Wednesday Writing — Self-Regulation Theme
I have had a few of those days.
The kind where technology tied itself into knots…
The kind where every step felt confusing…
The kind where my whole body tightened, my mind jumbled, and my patience thinned.
And I found myself thinking something I don’t say often:
“If I had clients today, I wouldn’t have been the therapist they deserved.”
That honesty matters — because caregivers feel this too.
When the System Is Overloaded, Everything Lags — Even Us
Technology is a perfect mirror of the human nervous system.
Put too much information into a device at once and what happens?
- It glitches
- It freezes
- It spins
- It stops responding
Our bodies do the same.
Too many decisions.
Too many responsibilities.
Too many expectations.
Too much frustration without a break.
And suddenly everything inside feels scrambled:
- Thoughts don’t flow
- Emotions pile up
- Muscles tighten
- Nothing makes sense
This isn’t failure.
It’s overload.
Caregivers Live in This Space More Than Anyone Realizes
If I, with 40 years as an OT and a toolbox full of self-regulation skills, can become dysregulated over technology…
Just imagine what caregivers experience daily:
- behavior changes
- sensory overload
- medical needs
- staffing shortages
- constant decision-making
- emotional caretaking
- their own exhaustion
It’s not about strength.
It’s about capacity.
Everyone has limits.
And every system — even the best — needs time to reset.
Reflection Question -
Where did you notice your own “system overload” today of yesterday — and what helped you pause or reset?**