Y’know, I’ve always felt like I’ve had some sort of sensory overload in my day to day life but I never knew that what I was feeling (I.e closing curtains, turning off noises, changing clothes) was an acceptable way of dealing with it… thank you for showing me that it can help me and it’s okay to do this :)

My in laws don't understand that this is a thing. They find it annoying that I become overwhelmed when their kids are screaming, multiple candles and oil diffusers are going, different music is being played on a TV and through a portable speaker while a sports game is on a second TV, and then there are multiple conversations happening all at once.

I never knew how to describe what I was feeling until I started dating my current partner who experiences a lot of sensory overload. He started to notice when I would get overstimulated and how I didn’t really know how to calm myself down and he helped me find ways to calm down in different situations. All of my exes used to just get angry with me when I started to feel anxious about multiple sounds going on and things like that, so it’s nice to finally have someone who understands

I never realised that my favourite "chill out outfits" were "sentory safe outfits". Like... Looking at it now, that's exactly what they are! And I wear them on days where it all just feels too much and I want to curl up on a corner with a bit of music and zone out. They're really loose and baggy, and I just feel safe in them. I never really realized what it was doing until you described it like that.

And you know what sucks even more? Having all this and still having to get through work every day... It's extremely exhausting

Sensory overload is not talked about enough. The people around me don’t understand why I can’t just go to the grocery store with out feeling anxious or exauhsted or why too many voices make me unable to be okay

I mostly get overstimulated from sounds or if there’s a lot of things I need to do and people keep asking me when I’m going to do the thing they asked me to do when I’m doing something else, it’s mainly a mix of sound and negative emotions, and if I don’t catch myself in a state of overload then I’ll just break down and won’t be able to do anything for like 35 minutes.

I am not diagnosed autistic (but think there’s a high likelihood I am) and have been diagnosed ADHD for the majority of my life at this point and your content has made me feel a lot more secure in the ways I can help navigate my day to day and I appreciate that a lot

My husband and I both have ASD with symptoms of ADHD. Our daughter is 3 and exhibits the same kinds of overload. If there's anything I've learned over 27 years , it's that your own community is one of the best foundations. We are like our own island of a family and I've never felt more comfort than that.

I just got out of school and had a complete meltdown because I was so overloaded from my joints aching and my clothing being too hot and the school being too cold and all of the things. I felt crappy about it but this was a nice wake up call :) thanks for sharing your life for those of us still learning that these things are okay to feel! It helps lots

As someone who also experiences this, everytime i have these moments, i stop and think and become so thankful that i live in a time and part of the world that allows me to do all this to treat myself. Some other time in history or elsewhere in the world, people didn't/don't have this luxury and have to literally work through all this to survive (either to support their family, or by threat of violence from an outside force). You, me, and many on this comment thread are so privileged to be able to even think about having this experience, because that means we have the te and energy to think about, feel it, and cater our world to it. (And no, I'm not comparing and saying that these problems don't matter because others have it worse, I'm just saying that you have to admit that your life is objectively better and you are better off. But if we're being real, i do believe that, these kinds of problems don't really hold a candle to all the real, life threatening problems out there for people that can't just close the curtains and change into comfy clothes.)

It's so so so important to step back and say "I need to unwind, I can't do this right now." I'm still learning to be kind to myself, especially when I can't believe it's okay to be kind to myself because I was raised to think that was just being lazy, so I have to dissociate and imagine someone else taking care of me. I'm so proud of you for doing what I struggle with, and I hope one day I can relax like you.

It’s for me at least when I start to feel every single hair that is touching my face, or the acne on my back or my body starts to feel itchy, or I suddenly can just feel everything and it’s loud and I can’t even function it’s manifesting as sensory overload nut it’s like an anxiety attack without the scary part where my throat closes up, or i start to tic bc it’s cold that’s fun but separate. It’s when I can’t focus on anything else but the sensory issue, like “crumbs” in my bed which could just be dead skin cells and small bits of dirt or whatever but that can drive me nuts or like when I go to a restaurant and it’s overly crowded and the sound is just too much not bc its loud but it’s the overlapping cacophony of voices

I swear this is what I am seeing with my daughter. She is always so eager to be involved but randomly some days she just seems off. It feels like everything annoys her and see can't seem to settle, relax and focus on tasks. I bet this is what it is.

