Session 3: "Touched Out & Tuned Out" - When Your Brain is Screaming for Everything to STOP
Welcome back, or welcome if this is your first time live with us. However you made it here today - whether you're feeling refreshed or completely fried - we welcome you.
So last Tuesday, I was sitting at the dinner table trying to eat. My just-6-year-old was trying to wriggle into my lap, my older kid was asking me seventeen questions about Pokemon, and my partner was telling me about their day. Everyone needed something from me at the exact same moment, and I just wanted to eat my food while it was still warm.
And then my youngest started climbing into my lap while I had a fork halfway to my mouth. And something in my brain just... snapped. Not angry snapped, but overwhelmed snapped. Like a circuit breaker had been tripped.
I slammed my hands on the table and said - maybe a little too loudly - "Everyone needs to be quiet for 30 seconds."
The look on their faces. Like I'd announced I was moving to Mars.
But you know what? I wasn't being mean. I wasn't being a bad mom. My nervous system had hit its limit for sensory input, and it was trying to protect all of us by asking for a moment to reset.
Does this sound familiar? That moment when your brain is literally screaming for everything to just STOP? When you feel like you cannot handle one more person touching you, talking to you, or needing something from you?
Today we're going to explore what's actually happening in those moments - and why it's completely normal.
↓ WATCH THE RECORDING OR SCROLL DOWN TO READ ↓
Gentle Check-In
Before we go deeper, let's just notice what's happening in your body right now.
Think about the last time you felt "touched out" or completely overwhelmed by everyone needing something from you at once. What does that feel like in your body? Maybe buzzy and agitated, or tight and protective, or like you want to crawl out of your skin.
Just notice, without trying to change anything. How does sensory overwhelm show up for you?
Write the beginnings of these sentences and finish them with your very first thought:
When there's a lot happening around me, my body...
The sounds and sensations of a busy household make me feel...
When I need space, I usually...
My ideal environment for feeling calm would include...
Something that always helps me reset is...
And when you think about those moments when your brain is screaming for everything to stop, what comes up? Maybe guilt about needing space? Maybe fear that you're being selfish? All of that makes complete sense.
A Different Way to Look at This
I want to offer you a completely different way to think about those "touched out" moments.
What if your brain saying "STOP" isn't a personal failing or a sign that you're not cut out for motherhood? What if it's actually your nervous system doing exactly what it's designed to do - recognizing when you've reached capacity and trying to prevent overwhelm before it becomes unsafe?
Think about it: when you're overstimulated, you're more likely to snap, make mistakes, or feel completely disconnected from yourself and your family. Your nervous system knows this. So it starts sending signals: "We need space. We need quiet. We need to reset."
Your body is actually trying to keep everyone safe - including your kids. Because a regulated mother is a safer mother.
What if your need for space isn't selfish - it's your nervous system trying to keep everyone safe?
Today we're going to explore what it feels like to honor those signals instead of pushing through them.
Guided Visualization: Finding Your Sensory Limits
Before we start, write down what you hope to understand about how overwhelm shows up in your body.
↓ LISTEN OR READ THIS SCRIPT ↓
If you're willing, get comfortable and take a few breaths with me. Or soften your gaze if closing your eyes doesn't feel right.
Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Notice your chest rising and falling. Keep breathing until you feel settled in your body.
Think about a recent time when you felt "touched out" or completely overwhelmed by everyone needing something from you. Not the worst time, just a regular overwhelming moment. Let that memory come back. As you do, notice what happens in your body right now, just thinking about it.
Put your attention on those places in your body where you feel this overwhelm. Maybe your skin feels buzzy, or your shoulders pull up tight, or your chest feels heavy. Maybe you want to pull away or make yourself smaller. Just notice where overwhelm lives in your body.
Imagine what this overwhelmed feeling would look like if it was a picture, color, or shape. Don't think about it - just let your body show you.
Now move your attention to your heart area. Take your time getting there. Breathe into that space.
When you can feel your attention resting in your heart, ask what your body actually needs when it feels this overwhelmed. What would space and calm feel like in your body? Let a picture or symbol come to you that shows what your nervous system needs to feel settled.
When you see what that looks like, gently open your eyes.
Creative Practice - Your Choice
Pick whatever feels most accessible to you today - based on what energy you have, what supplies are handy, or just what calls to you.
🎨 Option 1: Draw Your Body's Experience
Use whatever materials you have to draw the two images from the meditation - how overwhelm feels in your body, and what your body needs to feel calm. Maybe use different colors, textures, or shapes to show the contrast. There's no right way to do this.
🖊️ Option 2: Write About What Your Body Told You
Let yourself write about what you discovered during the meditation.
Where did you feel the overwhelm?
What did those sensations look like as images?
What symbol came for what your body needs?
How was it different to experience this through your body instead of just your thoughts?
Remember - this isn't about making something beautiful. It's about processing what your body showed you about overwhelm and your need for space.
Take 10-12 minutes with whichever option you chose.
Journal Practice: What Did You Notice?
Take a moment to look at what you created, or think about what came up for you.
What are you most curious about or most interested in?
What part of the process was most difficult, emotional, or fun for you?
What I hear from people is how much their bodies already know exactly what overwhelm feels like and what they need when it happens. Your nervous system isn't broken when it asks for space. It's working perfectly - trying to protect you and everyone around you.
What You Discovered Today
Look what you did today. You honored your body's signals about sensory overwhelm instead of just pushing through them. You gave yourself permission to explore what "touched out" actually means physically, not just mentally.
You discovered that your need for space isn't a character flaw - it's your nervous system giving you important information about your limits. And you learned to ask your body directly what it needs to feel settled instead of just hoping the overwhelm will go away.
You explored the difference between ignoring your physical boundaries and actually working with them. Maybe you realized your body has been trying to tell you something important all along.
Here's something to remember: your kids are watching how you treat your own physical needs. When you model that it's okay to listen to your body when it's overwhelmed, you're teaching them that their physical signals matter too.
What if being "touched out" isn't something to push through, but something your body is telling you for good reasons? What if honoring those signals isn't selfish, but responsible?
Next Week: Session 4: "WHO THE F AM I?" - Searching for the Human Behind the Mom
That moment when you realize you've been so focused on everyone else's needs that you've lost track of your own identity. We'll explore what it means to be both a devoted mother AND a whole person with your own wants, dreams, and needs.
Something to Take With You
Think about how you might honor what your body showed you this week. What's one small way you could listen to those physical signals before they start screaming?
Write for a few minutes: "When I notice overwhelm starting in my body, instead of pushing through, I could try..."
Maybe it's taking three deep breaths when you feel your shoulders tense up. Maybe it's stepping outside when you notice that buzzy feeling starting. Maybe it's teaching your kids that "Mommy's body needs a quiet moment" is a normal thing to say.
Whatever your body told you it needs, trust that.
Questions to carry with you this week:
What would change if you trusted what your body tells you about your limits?
How might you teach your family that your physical needs matter too - that honoring them keeps everyone safer?
What's one early body signal you could pay attention to before you hit the wall?
These are just invitations, not assignments. Your body knows what it needs.
