Can Fun and Exciting Activities Stall Hyperstimulation Recovery?

Video Transcript

Can fun and exciting activities, like going to an exciting sporting event, stall hyperstimulation recovery?

Yes, fun and exciting activities can stall recovery from hyperstimulation.

The over-activation of the stress response causes hyperstimulation. To recover from hyperstimulation, we must dial back the frequency and intensity of stress responses. Here’s why:

Fear triggers the stress response, which secretes stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol, which are powerful stimulants - into the bloodstream that prepare the body for immediate emergency action – to fight or flee.

That’s why the stress response is often referred to as the “fight or flight response.”

Fun and exciting activities also trigger the stress response, which stimulates the body. Stress hormones make us feel exhilarated when excited.

However, context and perception greatly affect how fear and excitement are experienced.

The key difference? Your brain’s interpretation. Fear comes with a sense of danger or loss of control, while excitement is tied to enjoyment and usually a feeling of safety (even if it’s a controlled risk).

Studies involving extreme sports or video games show adrenaline spikes in thrilling situations, often alongside cortisol if sustained effort or anticipation exists.

Dopamine, the "reward" chemical, often accompanies fun activities, making the activity feel good rather than awful. For example, research on bungee jumpers shows adrenaline and cortisol spike, but so does dopamine, and they report euphoria, not terror.

So, the same hormones but a different interpretation. It’s all about how your mind frames it—threat versus challenge.

Consequently, the body doesn’t distinguish between "threat" and "thrill" at a physiological level. Both produce stimulating stress hormones.

This is why fun and exciting activities can stall recovery from hyperstimulation.

Regularly engaging in exciting activities can cause and sustain hyperstimulation if there isn’t a sufficient rest period between activities. Moderation and giving your body sufficient rest is the key to lasting good health and avoiding hyperstimulation.

Therefore, as long as the body is hyperstimulated, dial down your stress and exciting activities until your body recovers. Once recovered, you can resume your normal activities because the body can withstand the stress from excitement, as long as the excitement isn't sustained and you give your body sufficient time to recover from the bouts of excited stress.

I (Jim Folk) dialled back everything until my body recovered, even fun and exciting activities. I don’t think I would have recovered had I not done that because it’s easy to keep the body stressed and hyperstimulated once it becomes hyperstimulated, including the stimulation from fun and exciting activities.

Thankfully, recovery is temporary. Dialling back exciting activities in the short term can provide long-term hyperstimulation recovery success.