fbpx skip to Main Content
Menu
Future Path Life Coaching
  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • POSITIVE MENTAL FITNESS
  • WORK WITH ME
  • GROUP COACHING
  • BLOG
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • CONTACT ME
  • Search
My Blog

Impatient, overwhelmed or lacking in energy during Lockdown? You may have deserted your Window of Tolerance. 7 crucial skills to get back in to it.

  • genfuturepathx
  • Uncategorized
  • 0 Comments

The Window of Tolerance is a simple and practical concept developed by Dr Dan Siegel (1999). It is commonly used to understand and describe normal changes in brain and body reactions, particularly after facing adversity or trauma.

For many, the sudden changes brought on by the enforcement of Lockdown have thrown us in to adversity. For some of you, this experience has been a traumatic and potentially life changing event, which we are still tolerating.

Being in your Window of Tolerance enables you to operate in an optimum way, but in Lockdown you may have been operating outside your Window of Tolerance. It is likely that your window may have become quite narrow due to the pressures of home schooling, working from home, restrictions on going out, missing your friends etc.

Signs you are within your Window of Tolerance

Feelings are tolerable

Experience empathy

Feel and think simultaneously

Feel open and curious (not judgemental or defensive)

Feel safe (not fearful)

Reactions adapt to fit the situation

Awareness of boundaries (yours and others)

Resilient and adaptable to change

Resourceful and calm

When you are within your Window of Tolerance, the brain generally functions well and can effectively process stimuli. You are likely to be able to reflect, think rationally, and make decisions calmly without feeling either overwhelmed or withdrawn.

When you are outside of your Window of Tolerance, your nervous system responds by going into survival mode – fight, flight or freeze. You can either feel overwhelmed and go into hyper-arousal or you can shut down and go into hypo-arousal. Your window of tolerance can be narrow or wide and is different for all people and at different times in your life.

Hyper-Arousal also known as fight or flight response: Emotional overwhelm, panic, feeling unsafe, angry, racing thoughts, anxiety, etc.

Hypo-Arousal also known as freeze response: Numb, no feelings or energy, can’t think, shut down, ashamed, disconnected, depressed, bored, apathetic, etc.

Being outside your Window of Tolerance is draining and can have an adverse effect on your health. People are hard to be around when they are outside their Window of Tolerance.

When you find you’re are outside your Window of Tolerance, use these skills to bring you back into your Window of Tolerance:

Physical activity – using your body has so many benefits, both mentally and physically. If you’re in hyper-arousal it may help to purge your anger or overwhelm. If you’re feeling hypo-aroused it may well give you some energy and focus.

Challenge your thoughts – don’t believe everything you think! When you have a negative thought, challenge it by replacing it with a positive one. Consider what a good friend might say to you. Be kind to yourself, not harsh or critical.

Mindfulness – raise your awareness of the here and now. Consider using a short guided meditation. Tim Segallar, from Rising Minds, has some good ones here. Try eating mindfully and savouring each mouthful to bring the present in to sharp focus.

Soothe your senses – make yourself a hot or cold drink. Use a hot water bottle or a cold flannel. Wrap yourself in a soft blanket and take some time for you. Light a candle, take a bath. Play some calming music or look at some old photos.

Write things down – writing when you are stressed can give you a chance to process your thoughts and feelings. Writing can also help you to gain perspective on your feelings and move you to a more rational frame of mind.

Grounding – practice grounding yourself in times of high stress. Release gripped hands. Stand tall; feel the ground beneath you. Take a brief walk.  Notice your feet connecting with the floor. Orient to and label objects in the room. Call a friend you trust

Breathing – try breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, then breathing out through the mouth for a count of 5. Do this for a few minutes. The longer out-breath will help to calm you.

So, when things are particularly stressful during Lockdown, try to think before you react and be curious about your response to the stress. It may not feel like it, but you do have a choice. Increasing your awareness of your Window of Tolerance gives you resources to draw on and can prevent you moving automatically in to fight, flight or freeze.

Share This

  • Facebook

genfuturepathx

Related Posts

6 ways to progress in your personal and professional development, just like cleaning the kitchen

This is not my kitchen...but I wish it was! How do you manage your kitchen?…

I talked her through a panic attack. How positive mental fitness helped one friend.

It was 6 months ago and I was at work. A friend, let’s call her…

5 ways to boss the summer holidays like a pro!

Barricane Beach - Woolacombe, Devon The summer holidays are in sight. That’s good, but it…

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts
  • 6 ways to progress in your personal and professional development, just like cleaning the kitchen
  • I talked her through a panic attack. How positive mental fitness helped one friend.
  • 5 ways to boss the summer holidays like a pro!
  • Sometimes you do just need to STOP
  • 5 ways to introduce punctuation into your life, leading to calm, laser focused action
Archives
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
Categories
  • General
  • Some Advice
  • Supermum Article
  • Uncategorized
  • previous post: Boost your Lockdown environment: 4 things to counteract the current VUCA world we are in
  • next post: 6 signs you might need a coaching tune up
Get in touch for a Mum to Mum no obligation chat
Get in Touch
Testimonial
  • Patrycja, Oxford

    During my 6 sessions I learnt to treat myself as I would treat my friend. I gained confidence to start to like and appreciate myself which led me into becoming a much happier person. I realised that focusing on future plans and setting clear actions is the right way to keep the track of my life expectations. I know I don’t have to achieve it all, as long as I am happy with the process and end result.

Copyright FuturePathLifeCoaching - All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Policy
  • Facebook
  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • POSITIVE MENTAL FITNESS
  • WORK WITH ME
  • GROUP COACHING
  • BLOG
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • CONTACT ME
Back To Top