The Green Zone Check-In: How to Know If You’re Ready to Write About Trauma

One of the most important questions I ask myself before writing about difficult things is this:

Am I in my green zone today?

For years, I didn’t know this was even a question worth asking. I thought healing meant pushing through no matter what my body was telling me.

Here’s what I learned: Your nervous system has zones. And writing about trauma when you’re already in the red zone? That’s not healing. That’s harm.

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Understanding Your Zones

Green Zone (1-3 on a scale of 1-10):

• You feel grounded

• Your breath is steady

• You can think clearly

• Your body feels relatively calm

• You have access to your resources

This is when trauma writing can be productive and healing.

Yellow Zone (4-6):

• You’re starting to feel activated

• Your breath might be shallow

• You’re a bit on edge

• You can still function but it takes effort

Proceed with caution. Shorter sessions. Gentle material only.

Red Zone (7-10):

• You’re overwhelmed

• Your body is in fight/flight/freeze

• You can’t think clearly

• Everything feels too much

Today is not a trauma writing day. Full stop.

Why This Matters

Last year, I sat down to write about a painful childhood memory. I was already at a 7—anxious, tired, emotionally raw from a disagreement with a family member earlier that day.

I pushed through anyway.

Within twenty minutes, my chest was tight. I couldn’t finish a sentence without crying. I closed my laptop and spent the rest of the day trying to calm down.

That day taught me: The zone you start in determines the zone you end in.

If you begin writing in the red zone, you’ll only go deeper into it. But if you start in the green zone? You have capacity to process. Room to feel without drowning.

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How to Check Your Zone Before You Write

Here’s what I do now, every single time:

1. Stop and breathe. Three deep breaths. Notice what’s happening in your body right now.

2. Ask yourself:

• Can I feel my feet on the ground?

• Is my breathing shallow or steady?

• Are my shoulders up by my ears?

• Does my stomach feel tight or relaxed?

3. Rate yourself 1-10. Be honest. No judgment.

4. Decide based on your number:

• 1-3: Write if you want to

• 4-6: Proceed gently, set a timer, plan aftercare

• 7-10: Not today. Do something that brings you back to green first.

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The Shift That Helped

Here’s what nobody told me when I started writing about trauma:

You don’t owe anyone your story on a hard day.

Not your readers. Not your therapist. Not even yourself.

Some days, the most healing thing you can do is not write about trauma. And that’s not avoidance. That’s wisdom.

The story will still be there tomorrow. But if you write when you’re already overwhelmed, you might not be okay tomorrow.

This Is What the Cards Help You Do

The 5-Minute Safety Check Digital Card Deck starts with this exact question: Am I in my green zone today?

It walks you through the check-in. Helps you notice what your body is telling you. Gives you permission to choose differently.

Because healing through writing isn’t about forcing yourself through pain. It’s about learning when to write and when to wait.

What about you? Have you ever pushed through a writing session when you knew you shouldn’t have? What happened? Let me know in the comments.

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