Everyone has a unique window of tolerance.
Let's talk about that.
The window of tolerance is the amount of stress a person can endure without it impacting their ability to cope.
This is something that is always changing.
It is normal for the window of tolerance to slightly change even within the same day.
You may not be able to tolerate loud music at 6am,
But at 6pm you can.
If the window of tolerance is small,
Then any additional stress is likely to cause significant distress.
A large window allows for additional stress to be reasonably tolerated.
If the window of tolerance is exceeded,
The results can be that physical and mental health may worsen.
There can be an increase in depression and anxiety and other mental health symptoms.
There may be an urge to use coping that's unhealthy for that individual.
They may exhibit anger,
Violence or harmful behaviour.
There may be a reduced ability to concentrate or make decisions.
And they may shut down isolating from others.
A person may be unable to engage with their responsibilities.
There may be a decrease in self-care.
There may be some uncontrolled emotions,
Such as prolonged crying.
There can be difficulties with sleeping and there can be other things as well.
Some folks may be able to bounce back quicker than others when they reach their limit.
The window of tolerance may be smaller due to physical health,
Discrimination,
Financial problems,
Pain,
Personality,
Family,
Basic needs not being met,
Disability,
Support or lack thereof,
Difficulties in school,
Trauma,
Compounded stress,
Grief,
Stressful work,
Facing barriers,
Not having the right skills,
Facing racism,
Mental health issues,
Substance use,
Not feeling connected to the community,
And so on.
It's important to note that the window of tolerance is commonly smaller for folks who have experienced trauma.
The person may have triggers,
Difficulties with regulation,
Flashbacks,
Nightmares,
And similar problems that can cause the window to be small.
This is important for friends and families and professionals to know because they need to recognize this.
Some options that may help with increasing the window of tolerance are therapy or community support programs,
Classes,
Self-help,
Different types of medical support like seeing your family doctor,
Taking medications,
Seeing a chiropractor,
Whatever is right.
It might be utilizing harm reduction techniques.
There may be help with using mindfulness,
Yoga,
Meditation.
It can be helpful,
Of course,
To reduce stress or your responsibilities.
Some folks may need to go on a leave or shorten their work hours or they need to take a vacation.
It's helpful when people can learn to recognize when they're reaching their limit.
We need to take care of our basic needs such as getting enough food,
Sleep,
Exercise,
And so on.
It's important to spend time with loved ones or maybe that's having pets or joining a group.
It's important to remember to do hobbies or gain new ones.
For some folks,
It's really important to work towards changes in society.
And last but not least,
Spiritual and cultural connections can be really important.
So those are just some options on how a person can increase their window of tolerance.
There's lots of options and what is needed can also change over time.
The window of tolerance can be widened over time.
It's important to note though that not everyone has the same possibilities,
Especially when aspects of their life are unchangeable.
It's important to note that someone isn't good or bad due to the size of their window.
And that is my talk on the window of tolerance.
Have a great day.
Thanks.
