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Energy can change across a day, a week, and over longer periods. Capacity can change too, but energy and capacity are not the same thing.
Having time does not mean having capacity. Before choosing what to do, check your current energy and capacity.
Start With Today
Right now, my energy feels: very low / low / workable / high / very high / hard to tell
Right now, my capacity feels: very limited / limited / moderate / strong / hard to tell
These are not the same for me today because:
What Does This State Feel Like in My Body?
Muscles: tight / loose / heavy / restless / shaky / steady / other
Breathing: easy / shallow / fast / slow / held / hard to notice / other
Temperature: warm / cool / fluctuating / comfortable / uncomfortable / other
Hunger or thirst: clear / faint / urgent / hard to notice / other
Movement: still / restless / need to move / movement feels difficult / other
Pain or discomfort:
Fatigue:
Something else my body is telling me:
What Does This State Feel Like in My Mind?
clear / foggy / focused / scattered / fast / slowed down / ideas flowing / decisions harder / words harder to find / task starting easier / task starting blocked / easily overloaded / seeking stimulation / other
High energy does not always mean high capacity. You may feel activated, restless, overstimulated, or mentally fast while still having limited capacity for complex work.
Learn Your Three Common States
Do this on different days rather than trying to fill it all in at once.
When I Am Tired or Low-Capacity
My body tends to feel:
My mind tends to feel:
I notice these early clues:
I often miss or override these clues when:
Tasks that usually fit better:
Support that helps:
When I Am in a Workable Middle
My body tends to feel:
My mind tends to feel:
I notice these clues:
Tasks that usually fit:
Support that keeps this state usable:
When I Have More Energy or Capacity
My body tends to feel:
My mind tends to feel:
What is easier for me in this state:
What I tend to overestimate in this state:
What helps me avoid overdoing it when my energy is high:
Compare the States
Compare these states to learn which body and thinking changes show up first for you.
What changes first when my capacity drops?
What changes first when my capacity improves?
Which body signal is easiest for me to notice?
Which signal usually arrives late?
What tells me I am becoming overloaded?
What tells me I still have usable capacity?
Match the Task to the Capacity
Instead of asking only, “Do I have time?”, try asking:
“What is my capacity right now, and what fits that capacity?”
When capacity is stronger
Possible fits might include writing, planning, problem-solving, emotionally demanding conversations, or unfamiliar multi-step tasks.
When capacity is moderate
Possible fits might include routine work, email, organizing, familiar household tasks, or preparing for a harder task.
When capacity is low
Possible fits might include one small familiar task, reducing the size of the task, using more external support, postponing a non-urgent decision, or choosing recovery instead.
These are examples, not rules. Use your own patterns to decide what fits.
What Is Affecting My Capacity Today?
Sleep / stress / illness / pain / hormones / sensory load / emotional strain / caregiving / work demands / social demands / hunger or thirst / prior effort / recovery from earlier demands / something else
What seems most relevant today?
Make One Adjustment
Possible adjustments:
- move a harder task
- choose a smaller task
- add a break
- eat or drink
- reduce sensory input
- move your body
- ask for help
- add structure or a reminder
- stop for now
- keep going, but reduce the pace
The adjustment I will try:
After I try it, what changes?
When capacity changes, the plan may need to change too.
A 20-Second Daily Check
Energy: low / workable / high / hard to tell
Capacity: limited / moderate / strong / hard to tell
Earliest body clue:
What fits today:
What needs to change:
Reference
South Australian Department for Education, Ready to Learn: Interoception Kit (2019).
Related Tools
My Body-Signal Map: A Simple Interoception Worksheet
Interoception Experiments for ADHD Women: Create a Small Change and Notice What Happens