Hey! If you’re in Utah, it’s summer! If you’re not in Utah, summer is coming soon! This episode is tips on what to do when you’re overstimulated. Your kids are all going to be home, there’s going to be a lot of noises, there’s going to be a lot of dirt, running, screaming, squealing, barking…. All the sounds and all the things. So, I have some tips to share with you.
1 – Noise Canceling Headphones
These things are a life changer. When I’m feeling overstimulated, especially in the car, I love putting my headphones in. Then, my kids can continue. When they’re overstimulated, and you’re overstimulated… everyone’s fighting and no one’s going to calm down. Everyone’s overstimulated. It just gets worse until you’re making them cry because you’re upset. Get yourself and everyone else some noise canceling headphones. We all have them because my kids are really sensitive to noise. The chaos is still happening, and you’re still there, but you’re not hearing it at the volume that you would be without the headphones.
2 – Take a Breath
Take a huge deep breath. Pause. Is your jaw tight? Are your shoulders tight? Sit up tall and take 3 deep breaths. Inhale light, calmness, peace… exhale all the chaos, negative feelings, overwhelm. Do this any time you’re feeling overstimulated. These breaths are going to help you so much. It will help you stay regulated, think about the situation better, and will help you not lose your temper.
3 – Give Yourself Space Alone
For me, I escape to my room or my sauna. I lock the door and I say, “Mama needs a minute.” Sometimes, I even say to my husband, “I am overstimulated, and I need space. It’s your turn.” I give the same space to him when he’s overstimulated! Instead of staying and being angry, just leave the room, give yourself a minute, and you always come back calmer. Once you have the space away and you can think about the situation, it’s better.
4 – Get Outside
It’s so grounding and it’s so helpful to get outside. Get your whole family outside! I feel like when my kids are in the house all winter, it gets so crazy and so much. We can get outside, adventure, spread out a little bit, and it’s super helpful.
5 – Don’t Over Plan Your Life
I think we all fall into this trap of, “They have to be in every camp and in every activity. We have to go to the pool a million times. We have to go hiking.” You don’t have to. Your kids are content just playing in the backyard too, playing with neighbors, or having a chill day. You don’t need to do every single thing, and you certainly don’t need to feel guilty for not doing everything. When we over schedule our lives we feel grumpy and then feel even more guilty!
6 – Limit Your Screen Time
Obviously you’re trying to limit screen time for your kids, but think about yourself too! When I’m scrolling on my phone, watching shows, or doing a bunch of stuff on my phone my kids nag me and I get even more frustrated. But, when I’m away from my phone, I’m a lot calmer. When I limit my screen time, I feel like I can handle life a lot better.
7 – Listen to a Podcast or Music
Have a podcast, song, or playlist you can go to that will help you calm down. This is something you can go to that will help ground you. I have several playlists for several different moods, and depending on my mood, I’ll turn on a playlist to get to that feeling quick!
8 – Boundaries
Stop saying yes to everything and everyone! This goes along with over planning your life. It’s so important to make sure that you’re not letting people come into your space and ruining your peace. Don’t let people walk all over you – it causes resentment, overstimulation, and burn out. It’s okay to protect your peace by holding some boundaries with your friends, family, neighbors, your time, money, your kids, etc. Boundaries are important!
9 – Affirmations
Affirmations are helpful when you are overstimulated. Start your day with affirmations like “I am calm. I am engaged. I am present. I am nurturing.” If you start your day with affirmations of who you are and who you want to be, it helps set the pace for your day.
10 – Give Yourself Grace
It can be a lot. Motherhood can be a lot. You have a lot of jobs and you wear a lot of hats! Sometimes, there’s just that cherry on top that puts you over the edge. That’s okay. You have tomorrow to take a deep breath and start again. You can apologize, you can give yourself space, you can set boundaries, and you can find ways to support yourself. You’re not always going to be perfect – that’s okay. Give yourself the grace and the space you need, because everyone gets overstimulated!
134. What To Do When You’re Overstimulated
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