The holidays are just around the corner, and for a lot of people they can feel like too much. Maybe not the entire holiday season, but certainly parts of it.
This can be true for people who are neurodivergent, have the personality trait known as sensory processing sensitivity, who struggle with anxiety, or who are simply more introverted.
Regardless of the bigger reason, overstimulation can come from a mix of sensory, mental and emotional inputs. We each have our own level of tolerance for stimulation, and for some the holidays are a perfect storm for overstimulation.
What overstimulation looks like
Everyone is different, but signs you may be overstimulated may include:
- Feeling irritated and easily annoyed.
- Feeling anxious
- Having trouble focusing
- Feeling emotionally drained
- Experiencing physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches or sleep disturbances
Your experience of overstimulation might not be the same as someone else’s but regardless of why you get overstimulated and how you experience it, it can be frustrating when a situation or event feels like TOO MUCH, and no one around you seems to understand that you’re struggling.
Ideally, you have at least one person who gets you and can help you navigate the situation, but whether or not that’s true for you, self-care can help you recalibrate.
Self-care first-aid kit
If you find yourself feeling having that “this is too much” feeling, try:
Removing yourself from the situation. Can you find a quiet space away from the noise and difficult family members? A spare bedroom? The bathroom? Outside? Can you thank the host of the holiday party and just go home?
Remind yourself that you are safe. The situation may feel distressing, but you can use self-care to exit or manage it.
Practicing mindfulness or relaxation exercises.
- This can include breathing techniques such as box breathing (inhaling for a four-second count, holding for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, then holding again for four seconds). You can also inhale for four second and draw out the exhale for eight seconds (what’s important is the 1:2 ratio of inhale to exhale); this promotes relaxation by signaling safety to the brain and calming the fight or flight response.
- It can also include the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
Practicing grounding exercises. Examples include:
- Pressing your feet into the floor or going for a short walk and noticing how it feels to put your foot on the ground then lift it again.
- Focusing on a physical sensation such as holding a cold drink or touching or holding an item that has a distinct texture.
- Putting your hands in water, alternating between warm and cold and noticing how each temperature feels on all part of your hand, and noticing how it feels to change temperatures.
- Tasting something sour.
- The 5-4-3-2-1 exercise also can be grounding.
Big-picture self-care
Those suggestions count as “in the moment” tools, but self-care also includes habits that lay a foundation for well-being. These include:
Getting enough sleep and rest. You know what sleep is, but rest is stopping using those parts of you that are tapped out. Rest can be active or not active, but either way it helps you reset and restore.
Eating enough and staying hydrated. If you’re under fueled and hungry, this can make you more anxious and irritable, which when you add overstimulation to the mix is not a recipe for a good time. Similarly, letting yourself get mildly dehydrated can make you tired and irritable, and make it hard to focus.
Limiting caffeine. It should go without saying that too much caffeine can make you jittery and even anxious, but here’s a reminder just in case
Reducing sensory inputs. This can include limiting screentime and device use, as well as dimming the lights and using noise-canceling headphones or noise-filtering earbuds such as Loop.
Wearing clothing that feels good. This may mean certain fabrics or fits, tagless clothing, etc.
Saying no. Don’t isolating yourself just to avoid overstimulation, but if there are activities or events that aren’t “mandatory” and you don’t think you would particularly enjoy, and that means preserving bandwidth for more meaningful activities, then that’s a boundary worth setting.
Sticking to routines. This includes a regular schedule but also keeping up with habits and activities that “refill your well,” whether that’s curling up with a soft blanket, a book, and a cup of tea, or having meaningful low-key get-togethers with your closest friends or family.
Final note: If you feel stressed and overwhelmed all the time, talk to a mental health professional.
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Disclaimer: All information provided here is of a general nature and is furnished only for educational purposes. This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to an individual’s specific health or medical condition. You agree that the use of this information is at your own risk.
Until next time,
