Full transparency, I sometimes experience sensory overload. Looking back, I experienced this prior to having kids, but didn’t quite understand my experience nor did I know this was “a thing” (that others also experienced) until after having children. If you are overstimulated and at times feel: anxious, restless, irritable, etc. keep reading as I am going to be sharing some tips that help me navigate feeling overwhelmed by it all.
Breaking Down Bigger Tasks
When our home is in a state of chaos (it happens to the best of us) and I feel too overwhelmed to start, I take some deep breaths, burn some incense, and tell myself, “I will do what I can until the incense is done burning”. By the time the incense has burnt out, I have typically finished my task and will take a few minutes before moving onto the next thing. Not only does the aroma from the incense uplift my spirits, it also gives me the boost that I sometimes need to start a task, and prevents me from staying stuck or frozen. An example of this is if the dishwasher is loaded, there are dishes in the sink, and I need to cook; I will burn some incense, empty the dishwasher, load the dishwasher in one mini cleaning session and then go back to cook later on during the day. I am a firm believer that our outer / physical space is a representation of our inner / mental space. Cooking in a clean environment provides me with clarity which allows me to focus on infusing my food creations with love.
Minimize the Use of Technology
We are not meant to be bombarded with as much information as we are. Technology can be helpful and has its place, but with our current lifestyles, it is easy to over consume; which is why it’s beneficial to be intentional about our usage. One way that I manage my use of technology is by creating healthy boundaries with it. For instance, I do not go on my phone first thing in the morning, or at least for the first hour after waking up. Sometimes, I don’t get on my phone until after 12 pm or later. Instead, I use this time to do my morning ritual; commune with God, the ancestors, the Universe and give thanks, pray, meditate, journal, practice yoga, and set my intentions. Once my morning ritual is complete, I then move on to the next part of my day.
Overcoming Overstimulation in my Daily Life
In my day-to-day life, I try to mitigate overstimulation as much as I’m able to by keeping my environment as calm, quiet, and clutter free as I possibly can with young children. This looks like cutting out the excess noise (not being tuned into too many things at once, the radio, tv, my phone, etc.), not keeping an excessive amount of things (possessions), and mitigating overstimulation (via monotasking). Clearing the clutter is an act that I am constantly engaging in to determine whether or not our possessions still serve us. I believe that things hold energy and contribute to the energy (im)balance we experience in our homes.
Sometimes when we feel anxious, stressed out, and / or overwhelmed, our bodies are communicating with us. So when you are feeling the aforementioned, I invite you to get curious and ask yourself, “what is the message my body is telling me?” For example, the other day, I woke up from a nap and was immediately bombarded with all of my thoughts of everything that I had to do. I opened the curtains and the door and just sat there observing the beautiful scenery as I received mother nature’s caress via the wind. After some time sitting there, I felt more calmness and clarity and felt ready to move forward. That experience served as a poignant reminder of how healing nature is. This is also why I advocate for living in the present moment. A change of pace and scenery can be helpful as well. Sometimes mama, you just need some time away from it all, to unplug, really unplug for a weekend or a week. I am totally here for having days of doing nothing or breaking away from the routine and packing up the family to go on an adventure. The goal here is to live harmoniously and remember our humanity; we are not robots, but divine beings having a human experience.
As always, take deep care and be well, mamas.