WINDOW OF TOLERANCE

Everyone has a “Window of tolerance” to process everyday events. Picture a large rectangular shape, and inside it is your “optimal” zone – this is where you are grounded, comfortable, present, ‘ok.’

There is a ‘zone’ above and below this rectangle.

As a stress event happens, you start to move from your comfortable zone (optimal) either up to the Hyper-arousal zone:

· Anger

· Panic

· Irritability

· Anxiety

· Overwhelmed

· Fight-or-Flight instinct

Or you emotionally go below the rectangle to Hypo-arousal:

· Shutting down

· Numb

· Depressed

· Withdrawal

· Shame

· Disconnection

The key to well-being is to learn to stay/exist within that window of optimal emotional functioning. This is a fantastic coping skill to learn to have balance and maintain emotional stability in our life. Is it easy? “No, but well worth the effort!”