Sensory Overload & Its Effect on Executive Function

Written by Elese K.

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Too much of anything can bear consequence. The same reasoning is applied to what happens to our Executive Function (EF) when our senses become overloaded with too much information. As children progress through school, the ability to apply executive functioning skills to their academics while managing everyday distractions is fundamental to achieving good grades and staying focused.

What is Executive Function?

Executive function (EF) refers to the skills associated with thinking, planning, organizing, problem solving, attention, concentration, memory, decision making, and self-control.

A distracted mind cannot perform to its full potential because it hinders the cognitive abilities associated with EF. It is important to understand the brain’s developmental stages and find healthy ways of supporting it for optimal learning.

Distractions Hinder One’s Self-Awareness

In his book, Genius Foods, Max Lugavere (2018) gives readers a relatable scenario to help them understand what happens when our EF comes under fire when watching a movie. The input of imagery and sound from what is playing on the screen results in an “intense sensorimotor processing,” and impedes the parts of the brain responsible for controlling self-awareness. In other words, distractions cloud one’s ability to think clearly and focus on tasks.

Furthermore, Lugavere suggests that as we face the multiple inputs of the modern world entering our brain, distracting us from planning, decision making, and social interactions, it causes an overloaded prefrontal cortex and depleted neurotransmitter activity (p. 239).

Protecting the Brain’s Healthy Function

EF is dependent upon our neurotransmitters functioning healthily. Therefore, it is imperative that we take the necessary steps to protect the brain and boost its cognitive ability.  

This is especially important in childhood and adolescence, when the demands of school are increasing and the prefrontal cortex is still rewiring. It needs to manage the input of multiple distractions in the modern world. Technology being one of those distractions, can get in the way of one’s academic performance.

Serotonin on Executive Function

There are neurotransmitters directly linked to EF, one being the mood booster, serotonin. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in protein that makes its way into the brain and across the blood-brain barrier via transporters, synthesizes serotonin. Optimal levels of Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, is necessary for the production of serotonin, which is associated with cognitive function.

Among other issues, a drop in serotonin levels can lead to impaired learning and memory, poor impulse control, and impaired long-term planning. Furthermore, it is possible that being deficient in Vitamin D lowers the neurotransmitter serotonin by weakening the brain’s ability to synthesize serotonin from tryptophan.

Maintaining the Prefrontal Cortex for Optimal Learning

While the daily distractions around us increase the likelihood of sensory overload, we can take necessary steps to manage our physical learning environment and boost cognitive fuction. This is especially important in childhood and adolescence when the prefrontal cortex is still rewiring and distractions can be detrimental to the achievements of good grades in school. By eating the right foods, exercising regularly, getting outdoors to enjoy some sunlight exposure, we can support optimal serotonin levels and restore the distracted mind to its full potential.

Resources

   2018. Lugavere, M. & Grewal, P. Genius Foods. Become Smarter, Happier, and More

      Productive while Protecting Your Brain for Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins.