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Many people with ADHD describe difficulties seeming to arrive "all at once". Looking back, however, there are often early clues that pressure was building before things became overwhelming.
The My Emotional Warning Signs worksheet helps people identify their own personal patterns using a simple Green-Amber-Red approach. Rather than waiting until difficulties reach crisis point, the worksheet encourages learners to recognise earlier signs and develop a plan for responding sooner.
What is the worksheet for?
The worksheet helps people:
- Recognise early signs of stress, overwhelm or emotional dysregulation.
- Understand how difficulties develop over time.
- Identify personal triggers and warning signs.
- Plan helpful responses before problems become harder to manage.
- Build self-awareness and emotional resilience.
How does it work?
The worksheet uses a simple traffic-light model:
🟢 Green - Things are generally going well.
🟠 Amber - Early warning signs begin to appear. These might include irritability, avoiding tasks, becoming distracted, struggling with routines or withdrawing from others.
🔴 Red - Difficulties become much harder to manage, such as feeling overwhelmed, having emotional outbursts, significant avoidance or losing important routines.
The goal isn't to stay permanently in the green zone. Instead, it's to recognise amber signs early enough to take action.
Common Difficulties
Many people say:
- "I'm not sure what my warning signs are."
- "Everything seems to happen at once."
- "I only notice problems when they become severe."
A helpful response is to look back at a recent difficult period and ask:
"What changed first?"
Small clues are often more useful than dramatic warning signs.
Tips for Practitioners
When introducing this worksheet:
✅ Encourage people to think about a recent real-life example.
✅ Focus on observable signs rather than explanations.
✅ Ask family members or trusted friends for additional observations if appropriate.
✅ Emphasise that the exercise is about awareness rather than perfection.
✅ Help learners identify one or two practical actions they can take when amber signs appear.
Key Message
Recognising warning signs won't prevent every difficulty. However, when people learn to spot pressures building earlier, they often have more choices about how they respond.
The earlier we notice difficulties developing, the more opportunities we have to take helpful action.
Interested in learning more? This worksheet forms part of our new ADHD course and optional tools library, which includes practical resources designed to help people understand themselves, build resilience and develop effective self-management skills.
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