What overwhelm looks like for me: Because it still happens sometimes even with a good routine

Originally published on Medium

I need to brain dump my thoughts onto paper daily at first and then multiple times a day (but I don’t save the paper).

I think so loudly that I miss what’s happening around me.

I bump into more objects and lose track of where my limbs are.

My brain is busy when I try to sleep and is still going when I wake up.

My stomach is tense and my breaths are shallow.

Video is overstimulating reading is overstimulating I’m under stimulated inactivity is somehow overstimulating.

I need multiple lists and reminders to remember what I’m doing.

I’m stressed by

everything.

And I don’t notice all this until I finally remember to

stop

take a deep breath

and then I realize: Oh. I’m overwhelmed