Top 14 'Sensory-Downshifting' Minimalist Habits to explore for calming an overstimulated nervous system - Goh Ling Yong
Does your brain ever feel like a browser with too many tabs open? You're trying to focus, but a constant stream of notifications, background noise, visual clutter, and an endless to-do list keeps pulling you in a dozen different directions. By the end of the day, you're not just tired; you're frayed, irritable, and completely wired. This feeling, a hallmark of modern life, is often a sign of an overstimulated nervous system.
Our nervous systems evolved for a world with far less sensory input. Today, we're bombarded by a non-stop cacophony of digital pings, bright screens, and relentless information. This constant state of high alert can lead to anxiety, burnout, and a feeling of being perpetually overwhelmed. The solution isn't to escape modern life entirely, but to intentionally and gently turn down the volume. Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we often talk about minimalism not just as an aesthetic, but as a tool for intentional living. This is where the concept of "sensory-downshifting" comes in.
Sensory-downshifting is the conscious practice of reducing the amount and intensity of sensory input you're exposed to. It’s a minimalist approach to managing your mental and emotional bandwidth. By creating pockets of sensory calm, you give your nervous system a chance to reset, moving from a state of "fight or flight" to "rest and digest." These 14 minimalist habits are simple, practical entry points to help you explore this calming practice and reclaim your peace.
1. Practice the ‘Digital Sunset’
We’ve all done it: scrolling through our phones in bed, the bright blue light hitting our faces right before we try to sleep. The ‘Digital Sunset’ is the simple act of putting away all screens—phones, tablets, laptops, TVs—at least 60-90 minutes before bedtime. This habit does more than just reduce your exposure to sleep-disrupting blue light; it creates a crucial buffer zone between the chaos of the day and the rest your body needs.
This period of screen-free time is an invitation to engage in low-stimulation activities. It signals to your brain that it's time to wind down. Instead of processing a flood of information from social media or work emails, your mind can begin to quiet itself. This practice calms the visual and cognitive channels that are so often overloaded right up until the moment our head hits the pillow.
How to start:
- Set a recurring alarm on your phone for one hour before your intended bedtime, labeled "Digital Sunset."
- Charge your devices in another room overnight to remove the temptation.
- Replace screen time with reading a physical book, light stretching, journaling, or listening to calming music.
2. Embrace Single-Tasking
Multitasking is a myth. What we're actually doing is rapid task-switching, a process that drains our cognitive resources and keeps our nervous system in a state of frazzled hyper-awareness. Single-tasking is the minimalist antidote: doing one thing at a time with your full, undivided attention. Whether it's writing an email, eating a meal, or listening to a friend, you commit to that one activity.
This practice is a powerful form of sensory-downshifting because it drastically reduces cognitive load. Instead of juggling multiple streams of information and stimuli, you're only processing one. This allows for deeper focus, higher quality work, and a profound sense of calm. It's a rebellion against the modern expectation to be constantly doing everything at once.
How to start:
- When you sit down to work, close all unnecessary tabs and turn off notifications. Use a timer (like the Pomodoro Technique) to work on one task for 25 minutes.
- When you eat, just eat. Put your phone away, turn off the TV, and pay attention to the taste and texture of your food.
3. Curate Your Auditory Environment
Our ears are always on, constantly processing the sounds around us—the traffic outside, the hum of the refrigerator, the background chatter of a TV or podcast. This low-level, constant noise contributes significantly to sensory overload. Curating your auditory environment means making conscious choices about what you listen to, and more importantly, when you choose to listen to nothing at all.
Embracing silence is a core tenet of this habit. Try intentionally creating periods of quiet in your day. This doesn't mean sitting in a soundproof room, but simply not filling the silence with artificial noise. Let your auditory system rest. When you do choose sound, be intentional. Is it calming music, an engaging podcast, or the natural sounds of birds outside your window? You are the curator of your soundscape.
How to start:
- Try a "silent commute" by driving or taking public transport without music or podcasts.
- Designate the first 30 minutes of your morning as a "no-extra-noise" zone.
- Invest in a pair of quality noise-canceling headphones to create an instant sanctuary when you need to focus or decompress in a loud environment.
4. Adopt a ‘Sensory Uniform’
Decision fatigue is a real drain on our mental energy, and choosing what to wear each day is a part of that. A ‘sensory uniform’ is a minimalist approach to your wardrobe. It involves creating a small, curated collection of comfortable, simple, and versatile clothing that you love to wear. This reduces daily decision-making and also minimizes tactile overstimulation from uncomfortable fabrics, tight waistbands, or scratchy tags.
Think about the physical feeling of your clothes. Soft, natural fibers like cotton, linen, or merino wool are often much kinder to the nervous system than synthetic, restrictive materials. By simplifying your wardrobe to pieces that feel good on your skin and are easy to combine, you remove multiple points of friction—both mental and physical—from your morning routine.
