#3 - I’m Losing It with the Kids
How to Regulate When Everything Feels Like Too Much
What You’ll Find in This Module:
✔️ A recording of the teaching portion (no group sharing included)
✔️ A written breakdown of the session so you can revisit the key pieces
✔️ Journal + art prompts to explore in your own time, at your own pace
Why Overstimulation and Mom Rage Happen (and Why They Don’t Make You a Bad Mom)
You love your kids. You would do anything for them.
And yet, there are days when you feel like you’re about to lose your mind.
Maybe it’s the noise - the whining, the endless “mom, mom, mom.”
Maybe it’s the touch - the sticky hands, the climbing, the constant physical presence.
Maybe it’s the mental load - trying to cook dinner while breaking up fights, while answering a text, while also remembering that you forgot to pay that bill.
It’s all too much, and suddenly, you’re snapping, yelling, or shutting down completely.
This is overstimulation. It’s a nervous system response, not a personal failure.
What’s Happening in Your Brain?
When you experience sensory overload, your brain perceives it as a threat - even if it’s just your kids asking for snacks. Your nervous system kicks into fight-or-flight mode:
Fight: You snap, yell, or lash out.
Flight: You feel the urge to leave, hide, or shut down emotionally.
Freeze: You mentally check out, feeling numb or distant.
You are not alone in this. Research shows that:
Mom rage is common - 80% of mothers admit to experiencing moments of anger and frustration that feel out of control.
Overstimulation is heightened in parents with ADHD, anxiety, or past trauma.
Chronic overstimulation leads to burnout and emotional exhaustion, making self-regulation harder over time.
The problem is that we weren’t taught how to regulate our emotions while being responsible for tiny humans who push all our buttons.
This module isn’t about forcing yourself to be “calm” all the time (because, let’s be real, that’s impossible). It’s about understanding your triggers, recognizing when your nervous system is overwhelmed, and finding ways to regulate before you explode.
We are flipping the script from “I’m an angry mom” to “I’m a mom with unmet needs who deserves support.”
🧠 Brain Dump Sentence Stems
When I think about feeling overstimulated,
I think I should...
I think I shouldn't...
I would like to...
I do not want to...
I feel...
I need...
I want...
🧘♀️ Meditation: “The Eye of the Storm”
Close your eyes. Breathe deeply.
Imagine a storm - a powerful, chaotic storm with roaring winds and crashing waves.
This storm is everything you feel when you’re overwhelmed. The noise. The chaos. The endless demands. The weight of responsibility.
But now, shift your focus. Move inward.
At the center of every storm, there is a calm, still place - the eye of the storm. A place where everything is quiet.
Now, imagine yourself standing in the eye of your own storm. The chaos is still there, swirling around you. But you are not the storm. You are the calm in the center of it.
Breathe in - feeling that calm expand within you.
Breathe out - letting go of the tension in your body.
You don’t have to control the storm. You just have to find your center.
Take another deep breath, feeling yourself anchored. Grounded. Capable. Safe.
And when you’re ready, open your eyes.
🎨 Art & Written Journal Prompts
1. Art Prompt: “Eye of the Storm"
Create a visual representation of your calm center within the chaos. Using any materials available:
Draw/paint the swirling emotions and sensations that overwhelm you on the outside
Create a distinct peaceful center representing your grounded self
2. Art Prompt: “Mapping My Overstimulation”
💡 Supplies: Paper, colored pencils, markers, crayons.
Draw a body outline (or trace your hand).
Use colors and shapes to show where you feel overstimulation in your body.
Does your chest feel tight?
Does your head feel like it’s buzzing?
Do your hands clench?
Label what each area holds.
“My shoulders hold the weight of responsibility.”
“My jaw clenches when I hold in my frustration.”
Now, draw something next to your body that represents calm.
Maybe it’s water.
Maybe it’s soft colors.
Maybe it’s an image of yourself resting.
Look at both parts of your drawing - the overwhelm and the calm - and reflect: What helps me shift from one to the other?
2. Written Prompt: “The Version of Me That Feels Calm”
💡 Supplies: Journal or blank paper.
Write about a time when you felt peaceful - even if it was just for a moment.
What were you doing?
What did your body feel like?
What helped you feel that way?
How can you create more of those moments, even in small ways?
3. Written Prompt: “Rewriting My Overwhelm Story”
💡 Supplies: Journal or blank paper.
Write down a recent moment when you lost your patience.
Now, instead of judging yourself, write about it with self-compassion.
What led up to that moment?
What was really happening inside you?
What would you say to a friend who felt this way?
Rewrite the story:
Instead of “I exploded because I’m a bad mom,” try “I had a hard moment because I was overwhelmed. I can learn from this and be kinder to myself next time.”
🔍 Reflection Questions
What strategies help you recognize early signs of sensory overload?
How can you create small moments of peace within chaos?
What's one reframe you'll use next time you feel overwhelmed?
💡 Key Takeaway for This Module:
Your nervous system is not working against you - it’s just overloaded. And you are allowed to find ways to regulate before you hit your breaking point.
🔥 Want to keep going? This week, notice the early signs of overstimulation in your body. When you catch them, PAUSE. Breathe. Step away if you can. Even 10 seconds of grounding can shift everything
