Motherhood can be loud, messy, and full of constant demands. From crying babies to never-ending to-do lists, it’s easy to feel like your senses are in overdrive. If you’ve ever wanted to hide in the bathroom for a moment of silence (or scream into a pillow), you might be experiencing overstimulation.
What Are the Signs of Overstimulation?
Overstimulation happens when your brain is processing too much at once, and you feel overwhelmed by sensory input or constant demands. Here are some common signs of overstimulation:
- Irritability – You feel snappy, impatient, or easily frustrated.
- Sensitivity to Noise – Even normal sounds (like your baby babbling or your toddler’s toys) feel unbearable.
- Desire to Escape – You feel an overwhelming need for quiet, alone time, or space.
- Touch Aversion – You love your kids, but after being climbed on all day, you don’t want anyone touching you.
- Mental Fog – Your brain feels like it’s struggling to process thoughts or conversations.
- Emotional Overwhelm – You may feel teary, anxious, or completely drained without knowing why.
What causes overstimulation?
You may be experiencing overstimulation due to a combination of factors like:
- Lack of alone time
- Lack of support
- Being treated unkindly
- Loud toys, crying, and talking
- Physical exhaustion
- Sleep deprivation
- Constant worrying
- Multitasking
It’s common to experience these things as a parent (whether new or experienced). It just comes with the territory of having kids.
How to Handle Overstimulation?
There are several things you can do to feel better if you are in an overstimulated phase:
1.Take a Sensory Break from the source
When you feel overwhelmed, step away (even for a few minutes) to reset. This can mean that you go to a quiet room and take deep breaths. Alternatively you can simply close your eyes and cover your ears with noise cancelling headphones to block out stimulation.
If possible, take a quick walk outside or in your back garden to change your environment.
2. Reduce Noise
Lowering background noise such as the TV can really help. Try replacing it with soothing brown noise, and you’ll most likely feel a lot better.
3. Reduce Clutter
Clutter and disorganisation is a very common cause of visual overload that can lead to overstimulation.
Ever come back home to a messy living room and you immediately feel your mood swing and you start snapping at everyone? That’s visual overload and it can surely make you feel overstimulated.
The trick is to always ensure that high-traffic areas like the living room are decluttered before you head out. Personally, I try to spend 2–5 minutes to put away toys and ensure my living room and bed are clutter free before I head out.
It’s such a nice feeling coming back to a tidy-ish home.
4. Set Boundaries with Touch
If you feel “touched out,” communicate with your family: Tell your partner when you need a physical break. Children might not always get it when you try to set boundaries with touch, so your best bet is to encourage your children to do independent play so you’re not constantly holding or soothing.
5. Use Grounding Techniques
I once read that if you Splash cold water on your face or hold something cool and combine it with deep breathing you can slow your nervous system.
Definitely something worth trying, next time you feel overwhelmed.
6. Reduce Decision Fatigue
A constant stressor for most parents is decision making. What will the family eat tonight? When will homeworks be done? how and when will the laundry and cleaning get done. These decision making activities can lead to mental fatigue.
The solution? Simplify as much as possible. Forget about thinking about what you will eat every night by setting a weekly menu to avoid last-minute stress.
Create gentle and flexible routines for chores so you can stay consistent and prevent a build up of dirty clothes and dirty dishes that cause overwhelm.
By streamlining decision making, you save yourself some mental stress.
7. Prioritize Alone Time (Without Guilt!)
We love our kids but taking some time off to reset is extremely essential and does not mean we love them any less.
Start by taking 5–10 minutes before bed or after your kids sleep to just sit down, take deep breaths and unwind.
You can also plan to wake up before the kids – let’s say your kids are up by 6am, aim to wake up at 5am and do something you love for YOU! Whether you get some exercise in, write in a journal, read a devotional, have some tea – just do something to make you feel like you have loved on yourself. This will give you the energy you need to get through the day.
8. Ask for Help
You don’t have to do it all alone.
Ask your husband, family, or friends for help with small tasks, even if it’s just watching the kids for 30 minutes so you can breathe.
If you have no one to ask, consider paying for help if you can afford it. Having a baby sitter come around for an hour or two will give you time to decompress and reset. Many mums highly recommend it.
Final Thoughts
Overstimulation in motherhood is real, but you can manage it with small, intentional breaks, sensory resets, and self-care. You are not failing – your brain is simply asking for a pause. Give yourself that grace.
