Why Winter is Hard for Overstimulated Moms & Simple Shifts to Help

Winter can feel especially hard for overstimulated moms — but that doesn’t mean you're lazy or there's something wrong.

In this episode, I share sensory-based ways to support your body and nervous system during winter without pushing through or forcing productivity.

From a sensory and nervous system perspective, winter brings:

•  less light
•  more time indoors
•  disrupted routines
• ...and increased demands 

All of which can make regulation harder!  Join me to learn simple shifts toward warmth, gentle movement, rest, and compassion. All so you can find more joy & connection in your chaotic days.

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The internet is full of advice, but what if you had ONE next step to focus on? That's what your free Next Best Step consultation is all about-- less "shoulds" and more peace. Book yours here. 

This podcast is not meant as medical advice or a substitute for any medical advice. Please contact your health professional with any mental health or physical health questions or concerns.

Transcript

Hey there. Welcome back to the sensational moms Podcast. I'm Whitney, a homeschool mom of four kids and a nervous system coach for overstimulated moms just like you. Here we talk about practical, doable ways to take care of yourself and your kids without guilt, pressure and chaos. I am passionate about helping moms enjoy their kids most days. Every other week, I meet you here to share tips, encouragement and some tiny shifts that can actually fit into your day, because being a mom does not have to feel like a constant nervous system reset. Winter definitely asks something different from each of us, and I think that we feel that as moms, but we don't always trust that feeling, especially here, where we live in hustle culture, even down here in Georgia, where it does not really get that cold, if I'm being honest with you, and it doesn't really get that dark, I still feel it. We notice that we feel more tired, right? We're less motivated, and the kids feel louder. The days seem longer. Somehow, even though there's less sunlight, and instead of thinking, okay, my body is just adjusting to winter, we tend to jump to this sort of self judgment and wonder, What is wrong with me. And it's definitely counter cultural to be slowing down, especially right now in the season of New Year's resolutions, right? So today, we are talking about supporting your body and your nervous system in winter, not trying to fix it, and not trying to push a reset button, like we talked about last week, and definitely not pushing through like business as usual, okay? Instead, we're going to talk about responding to what winter is already probably demanding from you. Today, we're going to talk about the needs that we have in winter, because winter is not a failure of your nervous system regulation, okay? It's just a season of different needs, so let's talk about what those needs are in some fairly simple ways to honor those needs, because you can weather winter. I know, no pun intended, right? Okay. Why is winter so hard? Anyway? Okay, I'm just gonna get to it really from a sensory perspective, since that is my forte as an occupational therapist, and let's just analyze it a bit that way. Okay, clearly we are in side more. Okay, you're inside more, and you are going to notice mess more, because you're inside more, and then when you're in that mess, you're also experiencing the post holiday crash, right? That's one of the reasons why, come February, a lot of us as homeschoolers are second guessing all of our life's decisions. Okay, we're in this post holiday crash, and maybe on top of that, you're sick, and sickness can be a little extra dysregulating For some of us as moms and for some of our kids, not to mention if any of that sickness has some stomach stuff going on with it, or if it is just a cold that will not go away, like we had a couple of years ago, it was a little worse than the average cold that wouldn't Go away, and I feel like I was hearing kids deal with snot and making terrible sounds all day, every day, like even to the point of hearing it in my nightmares, it was terrible, the throat clearing all of that stuff okay, so that can be dysregulating for us when we feel like, okay, We should be caring for our kids, but this is over the top. Okay? So sickness can push us there, or our kids sickness can push us there. We definitely feel more isolated, right? And so if we're not intentional about getting that meaningful time with other adults, then that CO regulation can be missing from our life, and we could really be feeling it. So on top of all of that, there's routine adjustments. Here we are staring down January and coming back from again being kind of off schedule. You know, maybe your kids are sleeping later, which. Talk about here in a minute as well, about how our sleep needs change, and maybe you're still like trying to force yourselves into productivity, hospital culture and trying to wake up early, even though everyone's needing more rest, and it can just feel a little extra out of control. Okay, I would love to hear what is extra dysregulating for you, or why you think that winter might be a little more challenging. Join in the conversation over with me on Instagram at Sensational moms. Surely I am not alone in this. Okay, so the first thing that I want you to be mindful of to support yourself during winter is using weighted things and warmth. So weight and warmth, I know I love alliterations, okay. Why does this matter? Okay, we're going to start with something super basic. Well, let's just start with the weight with warmth. Okay, so in winter, your body definitely spends more energy just trying to stay warm, even when you're cold, even if it's just mildly cold, your nervous system is going to stay more alert and it works harder in the background of everything else that is probably also demanding your alertness, like your kids going crazy because you're stuck inside. Yeah. So warmth can help you counteract that quite a bit. Warmth definitely matters, and you can use it really easily in everyday ways, right? So be mindful of what you're wearing in the house. Again, even if you live in kind of a warmish place like we do, we try not to run our heat a whole lot because that circulated air just isn't super healthy for us. We try to keep it fairly cool, especially at night. So lean into making sure that you are actually dressing warm. Even in your house, some nice cozy wool socks can go a long way to helping you stay warm. And when you go outside, you might think, okay, I can tough it. I'm just going to the mailbox. No, like you staying warm really matters. Okay? So dress yourself like you would tell your kids to dress themselves and stay warm. Wear a comfy sweater. I have two sweaters that you'll probably see me living in if I'm not in my bathroom, that is this winter when I'm hanging out on social media, and I just recycle them, because it's kind of like my comfort blanket in sweater form, your nervous system is going to stay on high alert if you're staying cold. So try to don't get cold. Stay warm. Put nice cozy blankets all over the house.

