Definitions of common TBL terms
If you are unfamiliar with the TBL language, begin here. This page describes the TBL method in simple terms and demonstrates how each concept is useful during a real trip.
- Reduce confusion: same TBL terms, same meaning across pages and tools.
- Reduce decision load: quick “what it means / why it helps / example” format.
TBL approach at a glance
Trip Load Scan → Zones → Trip Snapshot → Red-to-Amber → Recovery Runway. This is TBL’s capacity-first planning sequence: identify likely flare triggers, sort activities by body-cost, create a one-page plan, pre-decide a bad-day version, then protect the first days after the trip.
Find the “pinch points” before you commit.
Label activities Green / Amber / Red by body-cost.
One-page plan with rules, buffers, and downshift triggers.
Pre-decided swaps for bad days (Plan B).
Protect the return-home week by design.
How to use this glossary
Use this sequence:
Start with your pain point
Use the quick links above (crash after trips, need Plan B, need one-page plan, etc.).
Read “Plain-English” first
Each term has a simple explanation, why it helps, and a practical example.
Open “Official definition” if needed
Core terms
Trip Load Scan
Plain-English meaning
A quick “stress test” of your trip before you book or lock it in. It helps you spot the parts most likely to overload your body (for example: long sitting, airport queues, heat, stairs, tight timing, or too much walking in one day).
Why this helps
- Prevents avoidable surprises
- Shows where buffers matter most
- Makes tradeoffs earlier, when they’re easier
Example
“The museum is not the main problem. The problem is: airport queue + 90-minute drive + hotel stairs + dinner reservation all in one day.”
Common mistake
Looking only at the destination and ignoring the transitions (travel day, check-in, queues, transfers).
Official definition
A fast stress-test that finds the itinerary segments most likely to trigger a flare (pinch points) before you book or commit.
#trip-load-scanZones (Green / Amber / Red)
Plain-English meaning
A simple labeling system for activities based on body-cost. It helps you stop treating everything as equally possible. Green = usually doable. Amber = doable with rules/buffers. Red = too costly today.
Why this helps
- Cuts decision load on low-energy days
- Makes overbooking easier to see
- Gives you permission to protect capacity
Example
Green: hotel breakfast + short beach walk. Amber: museum with wheelchair/bench plan. Red: back-to-back tours plus late dinner.
Common mistake
Assuming “Red” means “never.” In TBL it usually means “not worth the cost today / this trip / this pacing setup.”
Official definition
A labeling system that classifies each activity by expected body-cost: Green is safe enough, Amber needs buffers and rules, Red is not worth the cost today.
#zonesTrip Snapshot (One Page)
Plain-English meaning
Your one-page operating plan for this trip. It pulls together your limits, buffers, triggers, and “what I do if symptoms rise” so you don’t need to re-decide everything in the moment.
Why this helps
- Works better than long notes when fatigued
- Easy to share with a partner/family member
- Keeps the plan usable during flares
Example
“No back-to-back high-load activities. Mandatory rest 2–4 pm. If pain rises above baseline +2, switch to indoor nearby option.”
Common mistake
Turning it into a long document. If it cannot be skimmed quickly, it stops working as a snapshot.
Official definition
A one-page plan that captures your limits, non-negotiable buffers, symptom triggers, and what to do when you need to downshift.
#trip-snapshotRed-to-Amber (Plan B)
Plain-English meaning
Your pre-decided “bad day” swap. Instead of cancelling everything or panic-planning, you swap a high-cost plan (Red) for a lower-cost version (Amber) that still gives you some of the same meaning.
Why this helps
- Reduces panic and guilt on flare days
- Keeps the day salvageable
- Protects energy for the rest of the trip
Example
Red: full-day walking tour. Amber: taxi to one landmark + seated café + early return. Same city experience, lower load.
Common mistake
Waiting to invent Plan B during a flare, when cognition, patience, and options are all reduced.
Official definition (exact wording)
A pre-decided redesign that swaps a Red activity into an Amber alternative with the same emotional payoff and lower load.
#red-to-amberRecovery Runway
Plain-English meaning
A lighter plan for the first days after you get home. TBL treats recovery as part of the trip, not an afterthought. This protects your work/family routine and reduces the “trip was great, aftermath was awful” cycle.
Why this helps
- Reduces boom-and-bust recovery crashes
- Makes the trip cost more honest
- Protects what matters after travel
Example
No major meetings the next day, simplified meals, reduced errands, early bedtime, and one recovery buffer day before full routine.
Common mistake
Planning the trip in detail but treating return-home days like they have zero cost.
Official definition (exact wording)
A planned, lighter schedule for the first days after travel so recovery is part of the itinerary, not an afterthought.
#recovery-runwayOther terms
Pinch Point
A specific moment in the trip where demand spikes (queues, stairs, heat, long sitting, tight timing) and symptoms usually follow.
Minimum Viable Day
The smallest version of the day that still feels worth it, designed so you can drop everything else without guilt.
Quiet Anchor
A low-sensory, low-movement reset point you schedule on purpose to prevent overload (for example: a café, hotel lounge, or shaded bench).
What you will see in many sections of the TBL website
Trip Load Scan → Zones → Trip Snapshot → Red-to-Amber → Recovery Runway. A capacity-first planning method that stress-tests your itinerary against your body, reduces decision load, and pre-decides what to do on bad days. Planning support only.
TBL Methods: 1) Trip Load Scan: identify pinch points that trigger flares (sitting blocks, transitions, walking/sensory load, timing pressure). 2) Zones (Green/Amber/Red): label activities by cost so your plan stays runnable. 3) Trip Snapshot (1 page): your rules, buffers, and downshift triggers. 4) Red-to-Amber: pre-decided swaps that preserve meaning at lower load. 5) Recovery Runway: schedule the return-home week so the trip doesn’t steal the month after. Planning support only. Not medical advice, clearance, or emergency care.
Boundaries
Ticked Bucket List provides educational, decision-making, and planning support, and risk prioritization. It is not medical advice, medical clearance, diagnosis, prescribing, medication changes, or emergency care. Medical decisions remain with your treating clinician. See Medical & Travel Disclaimer.