There are moments when my emotions spike so fast it scares me.
One small comment.
One unexpected change.
One loud noise.
And suddenly I feel like I’m drowning inside my own body.
It used to make me question myself constantly.
Why am I reacting like this?
Why can’t I just stay stable?
But I’ve started to see overwhelm differently.
It’s not weakness.
It’s accumulation.
When I’m overstimulated for hours or days, my system doesn’t gently warn me. It explodes. And in that state, I try to fix everything immediately. I want to send the message. Make the decision. Clean the house. Repair the relationship. Quit the job. Change my whole life.
But I’ve learned one rule the hard way:
Never make life decisions while dysregulated.
Now, when I feel the spike, I don’t analyze.
I interrupt.
I change rooms.
I wash my hands in cold water.
I step outside.
I breathe slower on the exhale.
I don’t ask myself to understand the emotion.
I just give my body space to settle.
Ten minutes can change the entire trajectory of a day.
Overwhelm used to define me.
Now it’s a signal.
A signal that I need recovery, not self-criticism.
And when I treat it that way, I come back to myself faster.