So how does the window of tolerance affect your mental health?
The window of tolerance is the zone of arousal in which you are able to function most effectively. Stress of traumatic or negative events can ‘push’ you out of your window of tolerance. When you have been affected by trauma, you may respond to stressors, even little ones, with extreme hyper- or hypo-arousal. So because of traumatic experiences, you may believe the world is unsafe; as a result your window of tolerance becomes more narrow.
A narrowed window of tolerance can cause you to perceive danger more readily and react to real and imagined threats with either a fight/flight response or a freeze response.
People who often operate outside of their window of tolerance can experience mental health issues, like depression and anxiety.
When you are in a state of hyper-arousal, you may develop symptoms of post traumatic stress, like flashbacks, nightmares, and derealisation. When you are in a state of hypo-arousal, you may dissociate, have memory issues, and experience feelings of depersonalisation.
A narrow window of tolerance can affect your mental health greatly. It reduces your coping skills, resilience and ability to make decisions rationally. Widening this window will decrease stress levels, improve coping ability, makes you feel less anxious and allows you to make rational decisions. I can help you to widen your window of tolerance, PM me to set up a free 15 minute consultation.
