Your First Check-In

Your first check-in

Checking in takes about ten seconds. You'll do it three times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening. Here's what to expect.

How it works

When you tap "Check In" on your home screen, the app walks you through two steps:

Step 1: Energy. You pick a bucket that matches how you feel right now:

• Charged (8-10): In the zone. Ideas and output flowing. You feel like you could keep going.
• Balanced (5-7): Functional. Holding steady. Not great, not terrible.
• Drained (1-4): Running on empty. Hard to start anything. Executive function feels offline.

After picking your bucket, you slide to a specific number within that range.

Step 2: Mood (optional). Same idea, five levels:

• Electric (9-10): Full intensity, buzzing with feeling.
• Sparking (7-8): Ideas flowing, creative energy.
• Grounded (5-6): Stable, holding it together.
• Foggy (3-4): Blunted, disconnected.
• Underwater (1-2): Submerged, shutdown.

You can skip mood tracking if you prefer. Energy is the core metric. Mood adds a second dimension that helps signals like Mood Shield work better.

What do the numbers mean?

The numbers aren't about productivity or how much you got done. They're about how your brain and body feel right now.

A 7 doesn't mean "I completed 70% of my to-do list." It means "I feel functional and steady." A 3 doesn't mean "I'm lazy." It means "Starting things feels impossible right now."

There are no good or bad numbers. Every reading is useful data.

When to check in

NeuroSpicy has three check-in windows:

• Morning: Before noon
• Afternoon: Noon to 5pm
• Evening: After 5pm

You can set up push notifications to remind you. The defaults are 9am, 1pm, and 6:30pm, but you can adjust them in Settings.

If you miss a window, the app will ask you to log the missed check-in next time you open it. You can fill it in retroactively or skip it.

What to expect in your first week

Days 1-3: You're building the habit. The chart starts filling in but there isn't enough data for signals yet. That's normal.

Days 4-6: You start seeing your energy curve take shape. The color-coded phases (Charged in green, Balanced in teal, Drained in red) begin painting a picture.

Day 7: Most basic signals unlock. You'll see your first readings for things like Burnout Risk, Peak Window, and Mood Shield (if you're tracking mood).

After 2 weeks: More signals unlock, including the Regulation. Your personal patterns start becoming clear.

After a month: You'll have enough data for cycle analysis. NeuroSpicy can start predicting phase transitions and comparing your current patterns to your historical averages.

Tips for better data

• Be honest, not optimistic. Rate how you actually feel, not how you want to feel. Accurate data makes better predictions.
• Check in close to the window. A morning check-in at 8am captures how your day starts. One at 11:30am captures something different.
• Don't overthink it. Your gut reaction is usually right. Pick the bucket, slide to a number, done.
• Consistency matters more than precision. A check-in that's "close enough" every day beats a perfect check-in once a week.

Sources

1. Heron, K.E., et al. (2024). "A novel self-rating instrument designed for long-term, app-based monitoring of ADHD symptoms." Frontiers in Psychiatry. PMC11423372
2. Schmid, J.M., et al. (2023). "Change in Adolescents' Perceived ADHD Symptoms Across 17 Days of Ecological Momentary Assessment." Journal of Attention Disorders. PMC9877248