Your Nervous System Has a Sweet Spot: Window of Tolerance

What Is the Window of Tolerance?

The window of tolerance is a model of autonomic arousal proposed by Dan Siegel. The Window of Tolerance model focuses specifically on understanding the body’s nervous system regulation after experiencing a stressor.  When someone is within their window of tolerance, they are able to manage everyday stressors and challenges without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.

Individuals who have been exposed to trauma may often experience “too much arousal or too little arousal,” which refers to the two physiological extremes of hyperarousal and hypoarousal. Someone constantly living in their past trauma is primed to detect threat and may have a narrow window of tolerance.

Trauma, secondary trauma or moving beyond our window of tolerance can activate the ANS through various sensory pathways:

• disrupt the brain’s ability to regulate emotions

• cause individuals to rapidly shift into hyer/hypoarousal

• may engage in avoidance behaviors or repress emotions

• interferes with sleep, leading to chronic fatigue

• difficulty with memory, concentrating and focusing

• lead to feelings of emptiness or detachment from life

• modulation of the gut microflora

Hyperarousal or Hypoarousal

Under adversity and out of our window, there is less capacity to flow between parasympathetic/sympathetic states and we tend to get overwhelmed easily. This leads to nervous system hyperarousal or hypoarousal.

-Individuals in a hyperarousal state often talk quickly, use lots of gestures and increase their speaking volume. Feelings of fear, anxiety and panic are common. Heart rate increases and the body perspires.

-Other individuals under threat display a hypoarousal state or a freeze response. Their body withdraws and shuts down, as if the person who was previously animated becomes stuck in an off position. They may report feeling exhausted or numb. They may appear listless and if they talk at all, their speech is flat.

By developing skills for emotional regulation (using mindfulness, self-awareness and self-compassion),we recognize moving to a hyper/hypoarousal state faster and increase our capacity to remain within our Window of Tolerance.

Strategies for Expanding the Window of Tolerance

The most effective way to broaden the window of tolerance is through a combination of practices that promote emotional regulation, self-awareness and a sense of safety. This includes cultivating mindfulness, developing healthy emotional regulation skills, building a strong support network and establishing clear boundaries.

12 Coping Strategies to Consider:

 1. Life balance — work to establish and maintain a diversity of interests, activities and relationships.

2. Relaxation techniques —practice forest bathing, box breathing, EFT tapping, yoga, meditation, or guided imagery.

3. Contact with nature — garden, hike or walk to remain connected to the earth and help maintain perspective. Work with herbs like chamomile, tulsi and lemon balm.

4. Creative expression — things like drawing, cooking, crafting or photography expand our emotional experiences.

5. Time management — set priorities and maintain values

6. Plan for coping — determine skills and strategies to adopt or enhance when signs of compassion fatigue begin

7. Focusing on self-care — making a healthy diet, exercise, and regular sleep a priority, reduces adverse stress effects

8. Journaling — writing about feelings and about anything that has helped or been comforting can help make meaning out of negative experiences

9. Seeking professional support — working with a counselor who specializes in trauma

10.Asking for help — asking social supports or co-workers to assist with tasks or responsibilities

11. Set Rituals — These rituals can also help you set a boundary between work and home, for example changing clothes as soon as you get home, having a shower, or putting on a specific song just before work and when you leave

12. 4, 3, 2, 1 Grounding Techniques — sit comfortably and breathe, what 4 things do you see, what 3 things do you here, what 2 things do you feel, what is 1 thing you smell.

Although many of the negative experiences that happen to us (especially the adverse experiences we experience in early childhood) are not our fault – it is our responsibility to learn about how we can best help ourselves, because the ‘wider’ we can make our Window of Tolerance, the more resilient we can learn to become in the face of life’s challenges. Being aware of your nervous system and practicing self-regulation techniques can help you return to your window of tolerance when you're feeling overwhelmed or numb.