I get overwhelmed...
Dealing with overstimulation, finding acceptance and how I manage it now.
Hello, I’m Jodie. A Yoga teacher & creator. I write about life post burnout with themes of rest, living slower, healing and self discovery. Subscribe to support my work & to read more. Or, join our Slower Space community to access all content and the monthly journaling club!
For so many years, I didn’t realise just how overstimulated I was and how much overwhelm that was causing me day to day.
If I’m honest, typically I feel exhausted from a day of shopping, overwhelmed in busy supermarkets and too much going on at once makes me tense. All the things that people seem to breeze through day to day, for the most part, leave me feeling frazzled.
How does everyone cope!? A question I find myself coming back to often.
The definition of overstimulated is simple; to stimulate physiologically or mentally to an excessive degree. For so long I struggled to accept that my degree of tolerance is simply lower than average, and very much dependent on how mentally prepared I feel for something.
For example, Christmas shopping before it gets busy and with regular breaks - no problem, stunning in fact. A full day of it mid December - no joy in that for me whatsoever.
I experience this all year round, but it’s heightened in the run up to the festive period when typically there’s more going on, and actually I think a lot of us can relate to the overwhelm that lurks this time of year - whether easily overstimulated or not!
So, I thought I’d share a few ways I’ve managed to cope better with it, feel less overwhelmed day to day and now manage to happily do a fair few of the things that used to be a struggle…
How I manage feeling overstimulated
Expecting less of myself - basically, I’ve allowed myself to soften and leave capacity for life to happen around me. I used to constantly be a hurry which meant my energy was already taken up with a never ending to-do list.
Practising Yoga - if I carve out time to be connected to my body in the morning, it acts like a little safety net for the rest of the day (not always, but typically it works well for me)
Accepting it’s just the way I am. For a few years I really wanted to be able to keep up with everyone else. I’d say yes to things that would leave me feeling awful. I’ve realised I want to feel calm day to day, and it’s ok to create a life around that.
Limiting the amount of stuff I have - I wouldn’t say I’m minimalist, but being on top of the amount of stuff in our home and how it’s organised really helps my brain feel clearer.
Doing things with intention. Despite being easily overstimulated, I love exploring new cities and being a part of that busyness (for a short while). Going to London in particular with intention and a sense of purpose makes it feel way more enjoyable for me. I can be present with the stimulation rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.
No news or phone before 8am. I mention this frequently in posts, but it’s a habit that serves me SO well.
Using these ear plugs - honestly, a game changer for me. They’re perfect for times when I need or want to do something but just want to soften the audio overstimulation. I think these are going to come in handy for parenting too!
Eating good, high protein meals - this is something I’ve noticed more recently, but managing my blood sugars and having protein rich meals means naturally I feel more stable, calmer and able to take on more.
All of these things help me feel more centred, and means that most days, thankfully, I can keep that overwhelmingly frazzled feeling at bay.
I’d love to know if there’s anything else you’ve found useful or if you can resonate with this?
What’s coming up:
Now’s probably a good time to share that my next seasonal workshop is available to book! Join me for Winter Wisdom, an online workshop to celebrate and mark the Winter Solstice.
It’s a 90 minute session designed to support you to find ease this winter, mark the solstice & retreat into rest.
This workshop is for you if...
You want to learn how to lean into and embrace the winter months
You'd benefit from creating a winter vision to help guide you through
You want to feel a sense of celebration and mark the winter solstice
You're feeling overwhelmed and would benefit from 90 minutes of rest and reconnection
Expect practical advice and guidance, time and support to set your winter vision, and a mindful movement practice with Yoga Nidra to finish. All movement is beginner friendly with a focus on releasing. You're encouraged to come as you are 💖
As always, there’s also the Monthly Journaling Club for December. We’ll be focusing on boundaries in the run up to Christmas and prompts to help you find joy during that time. It’s hosted via Zoom on Monday the 2nd at 8pm UK time. If you’d like to join us, become a paid subscriber for just £4.50 per month!
Until next time,
Jodie x
If you found this post useful or enjoyed it I would be so grateful if you shared it or restacked it. It helps more people find the Slower Space community… Thank you x
I can relate to so, so much of what you write here. Getting into nature and creative expression are both very important for me. I am also trying to accept that I will get overwhelmed and overstimulated at times, but practising not catastrophising when I do - remembering that it does pass and I have resources to help me regain a sense of equilibrium. I find that adding negative self-talk and rigid thinking to these experiences makes things 10x worse. This part is a massive work in progress though :0D. Thank you for sharing your insights, tools and reflections.
The Loops are *clutch* for parenting. Everything about a crying baby is designed to make parents react emotionally, and taking the edge off the noise helps my partner and I both focus on the problem instead of the hurt you feel when your world is crying in your arms.