• Zone 1 (Hyperactive Zone)
  • Likely Settings: On my own or around people I know really well. Usually at home.
  • Energy Levels: Very high. Can feel almost out of control. Nearly always occurs in the evening when my energy levels are highest.
  • Masking: None.
  • Daydreaming: Very high level. Tends to be ‘real-world’ based and revolve around future plans or ideas. Usually euphoric (extremely happy and excitable). On rare occasions, dysphoric (becoming unhappy, afraid or angry).
  • Productivity: Able to accomplish things for myself, but wouldn’t be able to do work. Could make careless mistakes as a result of over-excitement or having too much energy. Don’t tend to do anything ‘important’ at these times.
  • Emotional Engagement: Very high to accompany the energy levels. Usually euphoric, sometimes dysphoric, but always one extreme or the other.
  • Communication Skills: Communication will be fairly chaotic. Likely to jump between different topics and ideas. Unlikely to really engage with others unless it relates to my train of thought.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: Medium to low. Not particularly self-aware. Only engaging in things which are fun and exciting.
  • Activities: Constantly moving around. Listening to loud music. Being generally chaotic. Daydreaming about future plans. Getting over-excited.

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• Zone 1 / 2 (Social Zone)
  • Likely Settings: Around a few people, who I generally feel comfortable with.
  • Energy Levels: Medium. A lot more controlled.
  • Masking: Low-medium masking. Socialising generally would not require much masking, depending on who I was with specifically.
  • Daydreaming: Low level. ‘Real-world’ based, and may reflect what’s going on around me e.g. when I’m discussing a plan or idea with someone else and they seem interested.
  • Productivity: Fairly high. Generally able to perform any task, but might get a bit distracted by my surroundings.
  • Emotional Engagement: Medium. Fairly controlled. Generally emotionally engaged with the people I’m around.
  • Communication Skills: Easiest time for me to have conversations. Comfortable and open to most types of conversation. Able to have a good two-way discussion.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: Generally high. Keeping up with the conversation and what everyone else is doing.
  • Activities: More chill. Having a chat. Watching a show. Going out with someone e.g. to a restaurant, café, shopping etc.

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• Zone 2 (Masking Zone)
  • Likely Settings: Around people I don’t really know, or know on a superficial level e.g. colleagues.
  • Energy Levels: Fairly low. Generally used up with trying to fit in and please people.
  • Masking: High level of masking. Trying to make a good impression and hide the things people might not like about me.
  • Daydreaming: Hardly any. Trying to pay attention to what’s going on around me.
  • Productivity: Medium. Generally able to complete ‘important’ tasks. Masking and RSD may prevent me from paying full attention to what I’m doing. Typical workplace productivity for me.
  • Emotional Engagement: Low. General unwillingness to show or even really feel emotions.
  • Communication Skills: Able to engage in small talk, but unwilling to go much deeper or share personal stories.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: High. Can be overly self-aware as a result of RSD. Desperately trying to look and act right.
  • Activities: At work. In a new social setting.

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• Zone 2 / 3 (Inattentive Zone)
  • Likely Settings: Around people I don’t really know, or know on a superficial level, in situations where I have either become bored or overwhelmed.
  • Energy Levels: Very low. Lost interest in surroundings, don’t really want to do anything anymore.
  • Masking: Mask ‘slipping’. Masking is less controlled and I might start to forget about it. Start to revert to autopilot.
  • Daydreaming: Mid to high level. Increasing as I engage less in what’s going on around me. Can be ‘real-world’ or ‘other-world’.
  • Productivity: Low. Concentration decreasing. Start to make more careless mistakes. Unlikely to react appropriately quickly for important tasks.
  • Emotional Engagement: Little to no emotional engagement.
  • Communication Skills: Would try to avoid socialising if possible. Responses become more limited, e.g. ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘don’t know'. Quiet and trying to fade into the background.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: Decreasing. Still somewhat self-aware, but much less engaged. Limited interest in surroundings.
  • Activities: At work where I have become bored or overwhelmed. In a social setting where I feel overwhelmed. Keeping to myself. Zoning out.

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• Zone 3 (Daydream Zone)
  • Likely Settings: Generally alone. Usually at home, most likely in my room unless no one is in.
  • Energy Levels: Mentally high, physically low.
  • Masking: Autopilot. Not actively engaging with my surroundings enough to mask.
  • Daydreaming: Daydreaming takes over. Almost entirely ‘other-world’ based. Daydreaming becomes all-consuming, to the point I am no longer interested in reality at all.
  • Productivity: Very low. Would struggle to accomplish anything relating to reality.
  • Emotional Engagement: Very high. My emotions are projected onto fictional characters in different settings. Maybe a way for me to process difficult emotions (?).
  • Communication Skills: Would actively avoid socialising or talking to anybody. Get annoyed when people interrupt me.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: Hardly any. Fully engaged in daydreaming, but not at all in what’s going on around me. Reality becomes unimportant and uninteresting.
  • Activities: Time is entirely dedicated to daydreaming. Only really able to do other stuff if it’s relevant to the daydream.

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• Zone 3 / 1 (Genius Zone)
  • Likely Settings: Generally alone or around strangers whose opinions I don’t care about e.g. out for a walk or in a library.
  • Energy Levels: Fairly high. Generally controlled.
  • Masking: Low to none.
  • Daydreaming: Mid to high level. Combined with other deep thinking and decision making. Can be ‘real-world’ or ‘other-world’. Accompanied by a high degree of productivity and engagement.
  • Productivity: Very high. Peak thinking and doing time. In this time I am most likely to create, theorise, learn etc.
  • Emotional Engagement: High. Euphoric. Productive.
  • Communication Skills: Would generally avoid socialising. Happy to engage in necessary conversations.
  • Engagement / Self-Awareness: Medium. Highly engaged in whatever I’m doing. Not overly aware of surroundings.
  • Activities: Researching, creating, or coming up with new ideas. Doing tasks from my to-do list. Going for a long walk or drive and listening to loud music.