The Traffic Lights
Traffic Light Processing uses three colours to describe nervous system state.
Just like real traffic lights, they give you fast, useful information about what’s possible right now.
Everyone moves through Green, Orange, and Red.
What differs is how quickly we shift, what triggers us, and how each state feels, especially for neurodivergent brains.
Chat GBT
GREEN
You have capacity. Thinking is online. You can reflect, communicate, learn, make decisions, and regulate emotions. This is the state where growth and change are easiest.
ORANGE
Capacity is reduced. You’re still functioning, but it takes more effort. You may feel tense, reactive, rushed, foggy, or easily overwhelmed. This is a warning light, not a failure.
RED
Capacity is very low. The nervous system is in survival. Fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown responses dominate. Reasoning, language, and self-control are limited. This is not the time for problem-solving or big conversations.