196: Reset & Restore: Coping with Overstimulation in the Family Home

We interview Sarah Boyd, author of Turn Down the Noise, about overstimulation as an invisible epidemic impacting children, parents, and educators. Sarah explains how sensory overload affects mental health and family dynamics, distinguishing between tantrums and sensory overwhelm. She offers practical strategies for building resilience, including intentional downtime, playful family moments, and screen-free periods. Our conversation emphasizes understanding individual sensory needs, managing parental stress, and creating supportive environments.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

• Overstimulation as an invisible epidemic affecting mental health in children and families.
• The rise of anxiety, depression, and attention-related diagnoses in children and adolescents.
• The importance of environmental factors in supporting mental well-being.
• Sensory sensitivity as a personality trait and its prevalence among neurodivergent individuals.
• Differentiating between tantrums and sensory overwhelm in children.
• The impact of parental stress and emotional regulation on children’s behavior.
• Strategies for increasing sensory capacity and managing overstimulation.
• The role of humour and lightheartedness in fostering resilience within families.
• The significance of creating intentional downtime and media-free periods for families.
• Practical tools for parents to create supportive environments and improve family dynamics.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Sarah Boyd’s Website
• Turn Down The Noise by Sarah Boyd
• Resilient Little Hearts

Individual Journal Prompts:

1. How do you respond to overstimulation? What are the signs that you’ve hit your sensory limit, and how do you usually react in those moments?
2. What unrealistic expectations might you be carrying for yourself, your partner, or your children that are adding unnecessary pressure?
3. How well do you model emotional regulation in front of your kids (or others close to you)? What do you hope they learn from how you handle tension?
4. How has technology affected your attention, energy, and sense of connection? Would a personal media Sabbath help you reset, and what might that look like?

Discussion Questions For You As A Couple:

1. How might we be misinterpreting each other’s behavior as a character flaw when it’s actually a capacity issue? How would our conflict or parenting styles shift if we recognized overstimulation in each other?
2. Which of our kids seem to have lower sensory thresholds—and how can we adjust our parenting to help them thrive, not just survive?
3. When was the last time we brought lightheartedness or play into our relationship or family? How can we intentionally build more joy into our everyday life?
4. What’s one small change we can each make this week to turn down the noise in our lives and home? How can we support each other in making that change?

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Meet Sarah Boyd: