Overstimulated

You've seen those memes about overstimulation making women evil right? Yep, that's me. Guilty!

I walk through the door and immediately feel knocked on my ass from all that's going on around me. The stove is on and the fan is humming. The washer and dryer are both chugging along. The dishwasher is roaring. The voices from the TV seem to be screaming directly at me. The dog is at the door barking. The furnace just kicked on. My son is narrating his travels on his balance bike across the dining room. The baby just discovered her voice. There are toys flung about all over the floor. My husband asks how my day was and that does it. I'm pushed over the edge. I respond with a snarky huff and walk away. I'm angry. Im about to cry. I feel like if I speak it will only come out in screams.

I realize that I should be grateful for all of these things and I really am. We have a stove to cook hot meals and a washer and dryer for clean clothes. The dishwasher is a game changer. After having one, I cannot live without it. I have a 75 inch TV and the cutest dog ever. There are people without heat or even a roof over their head, but I'm pissed because I heard the furnace click on. My two children are making noise, but I should be grateful to even have children. My husband cares how my day went, but I'm so overwhelmed I'm struggling to appreciate all that I have.

I get it, it sounds awful. I'm even rolling my eyes at myself right now. I finally realized that it's not all of these wonderful things that I'm upset with or ungrateful for. It's the timing of them. It's the fact that they all seem to be happening at once. I go from my car, where I've been winding down while listening to my latest audio book, to what can only be described as a zoo in a matter of seconds and I am not prepared. It's too much. It's overstimulating.

I've slowly began finding ways to cope with all of the overstimulation that comes with being a Mom of two. First and foremost, understand it's okay. When being a wife, a mother, an employee, a homeowner, a friend, etc.. how could you not get a little overestimulated at some point? There's a freakin' lot going on! It is completely okay and normal to feel this way. Try to remember that. Don't beat yourself up over a little frustration rather realize your frustration is completely warranted with your hectic life.

Try to recognize the situations or times when you find yourself struggling the most. Once you're aware of these you can better prepare. As I explained, a big struggle for me is right when I get home. Specifically when the rest of the family beats me home. If I get home first I'm able to do all of the things I need to do before the chaos starts, eliminating all the stress and frustration. Walking into the chaos is when I struggle. Understanding that helps to be able to try to prepare myself. Or, at very least take a breath before I walk in.

Try to change your mindset. Yes, I often walk in my house to complete chaos with a million things needing done at the same time, but what if that chaos was gone? If I came home to a quiet house everyday I would definitely miss it. I have been trying to embrace the crazy and be grateful. If I didn't have my children, my husband, my dog, and all of the items I mentioned in the beginning, my life would be pretty empty. Thinking about it that way makes me want the chaos. It even makes me a little excited to arrive home to it.

I try to do everything in advance that I can. As a Mom the list is never ending. There's always something that needs done. You cross one thing off just to add another. I've learned that preparing as much as I can in advance elleviates some stress. For example, I pack or lay out everything I can for the day the night before. This makes our morning routine much smoother. I also try to do as much as I can in the morning so there's less to do when I get home from work. This could be spending an extra minute switching the laundry or even just deciding what's for dinner that evening on the way to work. That’s one less thing to do later.

Know that we've all been there. Give yourself some grace, Mama.

Fran