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As a neurodivergent person, emotional regulation feels like navigating a storm.

Our brains often amplify emotions or make it hard to shift gears, impacting focus, work, and happiness.

I’ve been using a color-coded quadrant framework to manage my emotional states, and it’s been a game-changer. Here’s how it works and how you can try it.

Mood Meter Diagram

To manage my emotions, I’ve adopted a quadrant framework inspired by Dr. Marc Brackett’s Mood Meter, part of his RULER approach to emotional intelligence.

I use it daily, at work to stay focused, in social settings to avoid sensory overload, and at home to balance my mood. Helping me navigate life’s challenges as a neurodivergent person.

My Quadrant Framework

I categorize emotions based on energy and mood:

• Yellow (High Energy, Pleasant): Excited, motivated, or passionate, but sometimes overstimulated.

• Red (High Energy, Unpleasant): Anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed, with intense energy.

• Green (Low Energy, Pleasant): Calm, focused, or content, perfect for deep work.

• Blue (Low Energy, Unpleasant): Sad, drained, or unmotivated, needing a mood boost.

Navigating the Quadrants

Each quadrant requires tailored strategies to harness or shift emotions, especially for neurodivergent challenges like sensory overload or hyperfocus:

• Yellow: When I’m excited or passionate, I use yellow’s high energy for creative or engaging tasks. To avoid overstimulation, I set a 25-minute timer and take short breaks to stay focused.

• Red: For anxiety or frustration, I set a 10-20 minute timer to blitz through boring tasks, chores or admin stuff, channeling Red’s energy into quick wins

• Green: In a calm, focused green, I tackle complex projects with a to-do list, bullet journaling, broken into small steps, ensuring I don’t zone out or lose momentum.

• Blue: When I’m sad or drained, I journal with prompts or ask myself, “What’s one small win I can aim for today?” or call a supportive friend to lift my mood.

Why It Matters

Emotional regulation isn’t about suppressing feelings, it’s about responding thoughtfully.

For neurodivergent people, this means:

• Managing sensory triggers e.g

  • Loud environments pushing me to Red or

  • Rejection sensitivity, where criticism feels crushing

• Masking

• Executive functioning struggles.

The Mood Meter has helped me recognize my Red state and take breaks to reset, saving my focus.

This framework has improved my work, attitude, and mood, and I’m still learning

Try It Yourself

Map your emotions to these quadrants for a week.

Notice where you spend the most time and try one strategy from above. Reply to this email or comment below to share what works for you!

If you enjoyed this post, or know people who can benefit from it. Please spread the word. They can subscribe at neurodiversediary.io/subscribe

Lastly,

Stay Different,

The AuDHD Exec

Disclaimer: I am not your psychiatrist, coach, doctor. Neurodiverse Diary does not provide medical services or professional counselling and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.