Sensory Overload: An Introverts Guide To Workplace Meetings

Shut up and take turns!

Ever felt like shouting this when your more vocal colleagues are all trying to get their point across…AT THE SAME TIME?

Your bobbing along just fine but gradually the volume gradually gets louder and louder as your co-workers compete to be heard. It’s that age old adage ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease’.

It’s not just the noise though right? It’s the bright lights, lack of fresh air, and blue light emanating from laptops or projector screens.

Honestly when I look back I can only describe it as like pouring salt on a snail. It sucked the lifeblood out of me.

Fact. Meetings are a challenge for many introverts. The constant stream of information, the need to process information quickly, and the pressure to engage and participate. Not to mention the constant conversation that can evolve into a constant stream of babble.

Your head starts to hurt. You’re getting slightly hot under the collar and feeling a little anxious. You’re restless and you notice your physical discomfort drives you to look for the nearest exit.

Welcome to sensory overload.

As an introvert you require less stimulation from the outside world to feel alert and awake, compared to those who lean towards extroversion. That’s by no means a bad thing in my opinion, it also means is that you’re easily susceptible to over-stimulation, and that leaves you drained.

This is the big difference between introverts and extroverts. Your energy comes from quiet solitude and downtime. Too much time spent in highly stimulating environments leads to the classic ‘Introvert Hangover’. Symptoms of which range from fatigue, lack of focus, indecision, headaches, dizziness, detachment and irritability.

But while all this is going on you’re still expected to contribute, only you just can’t. Your performance will no doubt decline and that may go unnoticed, but then again, it might not.

Another contributing factor is the amount of information being presented and the pressure to respond quickly. As our brain takes time to process the information it’s receiving, it feels like we’re falling behind in the conversation and when we are ready to share our thoughts, it feels like the opportunity to contribute may have passed.

The more overloaded we get, the longer our processing takes.

Enter the cycle of doom. Closely followed by a visit from frustration and self-doubt. And to complete the party, social comparison is tagging along too.

You lose focus on the discussion and your self-judgement becomes all consuming.

Fear not my quiet friend.

Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to manage this sensory overload. Here are a few ideas:

1. Prepare in advance: If you don’t get the meeting agenda with the invitation then ask for it. Review the agenda and any materials in advance and jot down a couple of bullet points against each item. This way you’ll have done a lot of the thinking pre-meeting. This reduces the amount of ‘in the moment’ processing.
2. Take a break: I always carry a very large bottle of water around with me which means I need regular bathroom breaks. If you start to feel overwhelmed take a break. No one can object to you answering the call of nature and it will keep your brain hydrated too. This quick visit to the bathroom is enough to reset your senses and keep you going until the next visit.
3. Speak up: If it’s getting a little rowdy offer some feedback to the group. Say ‘hey, I’m struggling to hear all of your views when you’re talking over each other. Can we go one at a time please’ or something along those lines. Make it known in a polite and professional way that this style of meeting doesn’t work for you.
4. Commit to a time limit: If you’re invited to an extended meeting ask the facilitator if your presence is required for the duration. Can you be there for a proportion of that time, add valuable contribution and then excuse yourself? Be clear about how much time you’re able to commit and stick to it.
5. Share feedback: Post meeting it can be beneficial to give the meeting host feedback and suggest some alternatives to facilitating so that everybody can benefit from the format and style.
6. If you consistently struggle with sensory overload in meetings, talk to your manager or HR representative about possible accommodations. Diversity and inclusion means accommodating everybody’s needs and they might just be grateful to you for deepening their insight.

Create your own meeting strategy by finding out what works for you. There will be a little trial and error just until you find a solution that works for you, but soon you’ll figure out what you need to ensure you can remain poised and present.

Sensory overload happens but let’s be completely clear, it doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you. And while it might feel like a challenge, it’s definitely one you can rise to with minimal effort.

You’ve got this!