Overstimulated with Brankele Frank

All these stimuli demand a great deal of attention and consume a significant amount of mental energy. Writer and neurobiologist Brankele Frank discussed this topic in our Speakers Corner with fourth-year Communication student Nina Radjiman. “It really doesn’t all have to be perfect at once.”n, je telefoon, zorgen om je toekomst. 

When are you overstimulated?

In everyday life, people often use the term overstimulation to describe mental fatigue. However, according to Brankele, there is an important distinction. “In cases of medical overstimulation, stimuli such as light and sound can literally be experienced as too intense. With mental fatigue, it is mainly your attention that becomes exhausted because it spends the entire day jumping from one stimulus to another.”

Our attention shifts constantly throughout the day. From a lecture to an email. From a text message to social media, and then back again to an assignment. Brankele explains: “So many different forms of information compete for our attention, often in a fragmented way. That can be extremely tiring, which is why you sometimes come home completely exhausted even though you haven't physically done much that day.”

Pressure on students

Today’s generation of students experiences significant mental pressure due to their studies, social lives, social media, and uncertainty about the future. As they scroll through their phones, they often experience FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), while simultaneously wondering what they will do after graduation. Will they be able to buy a house? What do they actually want to do with their lives?

Brankele says: “Completely blocking out all the stimuli around you isn’t realistic. We have to study, we (fortunately) have friends, we use our phones, and we worry about things. However, you can be more intentional about how you manage your attention.”

She compares concentration to a muscle. “The ability to read for an extended period or consciously focus on a single activity is something you can train. Start small. For example, pick up a book at a moment when you would normally reach for your phone automatically.”

Unwinding does not mean doing nothing

According to Brankele, unwinding does not necessarily mean sitting still or doing nothing. “Activities that engage your body and senses actually help you get out of your head,” she explains. “Think of walking, exercising, cooking, dancing, making music, or doing something with your hands. And if you do not feel like doing any of those things, it is perfectly okay to daydream or be bored. Not every moment has to be productive.”

For students, Frank has a particularly reassuring message: you do not need to know immediately what your dream job will be after graduation. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The entire journey of discovery is incredibly valuable in itself.”