Articles · Self-Advocacy
Building a Personal Support Menu
A practical way to identify what helps before you are in crisis.
Shared Language editorial team
Published · Updated · 2 min read
Why this matters
It is easier to ask for support when you already know what helps.
Build your menu
List supports by category.
- Focus
- Meetings
- Deadlines
- Communication
- Sensory environment
- Feedback
- Recovery
Use it carefully
You do not need to share the whole menu. Share the part that applies to the work situation.
Make each option specific
Under meetings, write “agenda before the call” rather than “better communication.” Under deadlines, try “an outline checkpoint before the full draft.” Include things you can do yourself and things that need agreement from others. This helps you distinguish a personal routine from a request you need to discuss with a manager or teammate.
Choose for the situation
Imagine you are starting a project with an unfamiliar team. You might select just two items: a named person for questions and a written definition of the deliverable. You do not need to present every possible support at once. Explain how each selected option connects to the task and ask what is feasible.
Keep the menu flexible
After trying an option, note whether to keep it, change it, or stop using it. Something that helps in a quiet writing task may not help during a customer-facing shift. Your menu can contain alternatives rather than one fixed description of how you must always work. It belongs to you; share only the parts you want others to use.
Try this next
Write three supports that help you work more reliably.