mindhamok's wonderful therapists, who will be giving us professional insight on what overstimulation is and tips on how to combat it.

He is the perfect guest for this podcast, so I hope you all enjoy this episode. Joining me now is one of mindhamok's quite popular therapists, Ben McKee. Ben, thank you so much for joining us on this episode of the mindhamok podcast.

It’s a pleasure, Abby.

It’s a pleasure to have you here. Ben, how did you get started in the work of psychotherapy?

Oh, that’s a long story, Abby. I don’t know if I want to bore you with all the details, but, um, initially it was... I was in my kind of late twenties, and, um, I was going through a separation process, and, um, I went a little bit off the rails and then decided I needed to get a bit of assistance. Got some support, and, uh, in that process of my own therapy...

(The rest of Ben's story continues unchanged...)

That’s a great story. I’ve heard something like the best therapists are the people who have gone through it themselves.

So, yeah, that’s definitely where I’m at, too—similar kind of beginning. Fortunately, mental health care is on the rise, and we need it more than ever. So thank you for all that you do for the mindhamok community and the mental health community in general. Very much appreciated.

Since you’re the expert here and our topic is overstimulation, would you be able to give us a little bit of a clinical definition of what overstimulation is?

(Ben explains overstimulation in detail...)

Thank you. It’s in the press a lot. We all suffer with anxiety and stress at different levels...

(The discussion continues about recognizing symptoms and strategies for overstimulation...)

That’s really great advice. I’m sure our listeners will really benefit from all of those techniques. The majority of our listeners are people who are experiencing either living in a new city, a new country, studying abroad—just a target audience of kind of younger adults who, obviously, young adulthood is just all about change.

Would you say that those techniques that you offered would be a good way to set ourselves up for success to not experience overstimulation when we are going into a new environment or direction or a new place to live?

(Ben continues offering advice...)

Yeah, it definitely would be helpful to have a sort of background knowledge of what brings you down to earth before you step into a big life change, if you can help it, just so you don’t have that big period of trying to figure it out while you’re also trying to figure out everything else going on.

Exactly. Yeah. So that’s where the awareness comes in, Abby, right? Because if you’re kind of understanding that I’m making this big change in my life, therefore, there are going to be implications to the changes I’m making.

(More discussion follows...)

I definitely think our listeners will benefit a lot from that—knowing that they’re not alone and what they’re experiencing is normal and that if they do need to, somebody is there to reach out to.

Specifically, mindhamok: if you are going through something similar to what we’re talking about right now, head over to mindhamok.com, where you can be matched with a great therapist that can help you through what Ben is talking about with overstimulation. Possibly you’ll even be matched with the great Ben over here, and he can help you through it even more.

But Ben, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. I really appreciate all of your time and your effort into helping us out. Do you have any closing remarks?

I’d just like to say, thank you for having me, Abby. And there’s one thing that I do want to propose to the listeners: When you arrive at your destination, don’t hesitate to connect with a mindhamok therapist. Don’t leave it until you’re in crisis.

We’re all here to support you, so make the call sooner rather than later because you don’t have to struggle. You can get support immediately. If you do that, your stay, your journey, and your process of the experience of studying abroad will be far, far superior.

Well, thank you so much, Ben. This was wonderful.

Thanks, Abby. Take care.

You too.

I want to thank Ben again for coming on our podcast. It’s great to have somebody so knowledgeable to give advice to our listeners. I know that our listeners are mainly university-aged students, young adults who are all experiencing new life moves and different challenges that come along with new journeys in life.

I think that Ben had some great insight for us that we can carry into our next chapter or the chapter that we’re already in. Like I said, mindhamok is a wonderful resource. If you’re starting to feel that sense of overwhelm or feel like maybe you’re on the cusp of needing some sort of guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

mindhamok has amazing therapists. If you sign up for the premium subscription, you’ll be matched with a therapist that can help you out the best. It could even be Ben, which obviously would be so amazing.

If you have any more questions regarding overstimulation or want to see more content on the topic, feel free to reach out to mindhamok’s Instagram. I’m open to suggestions on any other topics you’d like to hear.

Thanks for tuning in to the mindhamok podcast. We hope today’s episode brought you some comfort, insights, and inspiration. If you enjoyed our conversation, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with your friends.

We’re also active on Instagram and love to hear from you and receive your photos and stories. Your support helps us reach more students and spread the message of well-being.

If you or someone you know is having a tough time abroad or at home, or just needs to connect with like-minded people, make sure to go to mindhamok.com. Our content is written for your journey. Premium members can get in contact with one of our amazing mental health counselors.

Until next time, take care of yourselves and embrace the journey. Safe and happy travels, friends. See you next time. Ciao!