“Too Much!”
We all process sensory information in our own unique way. For me, I identify as someone who is very sensory sensitive. When I was a kid, I was referred to as a “tip-toe walker” around the house, as I didn’t like the feeling of my whole foot on the ground.
Toothpaste was too spicy. The sound of crowds made it hard for me to think and speak.
Tantrums were a daily occurrence (which reflecting now, I wholeheartedly believe were due to an overwhelmed, unregulated sensory system).
The world felt like…too much.
Some of my sensitivities have grown less abrasive as I’ve aged, but there are still many things that feel like “too much” to my sensory system:
-The rough feeling of wool sweaters and wool blankets.
-Making eye contact for extended periods of time (my whole body feels like it wants to escape).
-I can’t look at a mesh strainer without getting chills at the thought of how it feels when I hand wash it. I have to hold my breath and bite my tongue while I scrub it.
-The act of pulling the kitchen faucet handle out from it’s spot literally HURTS my body. The best way I can describe it is it feels like a jolt of electricity starting from my shoulders, down my back.
-Tight clothes (elastic at my ankles or the hair salon cape around my neck) are incredibly overwhelming and I have to cut all sweatpants and tight socks.
-Pedicures are my nightmare. I had one and vowed to never have another ever again. The constant pain-slash-ticklish feeling sent me spiraling.
If you’ve ever felt like there are things in our environment that are too much, you are not alone.
As a kid, I would have benefitted from the book, “Too Much!: An Overwhelming Day” (written by Jolene Gutiérrez & Illustrated by Angel Chang) to help me realize that I’m not weird for feeling the way I feel and that there are ways we can create accommodations and hone in on strategies to help regulate our systems. For me, it’s wearing soft clothing (mega bonus if they don’t have a tag!), using the pasta strainer instead of the mesh one, helping spread awareness about why eye contact can be painful for myself (and for many of the folks with whom I’ve worked) and never forcing or expecting someone to maintain it.
Hot showers, listening to calming music, or walks outside are my three go-tos for when my system is overwhelmed. (I’ve also been known to sit on the recliner with the lights off and a blanket over my head.)
As the rhyme in this book states, “When feelings go on overload, I pause and breathe and all is slowed."
I created a melody for “Too Much”, and the demo is available to Singable Book Club members, along with three visual downloads: a calming strategy board, prompts for talking about what might feel like “too much” to our sensory systems, and a sensory awareness checklist.
Find this book through Abrams Appleseed publishing.
