When Everything Is Too Loud, Including Your Own Skin

It hits fast.

You’re doing okay - holding it together with snacks and sarcasm. And then suddenly, everything is too much.

👣 Someone’s feet are touching you. Constantly.
🦖 The baby is squawking like a pterodactyl.
📱 A notification goes off and your nervous system thinks the house is under attack.
🍽️ You’re trying to remember dinner while someone asks why frogs don’t blink sideways.

Your shoulders are tight. Your head buzzes.
You want to scream, but there’s nowhere to go.
You’re overstimulated — and you’re still the adult in the room.

📣 Here’s the Thing About Overstimulation...

If you’ve never felt it, you might not recognize it.

It’s not always loud or dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like snappiness or sudden silence.
Sometimes it’s pulling away from touch.
Sometimes it’s zoning out mid-conversation.
Sometimes it’s crying in the pantry and not knowing why.

Overstimulation isn’t about being fragile —
it’s what happens when your nervous system hits capacity.
And in a world of constant noise, notifications, and tiny hands reaching for you,
that doesn’t take long.

It’s not drama, it’s biology

Overstimulation triggers the same system as a panic attack —
your body thinks you're under threat.

What’s actually happening?
🧠 Your amygdala, the brain’s alarm system, kicks into high gear.
🫀 Your sympathetic nervous system floods your body with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
💥 Your sensory processing system (especially in neurodivergent brains) is overloaded — so even minor input like background noise, touch, or light feels intense.

Your heart races. Your muscles tense.
You might feel dizzy, trapped, hot, or angry — even if nothing "big" is happening.

You’re not being dramatic. You’re not broken.
Your nervous system is doing its job.
It’s just reacting to too much — not something wrong.

And in a world of open-concept chaos, background screens, and kids asking 42 questions before 9am,
your brain’s threat system doesn’t always know the difference between a tiger and a tantrum.

This isn’t about being calm.
It’s about sending a signal to your body that you’re safe.
And sometimes, that starts with an ice cube and five seconds of breathing.

🧊 The Nervous System Reboot (That Lives in Your Freezer)

Here’s a trick my therapist gave me that actually works:

➡️ Grab an ice cube.
Hold it in your hand. Press it to your wrist or neck.
Run cold water over your face.
Let the cold interrupt the noise in your body.

It won’t solve the chaos —
but it cuts the volume just enough to find your way back to yourself.

Alternative option: SMASH THEM

Seriously. Go outside and smash those little frozen cubes of water. It’s a release. It’s also one your kids can join in on while you fight off the inner rage demons.

If you’ve ever cried because your sock seam was wrong —
Hi. You’re my people. 🧠💥

Tell me:
What’s your reset button when you’re overstimulated?
Ice? Silence? Rage vacuuming?

Let’s build a list of what works — because we all need an exit ramp sometimes.

Talk soon,
Tara
CEO of Chaos & Co.