Sensory Overload - Shae, Unmasked | Practical Tools for Neurodivergent Moms

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Sensory Overload

A collection of 9 posts

Fresh start pressure and New Year demands that trigger pathological demand avoidance in neurodivergent adults

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

Why “Fresh Start” Energy Triggers PDA (And What to Do Instead)

New Year's pressure lands like a demand on your already overloaded nervous system. If you have PDA, that "fresh start" hype doesn't motivate—it repels. Here's why January feels like a threat, and the gentler ways to navigate it without internal war.

Black woman with curly hair smiling joyfully—accepting neurodivergent traits instead of trying to fix them for ADHD and autistic moms

Things I'm Not Fixing About Myself This Year

Some things aren't broken — they're just neurodivergent. Here's the list of traits you can stop trying to fix, improve, or optimize. Not everything about you needs to change, despite what wellness culture says.

Woman in winter coat holding snowball in falling snow—surviving January's sensory overload and cold weather as a neurodivergent ADHD mom

Why You're Allowed to Hate January (And What to Do About It)

Everyone's doing "new year energy" and you're out here just trying to survive. January is sensory hell, routine chaos, and pressure you didn't ask for. Here's how to get through it without pretending you're thriving.

Overwhelmed mom sitting up in bed at sunrise, wrapped in a blanket and staring out a large window, feeling anxious before the day starts.

Sensory Regulation

Overstimulated Before Breakfast: Why You Wake Up Fried (And What to Actually Do)

You wake up and your nervous system is already at a six. No phone, no crying baby — just pure sensory overload hell before you're even vertical. Here is the forensic data on why AuDHD brains don't "reset" overnight and the triage steps to survive the morning.

Woman in gray towel wrap and dark loungewear relaxing by window with soft natural light and plants, representing post-holiday rest and recovery for neurodivergent moms

The Post-Holiday Burnout Recovery Guide for ND Moms: What to Do When You’ve Hit Empty

The holidays ask more than your nervous system can give. By the time everyone’s gone, you feel hollowed out and weirdly buzzy. This guide helps you understand post-holiday autistic burnout and set up a low-demand January that respects your actual capacity as an ND mom.

A mother and child in Santa hats doing a simple Christmas craft at a table. Image promotes a holiday survival guide for neurodivergent moms who need low-effort, sensory-friendly ideas.

Holiday Gift Planning

20 Easy Kid-Made Christmas Gifts (Designed for Moms With Zero Craft Energy)

A realistic, low-demand guide to kid-made Christmas gifts your toddler can actually make—without you becoming Pinterest’s unpaid intern. Zero perfection, minimal mess, sensory-friendly, and built for moms whose December executive function has left the chat.

Exhausted mother lying face down on hardwood floor with young child in background - overwhelmed mom experiencing sensory overload and feeling touched out

Sensory Overload

Touched Out: A Sensory Ranking for Moms Who Are One Shriek Away From Transcending

Sometimes your baby does something innocent—like placing their damp mouth on your arm—and your entire nervous system screams. Being touched out isn't about love. It's about your sensory system reaching capacity. Here's my ranking of baby sensory experiences that make my autistic brain tap out.

Woman with glasses resting head on hand, looking exhausted on couch in messy living room - representing mom burnout and invisible mental load

Why Neurodivergent Mom Brain Feels Overloaded — Even on Days That Look “Easy”

Why does a “calm” day with your baby still leave you completely flattened? It’s not the visible work—it’s the invisible cognitive load your brain carries all day. Here’s what’s actually happening inside mom brain, why neurodivergent moms feel it more intensely, and how to start lightening it.

Family clinking glasses at a crowded holiday dinner table — bright lights, strong colors, and lots of sensory input.

Holiday Boundaries

The ND Mom’s Guide to Holiday Boundaries: Scripts for When You’re Overstimulated and Everyone Wants Something

Holiday gatherings hit different when you’re neurodivergent. Here are boundary scripts for when you’re overstimulated, touched out, and your brain has clocked out—but people still expect you to perform. No explanations required.