On top of thinking about warmth, think about weight or deep pressure, like the kind that you would get from a weighted blanket, which maybe you've heard of that for kids or seen them marketed even toward adults more in the last few years. Yes, you could use a weighted blanket. I think the recommendation is about 10% of your body weight as the max, which is pretty heavy for an adult. Okay, you don't have to use a weighted blanket, though. You could use heavy quilts. I actually have a denim blanket that I commandeered for my husband. My mother in law made it for him when he was graduating high school, and it's mine now, because the denim is cool, which is really nice in summer, and it's also heavy, so having that weight helps you feel calm. Why is that? Because deep pressure releases oxytocin. Oxytocin helps your nervous system shift back down into that safe rest and digest, you know, feeling connected, kind of state, it tells you you are supported and you're safe and everything's okay, right? Yes, hugs and snuggles and things like that can also help out. But if you ever feel touched out, then sometimes it's nice to just have a nice, comfy, heavy blanket to use as well. Putting that on your lap or putting it on your shoulders can be super helpful. My dog actually is a way that I can get that deep pressure he is going to sit in my lap, whether I want him to or not, frankly. And so yes, that is also a way to support my nervous system. Just let the dog sit in your lap. Don't miss out on also drinking plenty of warm things. So as. I am recording this episode. I have my nice, warm bone broth in this mug in my hand, and the feeling of something warm in my hand, and drinking something warm is just so healing and regulating, so these little things can add up through your day. So yes, while I might normally recommend drinking something cold and bubbly to help you feel alert and regulated, sometimes that is something I need. Sometimes that might be something you need. But generally speaking, in this season, if you're struggling with feeling overstimulated in the house with your kids, drink something warm and that can help out as well. But on a side note, don't drink coffee all day. That extra caffeine is not the best for your system, so cap your coffee before lunch if you can, or at least just be mindful of your coffee consumption. So let's go on to something else for you to consider. I want you to think about gentle movement and how they can support your endorphins in this dark and cold season. So in winter, we can often swing between this doing nothing kind of feeling like a bump on the log, okay, to feeling like, oh gosh, it's New Year's. I've got to get these intense hit workouts in and now or never. You know, I can honestly, I'm turning 40 this year, and I kind of have this sense of urgency behind me. I mean, not that 40 is like a death sentence or anything, but I know that as I get older, certain health goals are going to get harder to attain, so I kind of have this thing sitting on my shoulder, like pay attention to making sure that I move and healthy habits, and those are very good things for me to be thinking about, but framing how we think about it and how we approach them and when we approach them is definitely important, because your nervous system responds best to gentle, predictable movement if you feel really overwhelmed and overstimulated right now. So simple options would include things like stretching, yoga, even figuring out ways that you can put these things into your routine, like while your coffee is brewing, while, while that warm beverage is getting warm, doing some gentle movement, sitting in the rocking chair. I mean, I know that seems lazy and probably won't help you get a lot of endorphins, but it does help some, and that gentle back and forth movement is very regulating. So gonna fold laundry, gonna do the read aloud, sit in your rocking chair and do it for a little while, even gentle movement is going to help increase that endorphin release. And endorphins are natural mood supporting chemicals that will help reduce pain and support that emotional resilience and help you feel more regulated without the overstimulation. So if your body just feels blah and it's hard to get moving, it's not always laziness. Don't always jump to self judgment. It's seasonal physiology and gentle movement works with your body instead of against it. Let's talk a little bit last but definitely not least, about light and rest. Winter clearly brings less daylight, and I have some Canadian friends that are like Whitney. It gets dark at four o'clock here.

