Overwhelm
Do You Ever...?
Do you ever feel like there is too much noise, too many people, too many tasks, and your brain just shuts down?
What is it?
Overwhelm happens when the demands or input are more than your brain and body can handle at once. This can be:
- Sensory (noise, lights, movement).
- Emotional (lots of feelings or conflict).
- Task-based (too many things to do or remember).
Why does this happen?
Many people with ADHD have:
- More sensitive nervous systems.
- Trouble filtering out sensory information.
- Executive function differences that make juggling tasks harder.
So busy classrooms, loud places, or long lists can feel like “too much.”
What can I do?
Learn your early warning signs.
Tight chest, wanting to escape, getting extra snappy or quiet.
Make an “overwhelm exit plan.”
Agree with adults ahead of time that you can:
- Step out into the hallway.
- Go to a quiet corner.
- Use headphones or a hoodie.
Have a signal you can use if talking is hard.
Lower the input.
Use earplugs or headphones, sit at the edge of the room, dim lights if you can.
Break tasks into smaller steps.
Ask for one step at a time: “What is the first thing I should do?”
Fun Fact!
The ADHD brain doesn’t have an effective “filter” for incoming information, stimuli, and thoughts. This means that everything—the important email, a looming deadline, the sound of typing, a dog barking, a flickering light, and a stray thought about cheese—rushes in all at once, making it nearly impossible to prioritize what’s important from background noise.
