overstimulation

overstimulation (mental health) ~ overload of one’s nervous system.

types

• sensory (/physical)
  • sounds, lights, textures, pressure (+information?)
• emotional
  • intense emotions, conflicting emotions, “bottling up” emotions
• social
  • excessive period of socialization, masking, the need to read social cues
• multiple or everything at once

(possible) accommodations

for everything (quick method)

1. stimming
2. put yo damn phone down

sensory

1. change clothes (more loose, soft, free)
2. wash hands
3. rinse face
4. earplugs / earphones / noise-cancelling headphones
5. warm, soft light / natural darkness (not closed windows)
6. controlled ambient background sound OR full quiet
7. 🌲 pause receiving new information, sit with what you already have

emotional

paradoxically, but sometimes it happens simultaneously with physical understimulation and needs to be balanced

1. easy and fast way to talk about / write down / describe emotions
   • voice notes, talking with someone, quick digital notes, using free-form journal or piece of paper
2. artistic and indirect ways to express emotions
   • drawing abstract forms, colors
3. repetitive, relatively simple process
   • knitting, weaving, drawing patterns
4. with caution: intellectual distraction
   • videos, letsplays, no-brain videogames

social

1. stop / pause interaction
2. fully alone time
3. paradoxical
   • be around strangers rather than familiar people
   • or be around safe person(s)

see also

• understimulation

references

• my damn life