How to start:
- Identify your most comfortable, go-to outfits. What do they have in common? Use this as a template.
- Consider a capsule wardrobe based on a neutral color palette. This ensures everything matches, making choices effortless.
- When buying new clothes, prioritize texture and comfort just as much as style.
5. Create a Clutter-Free ‘Rest Zone’
Your home should be a sanctuary, but often, visual clutter can turn it into a source of stress. Every object in our field of vision sends a signal to our brain. A cluttered space bombards us with signals—things to do, things to organize, things to put away. Designating one specific area of your home as a permanent, clutter-free ‘Rest Zone’ provides a powerful visual anchor for calm.
This doesn't have to be a whole room. It can be a single armchair in a corner, a small bench by a window, or even just your bed (with the rule that it’s only for sleep and rest, not work or doomscrolling). This space should be visually simple, with minimal objects. It becomes a reliable retreat where your visual system can relax, signaling to the rest of your nervous system that it’s safe to stand down.
How to start:
- Choose a small, manageable area.
- Remove everything from that space that isn’t essential for relaxation (e.g., a comfy cushion, a soft blanket, a single plant).
- Make a pact with yourself to keep this one zone consistently clear and tidy, even when the rest of the house gets messy.
6. Go Grayscale on Your Phone
This is one of the most effective and immediate sensory-downshifting hacks. Our smartphones are designed to be compelling, with vibrant colors and bright notification badges that trigger a dopamine response in our brains, urging us to pick them up again and again. Switching your phone's screen to grayscale instantly strips away this addictive layer of stimulation.
When your phone is a drab, boring grey, you'll find your relationship with it changes. It becomes a tool, not a toy. The endless scroll of a social media feed is far less appealing, and the urge to constantly check for notifications diminishes. This simple change dramatically reduces the visual stimulation and subconscious pull of your device, giving your brain a much-needed break.
How to start:
- On both iPhone and Android, this setting is usually found under "Accessibility" settings (look for "Color Filters" or "Color Correction").
- You can set up a shortcut to easily toggle grayscale on and off for when you genuinely need to see color (like viewing photos).
7. Implement an Information Diet
In the digital age, we have access to an infinite amount of information, and it's easy to consume it mindlessly. The constant influx of news, opinions, and updates can be incredibly taxing on our nervous system. An information diet involves being as intentional about the information you consume as you are about the food you eat.
This isn't about being uninformed; it's about avoiding over-saturation. Instead of passively scrolling through news feeds and getting agitated by every breaking headline, you choose specific times and trusted sources for your information. By setting boundaries, you protect your cognitive and emotional energy from the constant barrage of often negative and anxiety-inducing content.
How to start:
- Unfollow news accounts and relentless commentators on social media.
- Schedule one or two specific times per day to check the news from a reliable source, rather than letting it trickle in all day.
- Use an RSS reader to subscribe to specific blogs or writers you trust, creating a curated feed you control.
8. Simplify Your Scents
Our sense of smell is powerfully linked to memory and emotion, and it can be a hidden source of sensory overload. When your environment is filled with competing scents—a scented candle in one room, a plug-in air freshener in another, strong cleaning products, and your own perfume—it can be overwhelming for your olfactory system.
Simplifying your home's scent profile creates a more serene and harmonious atmosphere. Choose one or two light, natural scents that you find genuinely calming, like lavender, eucalyptus, or sandalwood. Or, even better, embrace the clean, simple scent of a well-ventilated, fresh room. This reduces the sensory "noise" and allows your olfactory system to rest.
How to start:
- Go "scent-free" for a week to reset your nose.
- Switch to unscented laundry detergents, soaps, and cleaning products.
- If you enjoy scents, opt for natural sources like an essential oil diffuser, where you can control the intensity and duration.
9. Mindful 'Unitasking' for Chores
Household chores like washing dishes, folding laundry, or sweeping the floor can feel like drudgery. We often try to make them more bearable by listening to a podcast or watching TV simultaneously. However, this just adds another layer of stimulation. Mindful 'unitasking' reframes these chores as opportunities for a moving meditation.
Instead of distracting yourself, bring your full attention to the task at hand. Feel the warm water on your hands as you wash the dishes. Notice the rhythm of your breathing as you fold a shirt. Pay attention to the sound of the broom against the floor. This practice grounds you in the present moment and transforms a mundane task into a calming, sensory experience that quiets the mind's chatter.
How to start:
- Pick one daily chore to practice with.
- Leave your headphones off and your phone in another room.
- Focus on the physical sensations of the task: the textures, the sounds, the movements.
