Guidance for: I don't know what my body needs

Check the list instead of asking yourself

Reading your own internal signals is a separate skill from having them, and plenty of people don't get a clear one. If the answer to how are you is genuinely unavailable, guessing from the outside works better than waiting for it to arrive.

Then, if you have room for it

• Work through the list rather than consulting your feelings: water, food, bathroom, temperature, noise, movement.
• Use the clock as the trigger. If it has been four hours, eat, whether or not anything says hungry.
• Watch for the second-hand signs — snapping at people, rereading the same line, sudden dread. Those often mean hungry.
• Set the reminders while you're well. In the state where you need them, you won't think of it.

Watch

Read

• The autistic and ADHD nervous systemNeurodivergent InsightsWhy regulation works differently, written for people who have both.(opens in a new tab)
• ADHD and sensory overload: managing overstimulationADDAWalks through the five senses as triggers, with adult-focused coping strategies.(opens in a new tab)