I had this on Monday- I ended up taking the day off from work and felt so guilty about it. Thank you for sharing this, it feels incredibly brave to me and made me feel like I’m not alone 💛✨

Thank you for this video. It shows me to be more compassionate with myself when I'm severely over stimulated and my plans for the day change because of it

I have almost no autistic symptoms besides this. THIS single symptom practically rules my life. With the winter coming im almost always permanently annoyed and close to tears because of LAYERS. Not being able to move in layers, having to wear thick shoes with thick socks, HATS oh my god. It all makes me want to rip off all my clothes and fall into a pile in the floor and just bawl. I have to start my days early so that my first moments being awake is very quiet and controlled, and my job starts at 5. I dont LIKE having such early shifts, but it's the only way I can start my day in a way that doesn't doom the rest of the day for disaster. I work in retail, so of course all day I'm on edge and close to tears because there is just. Too. Much. People talking, heat from so many moving bodies, having to focus on work AND customers, trying to list my responsibilities for the day, dealing with flourescent lights, dealing with people's attitudes and energy. I spend almost every single day, especially after work, in this shut down mode. I dont know what to call it other than just part of being HSP. But damn. This video spoke to my daily experience for the past like 5 years. It's so so hard and overwhelming. It's hard to hang out with friends. It's hard to work on projects. It's hard to participate in hobbies. All my time is spent literally just trying not to have a breakdown over the environment around me and how intense it feels.

Thank you for posting this. I just started allowing myself to rest like this and it is so recovering for me mentally and spiritually. Sometimes I shame myself for being “lazy” or not capable to do more, but seeing this is really reassuring and I don’t feel alone.

To watch these kinds of videos is so damn eye-opening. Society should really stop judging.. we should allow ourselves to do what we best feel doing.

I’m 31 and got diagnosed with both autism and adhd in the past two years. I wish I’d had somebody like you when I was younger because I did not understand that this is what I was experiencing or that it wasn’t the norm for everybody. I developed my own coping mechanisms, but they weren’t all particularly useful or healthy. I am so glad for your page even now as an adult who, in a shocking turn of events, really hates change in behavior or routines! There’s always more to learn, and this video made me feel like somebody else understands me. Thank you for that!

This reminds me of this conversation I had with my aunt one time after I had a panic attack because I couldn't contact anyone for help with something. My phone screen was so damaged I couldn't use it, the home phone only worked on WiFi and the WiFi was turned off and I didn't know how to turn it back on. I ended up having an entire breakdown in the hallway for about two hours before I snapped back and realized I could just drive the 15 minutes to her office. She asked me how often I freak out like that and I said "well not very often but when I do it usually lasts a while". She said something very dismissive implying I don't know how to regulate my emotions but also saying that I need to keep my feelings in because "no one wants to see that". But she also asked how much time I use (the way she said it she meant how much to I waste) freaking out when I get stressed or overwhelmed. And I said I usually end up spending a day getting back to normal. And she said I shouldn't. Made me think though like, I would much rather "lose" a single day to stress and anxiety and regulate all day kind of pampering myself than to be constantly stressed and overwhelmed because I don't take a proper break to make my brain work. Idk, she ended up showing her colors later and I don't talk to her anymore. Anyway, spend your day! Take the time that you need. I do that now and don't care what people say about it. In taking care of myself and that's what's important.

When I have sensory overload, I get so sensitive to other people being too close to me. I feel so anxious, it has made me cry. I don't like to be seen, talked to; I just want a hug and not be spoken to

I can’t express how perfect of a time this is for me to see this. I’ve been feeling like if I get overstimulated or stressed it means that I can’t handle things as well as other people and I’d kinda convinced myself that I get overwhelmed easily because of how I grew up or a failure of my childhood, but now I see that it is completely fine and normal. Thank you god for sending this to me. You are so kind and thoughtful. You give me so many gifts❤

Sending hugs. I'd see my ex go through this and I always felt empathetic towards watching her be so drained and just needing to rest alone. I would just give her water or a squishmellow or simply sit in the same room with her ❤

i never realized i had a reason i loved wearing baggy closes > to tight clothes, i’ve always had sensory issues i just never realized it

That was partially my day yesterday. I woke up feeling overwhelmed and super sensitive to the light. Starting out with sensory overload is so hard. I hope your day got better

I wish I could do this... I sit on my bed crying and then get up and head to work tearful and overwhelmed for the whole day.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm currently overwhelmed with sensory overload right now so watching what you did really helped me find some things I can do to calm down. I love your videos, they're so helpful!

i have no steps to take when i’m overstimulated which results in me lashing out at people or an attitude no one understands and everyone thinks im just mean

I wish I could do this type of thing when I have bad days. As a mom of four I’m forced to power through and to say I’m severely burnt out would be an understatement. I didn’t know I was autistic until after having children.

