I know I'm overwhelmed when...

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Over the years I have learned to be aware of the tale tale signs when I start to get overwhelmed, which if I'm not mindfully attentive lead to meltdowns and shutdowns.

For example, I know I could be starting to get overwhelmed when:

▪️ I start shallow breathing

▪️ When OCD attempts to control people,
places and things.

▪️ When I become overtaken with what I call
the DOSi's:
Distraction
Over-thinking
Speeding up
Irritability

Being attentive of the above help me to live creatively with my sensory issues, PTSD and generally help me "be" more in the world and less overwhelmed by it.

I'm curious what things bring to your attention that you are becoming overwhelmed and invite you to share them here.

Wishing you all well.

Hi quaker,

Usually i get a bit of a headache when i have been overwhelmed the past hour.

Also I have learned to recognize my anger whenever too much stuff didn't go as planned.
Kind of before i start acting irritated towards other people. Which is really helpfull.

Lastly when i start focusing on specific things instead of letting everything in, its a clue that I have had too much.

Ha

I know I'm overwhelmed when...well, when I'm feeling overwhelmed I suppose. Usually I feel impatient and inwardly angry when overwhelmed. This usually occurs in supermarkets where it's busy and there are too many noisy kids and babies everywhere, or people standing in my personal space making me feel like I'm in the way. I also get overwhelmed by too much traffic on the road at rush hour.

But usually it's just the noise and energy of babies and children (who I don't know) that overwhelm me in public. That's when I have to consciously mask and pretend like I'm not overwhelmed, as parents take it extremely personally when you show any signs of annoyance to their offspring.

I start snapping at people and then I know I need to step back because others don't need to be snapped at because i am overwhelmed.

If there are no people around to snap at (this would happen mostly in work-related calls) I find myself beginning to have thoughts about how hopeless I am, how stupid, how worthless. That's a sure fire sign I need to take a break and likely sleep.

I used to have to refer to a list of emotions to try to pick out what I was feeling. The first one I figured out on my own was that if my car was going 10 kph faster than usual, I was angry.

I have a damaged vestibular system. (inner ear) When I get overloaded I lose my balance and start falling like a marionette puppet with it's strings cut.