Trigger and
Response Options

ADHD Executive Function Tools

Map what sets you off and what brings you back

Where This Tool Helps

Use the first page to mark situations that tend to precede a strong response for you. The list contains possibilities, not common ADHD-brain triggers, and the worksheet does not divide a rational brain from an emotional one.

Use the second page as a menu of response options you may already know or want to test in a safe, ordinary moment. No option is guaranteed to work, and crisis or safety needs require qualified support.

How to Use This Checklist

  1. Work through the trigger checklist first. Check every item that applies, even if it only applies sometimes. Partial triggers still fire.
  2. For each trigger you checked, note whether it shows up more at work, at home, or both. Patterns in context matter as much as the triggers themselves.
  3. Move to the response options page. Check the tools you have used before and know work for you.
  4. Look at the unchecked response options. Pick two or three you have not tried and commit to testing them in the next two weeks - during a low-stakes moment, not during a crisis.
  5. Bring both pages to your next coaching session. The overlap between your most frequent triggers and your least-tested response options is where the work is.

Coaching and Health Scope

This is a coaching reflection aid, not therapy, diagnosis, medical care, or a validated clinical instrument. Use it to record your own observations and prepare questions, not to identify a condition or choose treatment. Adapt or stop any prompt that feels unsafe or distressing. Bring persistent sleep, mood, anxiety, medication, physical-symptom, or safety concerns to a licensed health professional; use emergency or local crisis services for immediate danger.

1

Identifying Triggers

Which of the following sets you off? Check all that apply.

Triggers Checklist
Disorganization: Feeling overwhelmed by clutter or chaos
Interrupted Routines: When your daily routine is disrupted
Impatience: Waiting in long lines or for slow-moving situations
Repetitive Tasks: Feeling frustrated with repetitive or monotonous tasks
Misunderstandings: When others misinterpret your intentions or actions
Criticism: Receiving negative feedback or criticism
Forgetfulness: Forgetting important appointments or tasks
Lack of Focus: Struggling to concentrate on tasks
Time Pressure: Feeling rushed or under time constraints
Sensory Overload: Overstimulating environments - noise, crowds, bright lights
Mistakes: Making errors or feeling like you have let someone down
Distractions: Constant interruptions and difficulty staying on track
Overcommitment: Taking on too many responsibilities at once
Perceived Injustice: Feeling unfairly treated or misunderstood
Feeling Out of Control: Unable to manage impulses or actions in the moment
Perfectionism: Striving for perfection and getting frustrated when things fall short
My strongest triggers and when they tend to show up
2

Response Options

What helps you come back down? Check the tools you have used and know work for you.

Response Options Checklist
Take slow, deliberate breaths
Drink a glass of water (warm or cold - find what resets you)
Step away and take a break
Stretch or do progressive muscle relaxation
Write - journal, notes, an unsent letter
Listen to music that shifts your state
Talk to someone you trust
Physical activity - walk, exercise, climb stairs
Spend time with an animal
Use a fidget tool or stress ball
Step outside for fresh air
Do something with your hands - draw, build, organize a drawer
Read something unrelated to what triggered you
Take a shower or splash cold water on your face
Find something genuinely funny - humor breaks the loop
Write down the thought that is stuck on repeat
Count to ten before responding
Go for a short walk - even five minutes changes the chemistry
Use a calming scent - lavender, peppermint, whatever works for you
Change your physical environment - move to a different room or space
Tools I know work for me vs. tools I want to test
3

Before Your Next Session

Look at the two lists side by side. Which situation on the first page occurs most often in a typical week? Now look at the second page: do you have a tested response option ready for that specific trigger, or are you still improvising?

Pick one situation-response pairing to practice this week during a normal, low-stakes moment. Record what you notice and adapt or stop if it is not useful.

Reflection Questions

Which trigger from the list fires most often for you?

Which response option will you test this week - and when?

What did you notice after trying it?

4

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