Overstimulated, Over It, and Almost Back-to-School

Earlier this summer, I spoke with Parents Magazine about why sensory overload is so common for moms — and how to cope with it. You can read that article here.

As we move into the final stretch of summer, many of us are running on fumes. The long days, late bedtimes, constant kid noise, the mess, and the pressure to “make the most of summer” can leave your nervous system completely maxed out. Add in the looming transition to a new school year. School communication have started up again, back to school events are happening, and the mom WhatsApp groups are WhatApping. Needless to say, overstimulation can peak fast.

The good news? You can create small, realistic shifts now to make these last weeks feel calmer for you and your family.

Why the End of Summer Feels So Overstimulating

  • Frayed routines: Meals and bedtimes slide in summer, and bodies (kids and parents) feel it. Blackout curtains only do so much when it’s still light at 8:30 pm.

  • Everyone’s tired: Heat, travel, and non-stop activity catch up with us.

  • Pressure to pack it in: The urge to “do it all” before school starts can mean too many outings and too little downtime.

  • Cumulative burnout from summer logistics: If you’ve spent two months juggling camp drop-offs, carpools, spirit days (when did that become a thing?), and endless sign-up forms, you’re not imagining the exhaustion. I wrote more about this in Rage Against the Summer Camp Machine.

  • Upcoming transitions: New teachers, classrooms, and schedules bring extra mental and emotional load.

8 Small Shifts That Actually Help When You’re Overstimulated

1. Adjust the Soundscape

Had the same song on repeat all summer? Swap it out for something YOU like. I keep a kid-friendly playlist with G-rated songs I enjoy (and my kids surprisingly tolerate). Listen to it here. 

If even that feels like too much:

  • Declare 10 minutes of silence — no TV, no music, no devices — in the house or car.

  • Pop in Loop or foam earplugs while making dinner to soften the chaos without checking out.

2. Reintroduce Micro-Routines

Easing back into structure helps regulate everyone’s nervous system:

  • Gradually shift bedtime and wake-up times closer to the school schedule.

  • Add small points of predictability, like reading together after lunch or an evening walk.

3. Create a Quick Escape Plan

Have a spot you can duck into for 5 minutes. Maybe it’s a chair in your bedroom, the laundry room, a closet, even your car in the driveway.  Tell your kids: “If I’m here, it’s a 5-minute no-question zone.”

When kids won’t leave your side, try a reset they can join:

  • Legs-Up-the-Wall Mini Reset:

    • Lie on your back with legs resting up a wall or couch.

    • Let your arms relax, breathe slowly for 3–5 minutes.

    • Why it works: Helps circulation and calms your nervous system.

  • Shake It Out

    • Put on a 2-minute upbeat song. Everyone shakes out arms, legs, and whole bodies like they’re shaking off the day.

    • End with everyone taking one big breath and flopping onto the couch or floor.

    • Why it works: Releases pent-up energy, then allows the body to shift gears into calm.

4. Use Sensory Anchors

Pick one or two “calm signals” you can repeat daily until your body associates them with slowing down:

  • A cooling face mist in the afternoon

  • A favorite tea or iced coffee ritual after drop-off

  • A 1-minute grounding exercise, like the 5-4-3-2-1 method

5. Partner & Support Strategies

Don’t carry the end-of-summer mental load alone:

  • Ask your partner to handle bedtime or errands a couple of nights a week.

  • Trade childcare with a friend for a few hours of solo time.

  • Use grocery delivery or meal kits for extra breathing room.

6. Transition Rituals for Kids

Kids get overstimulated, too. Help them settle with predictable routines:

  • Evening wind-down: reading, drawing, or gentle stretching.

  • A small bedtime ritual helps them (and you) shift into calmer evenings.

7. Build in Do-Nothing Time 

Pick one hour/morning/afternoon/ a full  day if you can swing it and keep it blank:

  • PJs all day

  • Snacks for lunch, breakfast for dinner

  • Backyard play or a movie marathon

Sometimes less really is more.

8. Embrace “Good Enough”

Let some things slide -  laundry piles, messy floors, screen time. Pick one or two priorities for the week and let the rest go until routines settle in again.

Go Easy on Yourself 

If you’re feeling touched out, overheated, and overstimulated right now — you’re not alone. Your nervous system isn’t broken; it’s asking for care. Small, realistic changes can make a big difference in how you move through this transition.

Christina Klein