Finding Peace: 7 Ways Moms Can Handle Overstimulation

I thought I knew what overstimulation. It wasn’t until I had children and started a family that I now really know what it is. If you’re a mom like me than this is not news for you. Overstimulation for a mom happened when our sense or emotions are overwhelmed by constant demands. With nonstop demands of children, household needs, thoughts, working part time or running a side hustle, attending to your spouse and so much more. It can almost seem like overstimulation is inevitable for us moms. That is why today we are finding peace in the chaos.

My brain wants to shut off sometimes and just stop working, but I know I can’t do that because there’s so much that needs to be done. And we all know how many moms hold everything together. So, with overstimulation being almost inevitable for us, especially with multiple children, we’ve got to figure out what we can do to lessen the sensory overload and continue to be the best mom we can be.

Well guess what? I have some tips that will help you and me both out. All we have to do is apply them at the time overstimulation is setting in. Let’s get into it.

What is overstimulation?

I’m throwing around this word like everyone’s heard of it, and you might have but let’s just cover the basics. The true definition of overstimulation according to Bing is that “it occurs when an individual is exposed to an excessive number of stimuli that surpasses the brain’s processing capabilities.” So, in other words, there’s too much going on at one time and your brain can’t keep up.

The noise, lights, smells, or even physical touch can make you feel overstimulated. If you take care of multiple young children in a day you know that it can get loud, very loud. Trying to meet the needs of your emotional young beings is also a hard task. We almost want to tap out. I know I do.

But I have great news, we can manage our overstimulation just like everything else by finding peace where we are at. The steps are said to be easy we just have to apply it to our life for it to work. Down below are 7 tips to help with conquering overstimulation.

7 tips for conquering overstimulation and finding peace

Take a sensory break.

This means take a moment for yourself to breathe. Step away and go somewhere that’s quieter. Of course, make sure your kids are set up and are safe first. Then sit alone, maybe go outside and get a few minutes to get it together. Or even take the whole family outside to get fresh air.

This can be helpful because us moms, don’t always get that quiet time. We are with the kids most if not all day and it can be difficult to get that peace and quiet. Unless it’s bedtime but who’s waiting all the way until then? Try to step away the next time you’re feeling overloaded.

Prioritize self-care

This is so unoriginal right. How many times do we hear this one? Seriously though we have to take the time for ourselves. If we don’t, we won’t be in the proper mind state to be the mom we need to be for our family. So, take 10-15 minutes a day to walk, journal, meditate, read, exercise, or whatever else you enjoy. If we do this daily, we might be able to prevent overstimulation in the first place.

Set boundaries and stick to them.

I’m not sure about y’all but I am teaching my kids boundaries. It’s something everyone needs to learn. teaching kids that “quite time” means quiet and they should respect it.

If you’re teaching younger kids timers work well for letting them know when quiet time is over. This is just an example. Boundaries can be whatever works for you. Make sure to let your partner know too, so everyone is on the same page.

Reduce unnecessary noise and clutter.

This is a big one. The clutter can make you feel overstimulated, and you not even know it. Let it go girl. Throw whatever you don’t need out. Visual and auditory overload can just make things worse. Declutter all your most used spaces and play calming music to keep the noise at bay. Now don’t go and declutter every part of your house in one day. Start small and work your way towards every room.

Practice deep breathing and grounding techniques

These are quick and accessible. You can pause and take breaths anytime you’re feeling overstimulated. You can press your feet into the floor or count objects. Counting objects can calm your mind and body. It takes the attention off of what’s causing the overstimulation. If it’s warm outside go stick your feet in the grass. This practice is called grounding. The energy from your body can be transferred to the ground and it helps ease stress. For info on grounding check out this article.

Reach out for help if you need it

This isn’t the easiest one because a lot of us don’t like asking for help and would rather deal with it on our own. But asking family or trusted friends to watch the kiddos for a bit, or just to listen to you talk about your feelings can lift some of the weight you’re carrying. Getting a helping hand can help you care for yourself and your kids better.

Pray!

At first, I only had six tips, but I had to add this one. This is so important. If we don’t feel like anything else is working sending a prayer up to the most High will most likely always solve the problem. Of course, make sure you come to him truly and with an open heart. He solves all problems even if you don’t see it. Continue to believe and put work in. He sees it all.

All in all Finding Peace in the Chaos is possible

In today’s age with so much going on, overstimulation is going to hit at one point or another. Knowing these seven tips can help you on your journey. Remember everything is for a season and the better we understand where we are at in life and how to handle overstimulation, it can help ease the stress we have.

Continue to do your best mama, if you get overstimulated and blow your lid it’s okay. Apologize to whoever’s involved and then use these tips to manage the sensory overload. Recognizing it is the first step. You’ve got this and things will get better mama. Stay strong and remember you are cherished. The Father has given us the power to overcome any obstacle, and we are important to the family unit. Finding peace in the chaos is how we will overcome those tough battles and make it a little easier to get through motherhood.

Leave a comment and chat with me if you tried these and they worked or if this was at all helpful. If you have anything to add to this article, I would like to hear that as well. Don’t forget to subscribe for more articles like this one.

Check out this article for more tips on how to get through parenthood.