10. Schedule ‘Do Nothing’ Time
In our productivity-obsessed culture, empty space in our calendars can feel like a waste. We rush to fill any downtime with errands, social plans, or catching up on work. Scheduling "do nothing" time is a radical act of self-care that gives your nervous system permission to fully power down.
This is time with no agenda. It’s not for "productive" relaxation like reading a self-help book or meditating with an app. It's simply time to just be. You might sit and stare out the window, lie on the grass and watch the clouds, or just rest on the sofa without any distractions. This unstructured time is vital for allowing your brain to process information, make creative connections, and reset from a state of constant stimulation.
How to start:
- Block out 15-20 minutes in your calendar two or three times a week. Label it "Do Nothing."
- Treat this appointment with the same importance as a work meeting.
- Find a comfortable spot, set a gentle timer if you wish, and give yourself permission to be completely unproductive.
11. Practice ‘Social Minimalism’
Just as our physical spaces can become cluttered, so can our social calendars. Feeling obligated to attend every event, say yes to every invitation, and maintain constant contact with a wide circle of acquaintances can be incredibly draining. Social minimalism is about focusing your limited social energy on the relationships and interactions that truly nourish you.
It means being intentional about who you spend your time with and how you spend it. It’s about choosing deep, meaningful connection over a wide net of superficial interactions. Saying a polite "no" to draining events or one-sided relationships isn't selfish; it's a necessary act of preserving your energy and calming your social nervous system.
How to start:
- Before accepting an invitation, ask yourself: "Do I genuinely want to go, or do I just feel obligated?"
- Prioritize one-on-one or small group hangouts over large, loud parties if you find them draining.
- Communicate your needs kindly. A simple, "Thank you for the invitation, but I need a quiet night in" is perfectly acceptable.
12. Mute Your Color Palette
Bright, bold colors can be energizing, but in large doses, they can also be visually stimulating and even agitating. Just as you curate your auditory environment, you can curate your visual one by intentionally choosing a more muted, natural color palette for your home and clothing.
Colors like soft blues, gentle greens, earthy tones, and warm grays have a calming psychological effect. They require less energy for our eyes and brain to process. This doesn't mean your life has to be beige. It's about creating a foundation of calming colors in the spaces where you rest and relax, allowing your visual system to soften its focus and find reprieve.
How to start:
- When it's time to repaint a room, consider a color from a nature-inspired palette.
- Choose bed linens, towels, and blankets in soothing, solid colors rather than busy patterns.
- Notice how different colors make you feel and gradually shift your environment to reflect what feels most peaceful to you.
13. Take a Walk Without a Destination
We usually walk with a purpose: to get to work, to run an errand, to get our daily steps in. A destination-less walk is different. It’s a sensory-downshifting practice where the only goal is to move your body and observe the world around you without an agenda.
Leave your phone and headphones behind. Walk at a gentle, meandering pace. Let your attention drift to the feeling of the air on your skin, the details of the buildings you pass, the way the light filters through the trees. This practice combines gentle movement—which helps regulate the nervous system—with mindful observation, pulling you out of your head and into the physical world in a low-stakes, calming way.
How to start:
- Set aside 20 minutes for a walk where you have no destination in mind.
- Choose a familiar, safe route so you don't have to think about navigation.
- If your mind races, gently bring your focus back to a sensory detail: the sound of your footsteps, a bird's song, the scent of rain.
14. Engage in ‘Nature Bathing’ (Shinrin-yoku)
This Japanese practice, which translates to "forest bathing," is the ultimate sensory-downshifting experience. It involves immersing yourself in a natural environment and mindfully engaging all your senses. Unlike a hike, the goal isn't to cover distance; it's to simply be present in nature.
The natural world offers a different kind of sensory input—what's known as "soft fascination." The gentle rustling of leaves, the dappled sunlight, the scent of pine, the feeling of moss under your fingertips—these are complex but non-threatening stimuli that capture our attention effortlessly and have a proven restorative effect on the nervous system. It’s the perfect antidote to the harsh, demanding, and artificial stimulation of our digital world.
How to start:
- Find a nearby park, forest, or even a quiet garden.
- Turn off your phone and walk slowly. Pause frequently.
- Consciously engage each sense: What do you see? What do you hear? What can you smell? What can you feel?
Your Path to a Calmer Nervous System
Adopting these sensory-downshifting habits isn't about creating a rigid set of rules or striving for a life of ascetic deprivation. It's about a gentle and compassionate turning-inward. It’s about recognizing that your peace is precious and that you have the power to protect it by curating the world immediately around you. This isn't an all-or-nothing checklist; it's an invitation to experiment.
Start small. Choose just one or two of these habits that resonate with you the most and explore them for a week. Notice how you feel. The goal is not perfection, but intentionality. By consciously reducing sensory noise, you create the quiet space your nervous system needs to heal, reset, and thrive in our beautifully chaotic modern world.
Which habit will you explore first? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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