The Internal Compass - A Nervous System Audit
This exercise is designed as a gentle check-in—a way to pause and listen to the quiet signals your nervous system is sending. In the wake of a late diagnosis, your Internal Compass might feel a little spun around. This audit isn't about finding things to fix, but rather identifying where you might need to build a bit more sensory scaffolding to protect your precious energy.
I invite you to find a quiet moment, perhaps with a warm drink or a soft blanket, and move through these four points of your internal landscape.
North: Your Physical Environment
Where do you spend most of your time, and how does it feel on your skin and in your ears?
Reflection: When I walk into my main living or work space, does my body expand or contract?
The Inquiry: Are there micro-aggressions in my environment—a flickering light, a humming fridge, a scratchy chair—that I have been forcing myself to ignore?
The Invitation: What would happen if I gave myself permission to change one small thing today (e.g., wearing noise-canceling headphones or dimming a light)?
East: Your Social & Digital Battery
How much of your energy is being spent performing or processing others?
Reflection: Which interactions leave me feeling buzzy and wired, and which leave me feeling depleted and silent?
The Inquiry: Am I currently over-indexing on digital noise? Does scrolling or checking notifications feel like a choice, or a compulsion that is draining my dopamine? Or do I feel calmer and more regulated after some low demand screen time.
The Invitation: Where can I create a social-free zone in my schedule this week to allow my internal voice to become louder than the world’s?
South: Your Somatic & Hormonal Landscape
How is your body communicating its needs through the lens of your unique chemistry?
Reflection (for those who assigned female at birth): Where am I in my hormonal cycle, and how is that affecting my dopamine gap? Do I feel more raw or sensitive than usual?
The Inquiry: Am I honouring my stims (rhythmic/regulation movements) or am I still trying to keep my body still to appear professional or composed?
The Invitation: What is one way I can manually soothe my amygdala today? (Perhaps a few minutes of EFT Tapping, a weighted blanket, or a repetitive movement that feels good).
West: Your Mental Load & Executive Function
What is the weight of the decisions and tasks currently sitting on your shoulders?
Reflection: Does my "To-Do" list feel like a helpful guide or a source of low-grade threat?
The Inquiry: Am I struggling with decision fatigue because I’m trying to do things the "right" (neurotypical) way instead of the way that works for my brain?
The Invitation: If I could outsource or simplify just one invisible task this week, what would it be? What am I left with if I sort my to-do list as rubber balls (things that I can drop and they will bounce) vs glass balls (things that will crash if I drop and not do them).
Following Your Compass
As you look over your reflections, notice if one area feels particularly loud. That is your starting point. You don't need to overhaul your entire life; you simply need to offer that one area a little more protection.
If the needle on your compass feels stuck or if it all feels too heavy to carry alone, please know that support is available.
Explore our ND Resources Hub for more tools on sensory protection and neuro-affirming care.
Navigate the shift with support: If you’d like to explore these compass points in a deeper, somatic way, I invite you to reach out to Book a Telehealth Session. We can work together to build the scaffolding your nervous system is asking for.