Yes! This needs to be talked about more! Even shows dedicated to characters with sensory overload issues don’t often portray the struggle correctly, leading people to wrong conclusions about them. Thank you so much for stepping up and showing what many struggle with on daily basis. Much love 💕

Thank u for posting this. I have adhd and I have sensory issues I’m not diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder but I am almost a 100% sure I have one and it just helps to know that there are other ppl out there that also struggle with similar things as me. So once again thx

I never thought this was a possibly adhd thing. I just thought I was weird & couldn’t explain why some days I literally am paralysed & do nothing. Thank you for helping me become more aware & giving ways to help me

Idk for me whenever I feel certain textures I instantly feel like pain or shock and also ocd with small details

I hope you had a good day after all I glad you do these videos because what people have a hard time understanding with my sensory issues and auto processing disorder yes I can wear head phones and all that but my brain has to much information going on and sensory that what it feels like even at school it can be hard when there is lound walking etc so I am glad you educated people and btw beautiful plants

It's nice to not be alone in this. High quality relatable content.

You just described my life pretty much whenever I’m off work

I work in a SEMH school (social emotional and mental health school) and 99% of the kids have ADHD and I completely get this. Sensory overload is a real thing and it's not only autistic people that experience it. Love your routine that you have in place to regulate yourself. X

So overwhelmed but had time to do multiple camera set ups

I haven't been officially diagnosed with anything that could cause sensory overload other than anxiety, but when it happens I can't even recognize it before it's all too much. Takes me days to come down from this supper high strung place where everything is too much, I can't sleep nor eat and no amount of exercise or meditation will get me to a good head space. I just sit under a blanket in a cold house and try to keep my head empty with colouring books and some easy video games. Really good that people are talking about this, and especially for those that have conditions that can cause this, it should be ok to take a break and to let yourself take it easy.

I also have a sensory safe outfit. :) It includes a super soft, viscose-elastane blend headcover that puts pressure on my ears while not irritating my skin. I also have super soft, silicone-tipped earplugs, a white noise machine for when I need a little background noise, and a very subtle candle that smells like the woods (my favorite place).

This was the hardest part for my fiancé to understand about my autism. Heat is also a trigger for me, I can feel my clothes stick to me, forehead will sweat causing my hair to stick to it, my hands get sticky making everything else feel sticky 🤢 I consider myself very good at masking, but when I get over stimulated I don’t talk as much, too many thoughts and emotions and too overwhelmed to express them. Sometimes I have to get mostly naked, under my weighted blanket on the floor. (Floor is cold which fixes the blanket and heat issue.) I do have to stick my mouth/nose out since I have to have fresh air as to not feel like I’m suffocating. Claustrophobia 😂

Don’t forget the taking a couple days for a mental break is OK and you’re not being lazy hope everybody has a good day😊

My family pretty much won’t let me have a sensory overload day, it really sucks but this video is giving me ideas on how to have an inconspicuous one

I have ADHD, was told not ASD, but was raised in a family of fellow ASers

I have ADHD and my work environment is SENSORY OVERLOAD all of the time.

I got noise canceling headphones and they were a game changer for me. Noise was a huge trigger, and I live in a large city were there is a lot of it. I didn't realize I was having sensory overload until last year when I was 29 so I'm still trying to figure out how to cope, but I have a TBI That mimics adhd symptoms and so I suspect that causes a lot of my issues with stimulus overload as well. It helps seeing how other people cope.

I just call these “bad days” I end up just extremely out of it and normally have too much anxiety to even leave the place I’m sitting… I usually go without food on these days

this actually helped me a lot to see a way to get out of a sensory overload myself.

In high school I always had a meltdown at the end of the first day of the school year, every year. It was really frustrating until I realized why - I got overwhelmed by all the people and noises after a whole summer of being at home

I've had this all my life. My most noticeable trigger is fingers doing pointing and other gestures that set my brain off. Cell phone ads are ALWAYS hell for me.

My co workers have experienced my sensory overload. There is always at least one that will say ok guys to many people over here when they catch me getting overwhelmed before I even catch myself getting overwhelmed and about to react. They have realized my movements and build up I'm so thankful for them

I have sensory overload quite often at school and because my teachers r shit I end up going into a meltdown where I can't talk or move and they try to give me detentions because of it even when they know I'm autistic. Out of over 700 comments how do u find this and get it to 100 likes

As someone who is diagnosed you just helped me realized overheating. I always hated overheating but it deeply affected me, especially with blankets or clothing on. Thank you

People don't get it. Now that I understand myself better I give myself a lot of grace.

Im Kyle I have high functioning autism I have sensory issues to ❤I feel where your coming from much love

Certain noises like my mom talking on the phone in the car would drive me crazy when I was younger or hearing kids crying even though I love kids.. I never understood until this year realizing I was over stimulated and my senses were just way overloaded

i needed this today

Thank you. I've had these recently (sensory overload) more and more, and didn't know what it was.

