over stimulation solutions

[thejuice]

How do you calm down anxiety from over stimulation?

Im listening to my favourite music whilst watching a nature video on youtube on mute, seems to be helping!

 

[vergil96]

I leave asap and try not to be in such situations

 

[Rodafina]

Quiet, dark room
Steady fan
Noise cancelling headphones
Eyes closed and covered

Had an intense day, so I'm about to do all that right now, actually.

 

[MNAus]

Factorio, OpenTTD or Dyson Sphere Program

 

[Gerontius]

Not owning a smartphone, going for a walk to the grocery store through the forest, playing music on the pump-organ, pet the kitty cat on the couch or in the armchair in the evenings, listening to a nice radio show with the volume turned down, drink some tea or coffee, go bird-watching, pray/meditate, do a thinking exercise, do a breathing exercise, stretch, relax, lie on the bed with the electric fan on.

 

[AspieChris]

I used alcohol for many years.

In moderation it was a blessing. But it easily became the new problem.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

In the situation itself and I can't leave: fidget with a ring or a bracelet (or, in an emergency, anything I have on me), rub my skin, retreat somewhere more quiet (e.g. the bathroom), start humming, put on headphones and listen to something familiar (music, audio book, podcast), start crying if I'm unlucky

If I can leave: go someplace more quiet, do the things above

If I can: go home, retreat to a quiet room by myself, curl up and press something to myself (like a big plush animal), stay like that until most of the tension eases

And afterwards, watching a TV series I like often helps

 

[AspieChris]

Actually, wearing one earplug helped me for a while. It was just distracting enough that I focused on it instead of everything else in the room, allowed me still to hear conversations through my non-plugged ear, and drastically turned down my directional hearing to where I wasn’t immersed in an ocean of sounds.

 

[tjlxlh]

Bracelets with things on them to maintain calmness.

Otherwise to avoid a meltdown, usually just leaving
or dissociating until someone waves me out of it works pretty good. Might not be the healthiest for relationships but

 

[Neri]

I stay home a lot. I try to get as much alone time as I can. Tap stimming or other stims," stinging" (singing as stimming), watching movies or youtube. Sometimes patting my cat helps. Also vegetables, eating them, that is.

 

[thejuice]

I love ambient jazz and metal but I'm trying to listen to more melodic music so I have more earworms to sing.

 

[vergil96]

I think it's also good not to get yourself as overstimulated in the first place. I don't like going to crowded noisy places, and I try not to. Most things can be done avoiding shopping malls in hours when they're crowded, loud music, weird fashing lights, stuffy rooms, weird intense smells. I don't like cinema, amusement parks or anything of this sort. Many things can be done or bought online. You can meet new people online too, look for events and later meet someone IRL on those events or meet someone from a local online group. If I go to a shopping mall or a supermarket, earplugs or ANC headphones help a lot. Going shopping in less attended hours is less stressful too. Some things such as exercising can be done at home or alone like running. I can't hear much in noisy environments and get very distracted from conversations, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. You can use other sensory aids too, I personally find noise to be the largest issue, but some autistic people wear sunglasses or tinted glasses indoors, I've also seen someone write they carry a scented piece of material in case the smell is overwhelming for them. I would use a regular tissue instead, but I didn't have to yet, apart from a disposable face mask on a long ride with an underground train during peak hours. Some people say stim toys help them distract and release some tension too. For me they're nice to carry around and fidget with, but don't do much in terms of overstimulation.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I think it's also good not to get yourself as overstimulated in the first place. I don't like going to crowded noisy places, and I try not to. Most things can be done avoiding shopping malls in hours when they're crowded, loud music, weird fashing lights, stuffy rooms, weird intense smells. I don't like cinema, amusement parks or anything of this sort. Many things can be done or bought online. You can meet new people online too, look for events and later meet someone IRL on those events or meet someone from a local online group. If I go to a shopping mall or a supermarket, earplugs or ANC headphones help a lot. Going shopping in less attended hours is less stressful too. Some things such as exercising can be done at home or alone like running. I can't hear much in noisy environments and get very distracted from conversations, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. You can use other sensory aids too, I personally find noise to be the largest issue, but some autistic people wear sunglasses or tinted glasses indoors, I've also seen someone write they carry a scented piece of material in case the smell is overwhelming for them. I would use a regular tissue instead, but I didn't have to yet, apart from a disposable face mask on a long ride with an underground train during peak hours. Some people say stim toys help them distract and release some tension too. For me they're nice to carry around and fidget with, but don't do much in terms of overstimulation.

That's absolutely right. However, I often feel that that's not easy. There are many situations I can enjoy a lot, but that are very overstimulating on bad days, and often I can't tell beforehand what it's going to be. For example: parties, conventions, shopping, markets, concerts, meetings with friends.
I don't want to avoid such situations altogether because they can give me great joy and fun. For me, it's more about trying to figure out whether I have the energy for it that day, and to notice as early as possible when I get overstimulated while I'm there.

 

[vergil96]

There are many situations I can enjoy a lot, but that are very overstimulating on bad days, and often I can't tell beforehand what it's going to be. For example: parties, conventions, shopping, markets, concerts, meetings with friends.

Oh, yes, it happens sometimes even if you're trying to avoid it.

and to notice as early as possible when I get overstimulated while I'm there.

That's another good technique.

I feel like not all parties or social events are like that, though, it really depends on many factors that might or might not be predictable. Parties - it depends on circumstances. I definitely hate clubbing. Nothing pleasant about it. Party at someone's house or outside, I went to a picnic not long ago - it can be fun. But it can be not fun if friends decide to go to an amusement park or to cram 30 people in a "microapartment" and/or play loud music. Some more intimate concerts can be fun, but other with over 1000 people on the plate won't be no matter what.

I would also try to spare the spoons for the fun activities and not overstimulate myself unneccesarily when many things can be done without doing so.

 

[AspieChris]

Then there’s having a job. All of the unpleasant things and people at work, where you just have to suck it up, and over-stimulation is everywhere. And just when I have figured out a routine that I can handle, something usually changes that destroys any hope of internal peace.

Work is 8 hours and I spend 7:59 of the day wishing it was quitting time.