you have super short days, my heart goes out to you, because I feel it even down here in the south, having less daylight and being where we are in our time zone, we notice it a little bit more as well. So less daylight definitely affects your circadian rhythm, your internal clock, right? And with less light exposure, your body is going to have a different fluctuations in melatonin. You're going to get tired earlier because it's getting darker earlier. And it's not because you're lazy, it's not because you're getting older. I mean, I am, but it's also just because your body is changing when the melatonin is being produced and released, and it means that waking up can feel harder, and your energy is going to dip sooner, and your sleep needs are going to likely increase. So we're. Research definitely backs up the fact that people are going to naturally sleep longer and experience shifts in sleep timing during winter. So what can you do about that? Just accept the fact that it's kind of normal, okay, and especially if you are a homeschooler like me. I'm a first generation homeschooler. You know, the school schedule was always the same in public school, regardless of when the sun came up and when the sun went down. Okay? My kids don't know that world, and honestly, I love the fact that if their bodies need more sleep, they're able to sleep more. Why don't you let yourself do the same thing, if that is what your body is needing. And back to the idea of New Year's resolutions. You know, if your resolution was to wake up before the kids and do X, Y, Z, whatever that is, whether it's pray and read your Bible or exercise or just, I don't know, enjoy a few minutes of quiet before chaos comes. Then those are great things. But also, if you do it for a little while, and here we are at the end of January, and it's getting hard now, please, please, please, don't judge yourself and let that limit your ability to maybe come back to those goals when it's a bit more fitting for your body and the way that you were made, so you can honor your body's need For rest by having earlier bedtimes or slower evenings and give yourself less pressure to push through that exhaustion that you might be feeling. The bedtime routine can be really helpful for you, not just for your kids, to help you down shift. Check out the show notes for a link to a past episode where I talk about sleep in ways that you can support sleep for yourself. So yeah, winter, if you want more rest, if you need more rest, you are normal and let yourself as much as you can. Winter is definitely not the season to feel like you need to have a constant output or constantly be working mind over matter, you know, struggling towards unattainable goals really. So winter instead is really just a season that is asking you, can you just let yourself slow down a little bit. So in closing, just remember that winter does not mean that you need to fix yourself, please. It doesn't mean that you need to reset your nervous system. If you missed my soapbox about that, be sure to check out last week's episode. And winter does not mean that you need to push harder, okay? Instead, winter needs to look like warmth and weight, gentle pressure, gentle movement that is going to help boost your endorphins, light exposure in the morning and