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and my therapist suspects Asperger's syndrome. I don't know if it's good or not, but this video looks completely normal to me. I spend my time in much the same way and it’s hard for me to imagine that this is unusual for someone.

I sensory overload way too much during the day. Everything just annoys me and idk why. It’s like a constant battle of why is this and everything annoying me and why am I getting annoyed at simple things

I've never seen any of your videos before and I hope this isnt a rude question but I'm curious how you're able to record yourself all over your house having these reactions to be over stimulated

I am 45 years old and this makes me feel more seen than just about anything ever has. Thank you. ❤️

When you combed your bangs back from your forehead….I felt that, I can’t stand having hair in my face

Idk if I have this or not, but sometimes I feel like I do. If people are talking over music, talking really loud, or when more than one person tries talking to me at the same time I just can’t handle it. I guess I’m sensitive when it comes to people talking 💀

my gawd I wish I had the luxury of just taking the day when I'm having a bad one. gives me hope to know someone can actually make it to a point where not just forcing through it is an option.

i collect things i like to play with at my desk, ive known im autistic for a while but i never really realized that the collecting of things was connected, huh fun. ALSO! There are fidget necklaces/rings. I love my spinning ring, sm fun.

Thank you for sharing. This short came up randomly. As a parent to a young child who's got sensory issues with everything and awaiting an autism diagnosis, it's refreshing to see how you, a grown woman, manage for a period of time with similarities how as child would cope (e.g. stim toys) as well as your independence. Thank you for making the world more aware of neurodiversity etc.

And she was able to record it all :)

Zones out for _only_ 10 minutes

i don’t think i’ve ever felt so seen or heard. i’m not happy that you experience these things, but it makes me feel so much better to know that i’m not alone and that i’m not crazy or broken.

This is very informative, thank you very much!

Lol cameras on, gotta make that money.

its like shes begging for attention

😂 when i clean my hands om my clothes, the looks I always get.

As an AUDHD person i can understand like is an overwhelming bitch and im glad you found things that bring you comfort i always sit under the covers in my bedroom in the dark and i never have my lights on only my night light though so i can see what im going lol

"sensory overload day! Let me drag my camera stand and set up my camera everywhere I go. Ppl in the comment section won't realize because they'll relate because I looked up what ADHD sensory overload looks like". Like come on how do y'all believe this. Like really.

honestly how I am feeling today I'm not going to church today and I still have plans to follow through on this afternoon

I hate when I'm in an overstimulating environment getting sensory overload, and someone tells me "It's not that loud." It's not just about how loud it is, it's about how much sensory information I'm trying to process.

I cant believe adults like this exist bruh wtf

I wish people understood that it isn’t laziness that causes most of my days to look like this. I’m so overwhelmed from the moment I wake up. I’ve needed to clean for weeks, but I just can’t. It’s so hard to do anything when your mind is racing and you can feel the energy flowing throughout your body, blood pumping through every blood vessel. It’s painfully exhausting, and quite frankly depressing at times. It’s so hard. As a kid I got into the habit of zoning out when I’m like this. It gets so bad to the point where a week will feel like a day because I’m not present at all

I love how you shared this part of your day thank you for that ❤

Thank you for showing this side of yourself that so many people share 💗

Its interesting that you had the focus to film yourself

When I’m overloaded like this I would not be capable of setting up and moving a camera all over the place.

zoning out, staring into the roof

Your honesty is so courageous

Survivor.. really?? Thats like the most stressful shit you can watch

What does it feel like to have a sensory overload

Thank you Hayley for sharing this reality for a lot of us... sometimes instead of a day of overwhelm it can turn into a weekend or a week or month...but we definitely find creative, compassionate ways to get through it 💗☺️😎

this was really helpful to see. so often I feel like I am being too dramatic when being overstimulated. some days everything makes me cry, being too hot, sweaty, my food, etc. thank you for showing this side of ADHD. you helped at least one person feel a bit more normal

You also recorded yourself knowing full well the camera is rolling. Crazy what people do for views

That would be funny if you included, "and then I closed the blinds, paused the video, setup my tripod in my room, and took a video of me changing, and then moved the tripod.."

Your channel has helped me through so much. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with people who are still learning themselves

Woops ...... zoned out and this looped probably 10 times 😂😂😂 applying this video to my own life😂😂😂😂🥺😒

Man good thing you had your camera ready for it all.

It seems like taking 9 different angles of yourself with your camera would add to the overstimulation.

The zoning out while doing anxious hand stims is too relatable 😭 My husband waits until I snap out of it and then says something to try and improve my mood/help my anxiety. Usually something along the lines of "how was your nap" or "welcome back beautiful" 😂❤

Learning how to have days like this and how to know when I need them has been life changing.

“A safe show”😂