The Window of Tolerance diagram is a useful visual tool that helps us understand how our nervous system responds to stress.

When we are able to remain inside our window of tolerance, we feel calm, focused, and able to respond to life's challenges effectively. However, when stress levels rise and push us out of this window, our bodies may shift into fight, flight, or freeze mode.

These are automatic survival responses that can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected. By plotting our familiar responses onto this diagram, we can begin to recognise when we move into these different states and develop strategies to return to a place of balance and regulation.

My Toolkit for Grounding and Calming offers a list of effective ways to retain or return to a regulated state.