After a wonderfully fun afternoon with my husband and two little girls playing bowling and in a play centre, I was elated. I was also completely frazzled from the noise, lights, and all round sensory stimulation. It was time to find some balance. We all needed it. So I put on the girls’ favourite movie and I took a few minutes to myself to calm my nervous system. While my husband was downstairs, I washed my face with some soothing warm water, popped in my ear plugs, lit some candles, and did a few minutes of breathing. Voila… I felt the dust settle and I had energy restored for the rest of the evening routine. No cranky, inpatient Mammy!
Erica Layne, the founder of the Life on Purpose Movement, talks about finding a rhythm between Noise & Engagement and Quiet & Independence. This really resonated with me on how important this is for those of us with the sensitivity trait to ensure we get time to restore after we feel overstimulated. Or better yet, routinely BEFORE you get overstimulated!
Thinking of it as a rhythm or a flow between give and take helped me to prioritise taking those few little minutes to focus on Quiet & Independence and it worked wonders.
What’s your current flow or do you yo-yo between extremes of giving and complete overstimulation and burnout?
How can you gently start to find a more effective and soothing rhythm in your give and take? Start small. Observe what works and what doesn’t, and remember that it’s all information that guides you towards understanding yourself and your needs better so that you can thrive and show up in the best ways ✨
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