In ALPIMS-aware care, we replace rigid routines with gentle rhythms that move with our bodies. The Sensana model encourages responding to what is, not forcing what “should be.” This guide shows how to live each day with adaptability, self-trust, and tools that respect fluctuating zones of capacity.
🌅 Morning Zone Check-Ins
Instead of jumping into to-do lists, begin with a sensory and emotional scan:
- Ask: Where am I starting today—Green, Yellow, Red, Blue, or Black?
- Notice: energy, pain, executive function, sensory tolerance, emotional state.
- Decide: “What version of me is available today?”
🪞 This builds self-trust and helps prevent early crashes or over-commitment.
🧩 Modular Task Menus by Zone
Replace fixed schedules with flexible menus that match your current zone:
🟢 Green Zone (Regulated, Capable)
- Cook a fresh meal
- Try a creative task (writing, art, hobby)
- Connect socially or run an errand
🟡 Yellow Zone (Alert, Edgy)
- Do a single focused task, then rest
- Use a sensory buffer (weighted lap pad, noise-cancelling headphones)
- Lower lights or reduce multi-tasking
🔴 Red Zone (Flare, Overloaded)
- Retreat: lie down, remove input
- Comfort box: soft blanket, scent vial, calm audio
- Use shutdown scripts: “No talking needed,” “Just breathe”
🔵 Blue Zone (Shutdown)
- Minimize demands completely
- Support non-verbal expression (cards, symbols, body language)
- Gentle rhythmic co-regulation if available
⚫ Black Zone (Collapse, Crisis)
- Survival mode only: hydrate, medicate, rest
- Call for backup if safe and possible
- Do not expect rebound quickly
🪙 This supports pacing, self-compassion, and clearer communication with caregivers.
🎒 Layered Support Kits
Sensana uses layers of backup tools, tailored by zone and domain:
Red Zone Comfort Box
- Weighted wrap or lap pad
- Noise filter (earplugs or white noise)
- Familiar scent (lavender, skin-safe balm)
- Calming phrase cards
- Visual schedule with “nothing” blocks
Green Zone Prep Kit
- Task board or colour-coded planner
- Meal ingredients for batch cooking
- Creative supplies or social scripts
- Hydration and supplement station
Emergency Regulation Basket (All Zones)
- Electrolyte drink, pain cream, sleep mask
- Texture-safe clothing
- Fidget tool or soft object
- Shutdown or co-regulation scripts
🔁 These kits reduce decision fatigue and increase safety across all ALPIMS domains.
🌙 Flexible Endings and Evening Closure
There’s no perfect bedtime routine. Instead:
- Use a shutdown sequence (dim lights → sound off → sensory stillness)
- Practice breath-linked slowing (e.g., 4-7-8 breathing or humming)
- Choose a comforting anchor (soft texture, low light, warm tea)
✍️ Consider a gentle “zone log” to note what worked, what helped, and what felt like too much.
🧠 Why This Works for ALPIMS
ALPIMS-related conditions don’t run on clocks—they run on capacity. When the nervous system is in flux, hormone levels are unstable, pain is unpredictable, and emotional reserves are low, routine becomes pressure.
Sensana replaces that pressure with:
- Zone awareness instead of time pressure
- Micro-rhythms instead of fixed routines
- Permission-based living instead of demand-driven scheduling
🌀 This lets people live the day they’re in—not the one they wish they had.