Birth giving can degrade women’s health, making them weaker and more sensitive. Then, during motherhood, they must deal with being continuously needed, touched,… Those sensory stimuli sometimes excess their ability to proceed. If you can be easily angry due to those, it may be a sign that you, as a mom, are suffering from overstimulation. Then this article about how to cope with overstimulation as a mom is tailored for you!
What is Overstimulation?
Overstimulation is referred to as sensory overload, happening when your five senses are receiving more input than your brain can deal with properly. You may feel anxious, fearful and uncomfortable when being at a crowded place, or when the TV sound is too loud.
Naturally, humans have a limitation for how much of their senses they can use and process at once. However, when becoming a mother, this signal is exacerbated, expressed by fury, fight, disassociation. So, do not feel guilty, you are not a bad mom at all.
10 Tips to Fight Overstimulation as a Mom
Now you are aware of your symptoms, and here are ways to cope with overstimulation as a mom.
1. Put less on your plan
A schedule full of unfinished tasks easily triggers stress, then exacerbates overstimulation. Prioritizing things and dividing them into a longer timeline can give you more space to recharge and proceed with mental workload.
As a mom, you may force yourself to do more and better, but remember to value your mental well-being by not handling too much at once to lessen sensory overload.
2. Stop Multitasking
It is true that all moms are “wonder women” due to their ability to multitask. However, multitasking distracts concentration, putting much more workload on our sensory processing.
This is why when we have kids, you easily become agitated and irritable. You still take care of your own business while putting an eye on those naughty guys. Therefore, you should not be too multitasking at once, allowing sensory interruptions to generally cope with overstimulation.
3. Enjoy quiet moments
Being close to your family and kids is absolutely good. But you are an independent human, you need your own time and space. Each day, do not forget to spend some moments just for yourself. It may be meditation, a proper skincare routine, or training at a yoga class. A few moments throughout a day just being yourself and not dependent on anyone can have a good impact on sensory overload.
4. Create touch breaks
Mom may be under pressure of being touched-out, especially when their babies constantly demand breastfeeding, being hugged and climbed on. Moms, therefore, may be afraid of being touched by anyone, even their spouses.
It is the time for touch breaks. This is a quite sensitive topic, so stay sincere to tell your family about your stress of too much touch, although you love them and value their affection. They will, definitely, sympathize and support you.
5. Make sleep count
Not only mothers but also everyone suffers from stress due to lack of sleep. Overstimulation may cause insomnia and prevent you from getting good rest1. However, for the sake of your sensory overload, you need to prioritize your sleep, although it is very difficult. Try to establish a consistent bedtime routine, turn off your devices 1 hour in advance, then meditate or read some pages of a book to make your mind refreshed.
6. Use noise canceling ear plugs
Overstimulated mom’s brain can be partly healed by noise canceling earplugs. You can still listen to others and join conversations, but it is worth it that those ear plugs lessen the noises from the environment and devices. You can also try some noise canceling earbuds in some moments of the day, for example during a short nap at the end of the morning.
7. Practice self-care
Remembering and maintaining self-care tips is a good way to isolate yourself from annoying stuff by focusing on what you like and what is good for your well-being. Your overstimulation will be eased and smoothened during the time, giving you more space to refresh.
Always take care of yourself, like the way you care about your family and kids.
8. Stay away from electronic devices
In this digital era, we seem not to live properly without digital technology. Working, studying, staying connected to others, paying bills,… all can be done via smartphones or laptops.
Technology is powerful but can have bigger negative impacts on your sensory overload during motherhood. Too much information as an input requires more effort of the brain to process. In another case, you may be in a bad mood or feel anxious after surfing your social media feeds. Minimizing your time on the Internet is a good way to cope with overstimulation as a mom.
9. Be open-minded and seek help
It is recommended that you are open to sharing with your family, your spouse and your kids about you dealing with overstimulation. Tell them your symptoms of sensory overload and such unstable feelings. They will understand, sympathize and pamper your well-being more than ever.
10. Have professional consultation
If overstimulation happens for such a long time, you should consider visiting a doctor for an examination and consultation. Based on your actual symptoms and situations, the therapist can tailor a suitable treatment regime with prescribed doses if necessary.
Conclusion
Moms, ‘wonder women’ in the world of their kids, have more challenges than others can imagine. Hopefully, these 10 tips answering how to cope with overstimulation can support brave mothers to manage their sensory overload, ensuring the happiness and healthiness through their precious motherhood lifetime.
Sources
- Dimitriu, A. (2023a) Trauma and sleep, Sleep Foundation. Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health/trauma-and-sleep ↩︎
