Overwhelmed and Stressed? What Interoception Can Teach Managers About Supporting an Apprentice
Written by Anele Griessel, Occupational Therapist
Anele Griessel is an expert occupational therapist, well known for sensory preferences, overwhelm, and how simple adjustments in daily activities can nurture the sensory system, reduce overwhelm, and build resilience. She is the author of the Sensory Journal, published in 2020.
Have you ever watched an apprentice snap at a colleague, only to realize later they'd simply skipped lunch and their energy had quietly run out? Or noticed yourself getting short with your team on a busy afternoon, only to realize hours later that you never actually sat down all day?
Neither of these moments is a failure. They're gentle reminders that all of us, however experienced, are running on a body that's constantly sending us signals, and sometimes those signals are easy to miss. That sense is called interoception, and getting a little more familiar with it might be one of the kindest, most practical tools you can bring into how you train and support others, and how you look after yourself along the way.
What is interoception?
Interoception is simply our sense of what's happening inside our own body. While our five familiar senses tell us about the world around us, interoception tells us about the world within. A racing heart, a tight chest, tired eyes, tense shoulders, hunger, a rising sense of pressure. It's the quiet system responsible for letting us know when we're tired, strained, or starting to feel overwhelmed, often before we'd even use those words.
When it's working smoothly, we barely notice it. We feel hungry, we eat. We feel tired, we pause. We feel our chest tighten, and we recognise stress starting to build before it takes hold. But this awareness isn't the same for everyone, and it isn't fixed. Under pressure, when we're new to something, or when we're simply busy looking after everyone else, these internal signals can become fainter and easier to miss. That's true for apprentices learning a new role. It's also true for the managers and trainers guiding them.
How noticing what's happening inside us shapes how we respond
Emotions aren't only something that happens in the mind. Every feeling has a physical thread running through it, a set of bodily sensations that shows up before we've even found the right word for what we're feeling: "stressed," "frustrated," "flat." Interoception is the quiet bridge between that physical sensation and the emotional awareness that follows.
When this awareness is strong, a person can catch a feeling while it's still small and easy to work with. A little tightness in the chest becomes a gentle nudge to slow down. A flicker of tension becomes a cue to ask for help or take a breath before continuing. This early noticing is what makes it possible to stay steady under pressure, rather than reaching a point where things spill over as a short word, a shutdown, or a moment we later wish we could take back.
This is especially worth holding gently in mind with someone newer to a role. An apprentice is often using so much focus just to keep up with the task in front of them that their internal signals can slip further into the background. It's just as important to keep in mind for yourself. Many managers spend so much energy noticing everyone else's needs that their own signals go unheard until they're running on empty, without quite knowing how they got there.
Why some people seem to go from fine to overwhelmed with little warning
When these internal signals are faint or slow to register, staying steady under pressure becomes genuinely harder, not because someone lacks resilience or care, but because the early warning system that regulation depends on simply isn't reaching them clearly yet.
This can look like an apprentice who doesn't realise they're overwhelmed until they're already struggling, because the smaller signals along the way never quite broke through. It can also look like a busy manager who feels completely fine, right up until a wave of exhaustion or frustration catches them by surprise. Neither of these is a flaw. It's simply a sign that the body's messages haven't had enough space to be heard yet.
Real research shows how much this matters. A 2025 study in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that people who tend to under-notice their own internal and sensory input were more likely to experience stress and anxiety, while those who engaged more actively with their sensory awareness tended to cope noticeably better. The encouraging takeaway is that this isn't about who you are. It's about a skill that can be gently strengthened, at any level, in any role.
Gentle signs worth noticing, in your apprentice and in yourself
A few small signs can point to internal signals not quite getting through. Pushing on without a break, water, or food until it's clearly needed. Finding it hard to explain what's wrong beyond "I just feel off." Seeming steady right up until a sudden dip or a sharper reaction than the moment called for. A pattern of getting run down, unwell, or exhausted without much warning beforehand.
Notice these with warmth rather than concern, in the people you're training and in yourself. They aren't signs of weakness or poor performance. They're simply invitations to build a little more awareness, at a pace that feels manageable.
Small, motivating ways to build this awareness, for your team and for you
Build in brief, easy check-ins, and include yourself. A simple "how's everyone feeling right now?" at a natural pause in the day, and asking yourself the same question, helps normalise noticing as something everyone does together, not just something apprentices are asked to report on.
Offer simple language and use it yourself out loud sometimes. A phrase like "my shoulders are getting tight, I might take five minutes" models, gently and without making a big deal of it, that noticing your own state is a completely normal part of working well.
Celebrate noticing as a strength, not a slowdown. When someone flags that they're tired or need a moment, meeting that with appreciation rather than concern helps build a culture where people, including you, feel safe noticing early rather than pushing through until it's harder to manage.
Build small pauses into the day as a shared habit. A short break between demanding tasks isn't only good for an apprentice still learning to notice their limits. It's a good rhythm for you too, and modelling it often does more than explaining it ever could.
Give transitions a little breathing room. Moving straight from one demanding moment to the next can mean signals get missed, for both of you. A short pause after something intense, even a minute, gives everyone's nervous system a chance to catch up.
A practice worth building together
Interoception isn't something most of us were ever taught, and it's rarely spoken about at work, yet it quietly shapes how well we handle pressure, how early we catch a problem, and how sustainable our energy feels over time. The good news is that this is entirely learnable, and it tends to grow fastest in workplaces where noticing is welcomed rather than seen as a distraction from getting the job done. As you build this awareness in the people you're training, you may well find it's just as valuable to keep gently checking in with yourself along the way. That's not a side effect of good management. It's often where good management begins.
Read more from Anele Griessel
Anele Griessel, Occupational Therapist
Anele Griessel is a leading occupational therapist specialising in sensory integration and overwhelm. As the author of the Sensory Journal, Anele distills more than two decades of knowledge and experience into actionable steps to help reduce overwhelm, build resilience, and enable individuals to thrive personally, with others, at work, and at home. She is the owner of Estemoa-OT. Her mission: Joy is a choice.
