Nervous System Capacity Index

Morning baseline – how do you usually feel in the first hour of the day?

Small frustrations stacking up (traffic, glitches, delays) – how do you respond?

Overloaded to-do list – what happens next?

Internal narrative when things go wrong – what do you sound like to yourself?

Body awareness during a stressful day – how tuned-in are you?

Falling asleep – what usually happens when you lie down?

When someone close criticizes or reacts sharply – what happens inside you?

When someone asks for more than you have capacity for – what do you do?

Sitting down to focus (writing, planning, deep work) – what happens?

After a stressful event (argument, deadline) – how quickly do you come back down?

Difficult conversation you know you need to have – what do you typically do?

Looking at your current commitments – which feels most true?

In loud, busy, or chaotic environments – what happens to you?

When there's tension or distance in an important relationship – what happens?

When you're struggling emotionally – how do you speak to yourself?

Physical symptoms that flare with stress (headache, gut, tension) – what's your pattern?

Under high stress, what do you most often reach for?

When plans change unexpectedly – what happens inside?

When life feels chaotic or overwhelming – how much agency do you feel?

How connected do you feel to a sense of purpose or "why"?

When you "rest," what does it usually look like?

When you're having a strong internal experience – how clearly can you name it?

When someone you care about is dysregulated – what tends to happen to you?

On time-sensitive or high-stakes decisions – what's your pattern?

When you feel you've disappointed someone – what happens?

Quiet time alone with your thoughts and body feels…

Under performance pressure (speaking, deadlines, being observed) – what happens?

After a big setback or "failure" – how do you tend to adapt?

Your relationship with stress as a concept – which fits best?

When work/clients/projects demand more than planned – what do you do?

Sharing something vulnerable with someone you trust feels…

When you're overwhelmed or struggling – how likely are you to reach out?

Overall, how would you describe your nervous system capacity right now?

When your child is melting down, defiant, or very upset – what happens inside you?

Noise, mess, and constant demands from kids – how does your system respond?

When your child is scared, sad, or anxious – what does co-regulation look like?

After you've snapped, checked out, or lost your cool – what usually happens next?

Your internal narrative about yourself as a parent or caregiver:

How often do your kids see you practice regulation tools?

Thinking about your week as a parent – how resourced do you feel?

In terms of support for your parenting role, which is closest?