Overstimulated Moms Club

There are moments in motherhood where you know exactly what you need to do.

Slow down. Step away for a minute. Regulate. Reset.

But you also know… you can’t.

Because someone needs something right now. Because there’s too much noise. Because you're in the car. Because someone dumped out the sensory bucket of sand. Because it’s nearing the end summer and everything is much louder, sweatier, and the bickering is more constant than usual. And you have to keep pressing on.

Summer can be really beautiful, but also really overstimulating. There is less structure in our schedules and more needs coming at you all day long instead of in predictable windows. For a lot of moms, that means little to no margin to actually come back to yourself. Even when you know you need a pause, there isn’t always space for one. And then the guilt creeps in. Because you hear all the advice: "Soak in all of these precious memories.”, "The days are long, but the years are short" , or my personal favorite, “You should have some alone time with your favorite hobby.” And if you're like me, you think, yes, I know. I would love to, but literally can’t with the sensory overload that is happening right now. Also, I just want to add that I am over a decade into my parenting journey and feel like I have less hobbies now than I ever have before. So if you are like me and have 7 month old starving sourdough starter in your fridge you are not alone! Not everyone has a hobby friends and that is absolutely okay.

I think there’s something important in admitting that you do not have margin because not every season allows for clean, quiet resets. Some seasons are just full and you’re still expected to show up because your family needs you.

A couple of weeks ago I pointed out Matthew 11:28 which says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Thankfully, this doesn't come with the requirement of after you get everything under control. You can go before the Lord while you're scrubbing sand out of your bathtub for the hundredth time and He will give you rest. Rest does not have to look like silence, but it can be as simple as a breath you take in the middle of chaos.

Maybe the goal in these seasons shouldn’t perfect regulation. It can be just learning to come back to God in the middle of it instead of waiting for everything to calm down first. Because life doesn’t usually calm down first. Especially in summer.

So if you’re in a season where you feel overstimulated and stretched thin, and you keep thinking “I just need a minute” but can’t find one. You’re not failing. You’re just in a full season. And God meets people in full seasons too. Breathe mamas! We've made it halfway!