Do You Know About The “Window of Tolerance”? A Licensed Psychologist, a “Mental Health Expert,” Teaches You How to Widen Your Window of Tolerance

Have you ever heard of the term “window of tolerance“? In recent years, we have seen more and more instances of the term “window of tolerance” being used in conjunction with trauma. In this article, we will explain in detail what the “window of tolerance” is and introduce ways to widen it.

What is The Window of Tolerance?

The “window of tolerance” was named by Dr. Daniel Siegel and refers to the range of stress that an individual can tolerate. The wider the window of tolerance, the better you can deal with stress and maintain emotional control. In terms of the nervous system, it is a state between hyperarousal. When the sympathetic nervous system is dominant and hyperarousal.

When the dorsal vagus nervous system is dominant. In other words, it refers to a state in which you are in an appropriate state of arousal and feel safe and secure. When we encounter stress, we go up and down in waves. Becoming hyperarousal with tension and excitement, or hypoarousal with lethargy and depression. The problem is not that there is fluctuation. But that it becomes extreme and does not return to the window of security and safety.

Source: Tokyo Counseling Office “Psychological approaches to widening the window of tolerance”

What Are The 5Fs of Trauma?

How do we react when we encounter a very shocking (traumatic) event? Here we introduce the 5Fs of trauma.

Friendly

First, try to respond in a friendly manner through communication.

Fight

The “fight” response: This is a proactive defensive reaction to protect yourself and others by taking action to fight a threat.

Flight

“Flight” response. This is the behavior of running away from a situation when you sense danger. It can be said to be a response to distance yourself from danger.

Freeze

“Freeze” response. When unable to fight or flee, small animals may play dead. In humans, they may become immobile or detach from emotions, becoming unable to feel.

Fawn

“Pleasure” response. This is a behavior that seeks to avoid danger by becoming submissive to a threat. Especially in interpersonal relationships, this is done to avoid violence or further threats by becoming submissive to an aggressor or dominant.

These reactions are natural survival responses to trauma and stress. Each reaction is adaptive at the moment, and they do not necessarily occur in the order listed above, nor are any reactions good or bad.

Returning to the topic of the window of tolerance, the fight and flight responses are states of hyperarousal. When the sympathetic nervous system is dominant. The freeze response is a state of hyperarousal.

Widening Your Window of Tolerance With Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga and mindfulness are effective tools for recovering from trauma. Trauma expert David Treleaven also says that mindfulness is effective in expanding the window of tolerance. However, care must be taken when practicing it. He also says that “depending on how it is used, it may worsen the symptoms of traumatic stress.” For example, while practicing mindfulness, you may fall outside the window of tolerance and become hyperaroused, causing anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. Or you may become hyperaroused, causing depression and a feeling of freezing.

Therefore, it is important to understand the effects and practice yoga and mindfulness with care to widen the window of tolerance. Currently, there are mindfulness and yoga practices that consider trauma. Such as trauma-sensitive yoga and trauma-sensitive mindfulness. These practices consider trauma and carefully consider what you can do to stay within the window of tolerance in your practice, and how to get back in if you fall outside of it.

*If you have trauma that is affecting your daily life. We recommend that you first see a medical institution or specialist. Also, if you practice yoga or mindfulness, be sure to do so under the supervision of an instructor who understands trauma, as this may worsen the condition.

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