Here’s Why You’re Overstimulated, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type

Is your personality type impacting how overstimulated you are or the types of things that overstimulate you? Some types are overstimulated by emotional intensity while others find bright lights or noise overstimulating. In today’s article we’re taking a look at the unique things that overstimulate each type. I hope you’ll find this helpful!

But before we begin, what is overstimulation?

The Encyclopedia Britannica calls overstimulation, “to cause (someone or something) to become too active or excited: to stimulate (someone or something) too much.” Lexico says to overstimulate is to, “stimulate physiologically or mentally to an excessive degree.”

Overstimulation can happen for a variety of reasons. For most people, it stems from a heightened sense of conflicting sights, sounds, and/or smells going on around you. But for others, certain situations can spark a feeling of overstimulation. For example, for ESFPs and ESTPs, being slowed down and stalled can make everything seem heightened, more frustrating, and more overstimulating.

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.

Why You’re Overstimulated, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

The ENFP – You’re Being Overly Managed

As an ENFP, you operate best when you have creative freedom and a sense of limitlessness. Sure, that isn’t possible every day for a variety of reasons, but when you’re feeling overstimulated it’s likely because you feel like you’re feeling caged in somehow. Maybe your creative ideas are being dismissed, someone’s managing your time for you, or you’re having to track a bunch of rules and minutiae that feel confining and overwhelming.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You are doing a mundane but highly focused task (like compiling your taxes)
• There are repetitive noises in the background
• You’re dealing with a lot of criticism or conflict
• You have too many obligations to tend to

Read This Next: The Flirting Style of the ENFP Personality Type

The ENTP – You’re Hyper-Focusing on Immovable Details

As an ENTP, you operate within the world of ideas, possibilities, and transformative solutions. When you’re feeling overstimulated, it’s likely because you’re bogged down in details that feel incredibly mundane. This could be something as small as proofreading for typos on a document or it could be a larger issue like meticulously filing your taxes. Anytime you have to hyper-focus on concrete details you tend to feel simultaneously bored and overstimulated by the sheer abundance of dull information you have to process.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You have too many plans on your calendar
• There are repetitive noises in the background
• You’re being rushed
• You have no creative outlets
• You have too many obligations to tend to

Read This Next: 10 Must-Read Books for ENTPs

The INFP – You See Shallow Pressures All Around You

As an INFP, you crave depth and meaning above all. Situations that feel shallow and empty tend to depress you, and if you can’t escape them, you can wind up feeling completely bombarded by negative messages. For example, if you’re walking in a shopping mall and all you see are people who seem to be focused on superficial things, it can start to feel like an assault on your senses.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You are dealing with conflict or criticism
• You’re looking at your smartphone too much and need a digital detox
• You’re not getting enough time alone
• People are trying to force you into a social “box”
• You’re doing a job that forces you to focus intently on minute or meaningless details

Read This Next: Dealing with Emotional Overwhelm as an INFP

The INTP – You’re Being Rushed

As an INTP, you value coherence and thorough understanding above all else. More than anything, you want to make high-quality decisions and produce high-quality results. This can mean taking your time to make the right decision or slowing down on a project and letting your imagination play with ideas. When you’re feeling overstimulated, it’s likely because someone is rushing you or trying to get you to operate on their timeline instead of your own.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• Your calendar is too full
• People are being emotionally intense around you
• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You’re being micro-managed
• Your home environment feels like it’s being taken over by someone else

Read This Next: The Unhealthy INTP

The ENFJ – You Can’t Make Everyone Happy

As an ENFJ, you strive to create harmonious situations and maintain positive relationships. You hate feeling like you’re disappointing someone, which can make it difficult for you to say no. If you find yourself feeling overstimulated, it’s likely because you’ve taken on too much and are now spread thin. You might be trying to please everyone and meet their needs, but in the process, you’re neglecting your own. If you’re in a situation where you’re trying to problem-solve and multiple people want different things, you can also feel overwhelmed because you realize no solution will make everyone happy.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’ve overextended yourself and stress is causing sensory overload
• You’re dealing with a tense conflict situation
• You’re not seeing any movement on an important goal but you’re forced to deal with distractions instead
• You’re not getting enough rest
• You’re having to pay attention to a lot of meaningless chit chat that feels shallow

Read This Next: 10 Things You Should Never Say to an ENFJ

The ENTJ – People Are Distracting You From Your Goals

As an ENTJ, you’re very focused and driven. You have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and you’re determined to make it happen. When people or situations start to get in the way of your goals, it can be incredibly frustrating and overstimulating. Maybe you’re in a meeting that’s going off-topic, or you’re trying to work on a project but someone keeps interrupting you. Either way, it can literally feel like every time you’re making progress someone is blasting off fireworks in your face.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• People are being emotionally intense with you for a long time
• You feel taken advantage of or forced into being the one responsible one
• Your environment is messy or disorganized
• You’re forced to complete a task using guidelines that you see as inefficient or flawed
• You have to listen to someone talk who is appealing to emotion while ignoring logic

Read This Next: Understanding ENTJ Thinking

The INFJ – There’s Too Much Going On Around You

As an INFJ, you’re very in tune with the emotional world around you. You can pick up on subtle cues and energy shifts, which means you’re sometimes bombarded with more information than you know what to do with. When you’re feeling overstimulated, it’s likely because the outside world is pushing too hard against your boundaries. Maybe you’re in a loud and chaotic environment, or perhaps you’re trying to process your own emotions along with everyone else’s. Either way, it can feel like you’re trying to drink water from a firehose.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You’re spending too much time “plugged in” and distracted by social media or smartphone apps that leave you feeling distracted and unfulfilled
• Your calendar is too full
• You’re being rushed
• You’re having to drive in a new and unfamiliar city
• You’re having to track and focus on a lot of details
• You’re having to improvise in front of people

Read This Next: A Look at INFJ Rage

The INTJ – Audio Interruptions are Messing with Your Flow

As an INTJ, you thrive when you’re free to create strategies or ponder complex theories. The quieter your environment is, the more alive your mind becomes. In stillness clarity reveals itself and you feel refreshed and energized. You’re constantly making connections and seeing patterns, which means you’re easily bored by mindless tasks. When you’re feeling overstimulated, it’s likely because something is repeatedly interrupting your train of thought. Maybe you can’t concentrate because there’s too much background noise, or someone keeps asking you questions when you’re trying to work. Either way, it can feel like your brain is being pulled in a million different directions.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re dealing with emotionally intense people
• There’s a lot of bright lights where you’re trying to think
• Your surroundings are messy or disorganized
• You’re forced to work under incompetent leadership
• There’s a job to do and people are chit-chatting, laughing, and not focusing
• You’re living with someone who demands spontaneity from you
• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You’re living with someone who thinks with their emotions and is offended by logical arguments

Read This Next: 12 Stress-Busting Techniques for INTJs

The ESFP – People Are Trying to Pin You Down

As an ESFP, you’re all about freedom and flexibility. You like to keep your options open and you hate feeling trapped or confined. When people try to pin you down or box you in, it can be incredibly overstimulating. Maybe your partner is bombarding you with questions, expectations, and timelines about your relationship. Perhaps you’re in a job where you’re expected to work overtime and deal with a lot of details that feel meaningless to you. Either way, you start to feel like a caged animal and it can be very difficult for you to relax and be yourself.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re dealing with heated conflict or criticism
• There’s too much conflicting noise in your vicinity and you’re stressed
• Your surroundings are clashing
• You’re being slowed down and feel restless and irritable
• You’re being micro-managed
• Your life is overly scheduled
• Someone’s chewing or eating loudly

The ESTP – People Are Being too Slow

It might seem weird to think of slowness as being overstimulating, but ask any ESTP and they’ll tell you it’s true. As an ESTP, you’re all about action and you like to move quickly. You’re constantly looking for new opportunities and ways to move ahead. When you’re stuck behind a slow driver or trying to walk down a grocery aisle and someone’s blocking the way, you can start to feel extremely restless, irritable, and agitated. When you feel slowed down or confined all the minute details that normally wouldn’t bother you suddenly start to seem incredibly overwhelming.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re trying to work with someone who is emotionally hypersensitive and over-reactive
• There’s too much conflicting noise in your vicinity and you’re stressed
• Your surroundings are clashing
• You’re being micro-managed
• You’re in pain and you can’t concentrate on it because you have a lot of extraneous distractions and needs around you
• Someone’s chewing or eating loudly

