There’s a phrase I never understood until I became a mom: “touched out.”
It sounds harmless, maybe even silly, until you’ve lived it.
By the end of the day, I’ve been climbed on, clung to, tugged at, hugged, carried, poked, and patted.
My toddler wants to be near me every moment.
Sometimes it’s sweet, his tiny arms wrapped around my neck, his soft hand holding mine.
Other times, it feels like I’m suffocating in my own skin.
Add in a full workday, dinner to cook, dishes in the sink, laundry that never ends, and an inbox that doesn’t care how tired I am… and suddenly, I’m overstimulated in every possible way.
The noise, the mess, the constant needs, there’s barely room left to breathe, let alone unwind.
By 8 PM, I crave silence, stillness, crave space.
But instead of finding rest, there’s guilt.
Guilt for snapping. Guilt for needing a break and wanting one square inch of my body to belong only to me.
No one warns you how intense this part can be.
How motherhood can leave you both full and completely depleted.
How you can love your child deeply and still feel desperate for physical boundaries.
And if you’re feeling this way too—touched out, worn out, overstimulated—know this:
You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re just human.
And it’s okay to need a little less touch to feel a little more like yourself.