I never struggled with sensory overload until I became a parent with older kids. I didn’t even know that this existed. But when your baby is crying, the five-year-old is knocking things over and the three-year-old is hugging your leg, there is so much going on and you feel like you might explode, oh and don’t forget about the toy that keeps going off in the corner. I have found that there are things that I can do to make sure that I am taking care of myself and one problem at a time and I am going to share them with you. So, hang in their mama and keep reading.
What is Sensory Overload?
Sensory Overload happens when all of your senses are overstimulated. Overstimulation can cause feelings of stress, anxiety and exhaustion. No one likes feeling like this, especially a stay-at-home parent. We feel this way because our children demand so much of us and sometimes, we just don’t have the calm demeanor that we want. I struggle with this daily. These three steps will help you manage and calm your mind in the overstimulating environment.
Step One: Sensory Overload Time-Out
When I say time out, I mean for you mama. Put your children in a safe place or entertain them with the television, then you take a moment to yourself. All you need are five minutes of quiet or five minutes of something that calms you and that you can control.
Step Two: The 5 Senses of Sensory Overload
I consider myself pretty lucky to live in a rural area where stepping outside is an option. During your time-out, use the five senses to help ease your stress and triggers.
- Smell: I deep breathe in the smell of the outdoors. I live by the forest and am able to use the smell to calm my nerves. If it is winter and that is not an option, I also love the smell of lavender and the scent will help drown out the feeling of loss of control.
- Touch: This is really important to me. I go barefoot daily, and if I am feeling stressed or anxious walking on my dirt road serves as an acupressure for my feet. It helps me feel. If it is winter, I have put my feet in the snow for about 3-5 seconds.
- Hear: Listen for anything that soothes you. This can be music, or birds, anything that can bring your stress level down.
- See: Try to find something that appeals to you. I look for my favorite color or flower.
- Taste: This one is a bit tougher, but I usually have coffee or something that makes me happy. If I don’t have coffee and it’s the summertime, I can usually find raspberries anywhere.
Step Three: Divide and Conquer without Sensory Overload
Now that you have calmed your nerves and quieted your stresses to an almost normal level, we can go back inside or go back to where the kids are and divide and conquer. Find the easiest task that can be done out of all of your stressors and do it. Put the kids in separate areas or rooms and they can color or watch a movie, then do one thing at a time. No one expects you to do everything all at once and you need to take that expectation you have of yourself and throw it in the trash.
Overview
I know you feel stressed and completely over exhausted, but always remember that you can do this. You are perfectly able to get through this stressful time and you will get through it. Your feelings are valid, and you deserve to know how to handle them. I hope this works for you as it does for me. Remember to call someone if you feel like you need more help.
You are a cupcake, not a monster!