The ISFP – You’re Time is Overly Scheduled

As an ISFP, you like to live in the moment and go with the flow. You don’t like feeling restricted or confined, and you enjoy your alone time immensely. When your time is overly scheduled or you’re stuck in a rigid routine, it can be very overstimulating. Since you’re not getting time to recharge and sort through your feelings, everything starts to feel like a big barrage of conflicting sensory information. Information overload is a real issue for ISFPs, and it can leave you feeling exhausted, confused, and frustrated.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re not getting enough alone time
• Too many people are talking at you at the same time
• You’re spending too much time on social media apps and too many notifications are coming through at a time
• Something smells bad or sounds awful in your environment
• Someone’s pressuring you to make a decision before you’re ready
• You’re being forced to act in a way that doesn’t authentically represent you

Read This Next: 24 Signs That You’re an ISFP, the Virtuoso Personality Type

The ISTP – You’re Dealing with an Emotionally Charged Situation

As an ISTP, you pride yourself on being calm and down-to-earth. You appreciate people who are also calm and exude a sense of friendliness and rationality. When you’re dealing with an emotionally charged situation, it can be very overstimulating. If you’re in a relationship with someone who’s constantly bringing drama, or if you have a job that’s full of heated office politics, you can start to feel everyone around you is a ticking time bomb. The constant stress can be exhausting and it can make every detail in your life seem more intense and inescapable.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You’re dealing with hypersensitive or overly-emotional people
• You’re being forced to not act when you see an immediate, practical solution to a problem
• You have an overly scheduled calendar
• There’s too much conflicting noise or chaos in your environment

Read This Next: The Top 25 Favorite ISTP Movies

The ESFJ – People Are Picking Useless Fights

As an ESFJ, you enjoy warm, harmonious environments. You like to feel connected to other people and you hate conflict. When people are picking fights for no reason or stirring up drama, it can be very overstimulating. Maybe your partner is constantly nitpicking or you have to deal with a lot of angry and unreasonable clients in your career field. Either way, negative energy around you can feel as intense to you as a root canal with no painkillers.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re surroundings are disorganized or chaotic
• People are picking fights around you
• You’re trying to solve too many people’s problems at once
• You are overexerting yourself
• There are overwhelming smells or sounds in your vicinity
• You have no clear sense of direction or routine

You Might Also Like: 10 Things You Should Never Say to an ESFJ

The ESTJ – Your Surroundings are Disorganized

As an ESTJ, you are all about systems, efficiency, and organization. You like knowing where everything is and you have a low tolerance for chaos. When your surroundings are disorganized or there’s a lot of confusion going on around you, it can feel very overstimulating. Maybe your partner is constantly leaving their things around the house or your office is in a state of constant disarray. Either way, you start to feel like you’re swimming upstream and it can be exhausting.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re dealing with incompetent people
• You’re dealing with hypersensitive or overly-emotional people
• You’re being forced to not act when you see an immediate, practical solution to a problem
• You’re overextending yourself
• There’s too much conflicting noise or chaos in your environment
• Your surroundings are disorganized or messy

The ISFJ – Your Routine Keeps Getting Upended

As an ISFJ, you like knowing what to expect and you thrive in predictable environments. You’re the type of person who likes to stick to a routine and you don’t do well with last minute changes. When your routine keeps getting upended, it can be very overstimulating. Maybe your boss is constantly changing your work hours or your spouse is always forgetting to tell you about plans they’ve made. Whatever the case may be, you start to feel off balance or like you’re constantly having to switch lanes in busy traffic.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You have no control over your surroundings
• People around you are picking fights
• You have an overly scheduled calendar
• You have to act spontaneously in an uncertain environment
• There are pungent smells in your vicinity coinciding with other sensory disruption
• Your routine is habitually disrupted
• You feel responsible to meet everyone’s needs even though you’re tired

You Might Also Like: The Childhood Struggles of ISFJs

The ISTJ – There’s Sensory Chaos Around You

As an ISTJ you have a particular way you like things done. You likely have a clear routine and a consistent lifestyle. Peace, quiet, and order make you feel calm and refreshed. When the people around you create sensory clutter your heart rake can spike quickly. Maybe your roommate always leaves their dirty dishes in the sink or your partner wears too much cologne/perfume. Either way, the constant assault on your senses is jarring and makes it hard for you to relax and feel at ease.

Other Reasons You Might be Overstimulated:

• You’re not getting enough alone time
• You’re dealing with hypersensitive or overly-emotional people
• You’re having to be spontaneous in an unpredictable environment
• You have an overly scheduled calendar
• There’s too much conflicting noise or chaos in your environment

You Might Also Like: What ISTJs Do When They’re Really Stressed Out

What Do You Think?

Did you enjoy this article? Do you have any other insights or perspectives? Let us know in the comments!

Discover more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!