The simple answer is YES! With time and focus you CAN widen your window of tolerance. Why is this a good thing? It increases your resilience and keeps your prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for cognitive processing) switched on for …
How To Decrease Hypoarousal
When we are in hypoarousal (when we have gone into freeze and dissociation) we have started to numb and dissociate. To help yourself when you are on this end of the spectrum, you need to stimulate the senses and get …
Signs of Hypoarousal
Hypoarousal is another defence mechanism. It feels like exhaustion, numbness, feeling disconnected from everything and everyone, like you are in a dream. You may want to sleep a lot, eat little and feel quite numb and dissociated. It can be …
How to Decrease Hyperarousal
Hyperarousal is when there is excessive energy that often expresses as anxiety, panic, feeling out of control and wanting to run away. When this happens, it is difficult to relax as our body has gone into fight or flight mode. …
Signs Of Hyperarousal
As we move through life most of the time we are within a safe range of arousal, which means a state where we can function well as a human being. We are able to self-regulate, we feel grounded, present and …
What is the Window of Tolerance?
The widow of tolerance is a phrase first used by Dr. Dan Siegel to describe the arousal state in which a person can best function, where they feel they can manage life. When you are within the window of tolerance, …
How to Break the Self-Betrayal Pattern
Little self-betrayals become a habit. It is in the little moments where our natural reaction is to say yes, when really, the right answer for us at that time is no. Self-betrayals happen when we don’t take the time and …
Self-Betrayal is a Form of Inner Disconnection
When your needs as a child have not been met, there has been abuse or neglect, a disconnect forms internally with the inner knowing of what you need in any given moment. This makes self-care very difficult as you have …
What is Self Betrayal?
When we grow up with parents who are abusive or neglectful, we quickly learn to ignore our own needs. Maybe it is dangerous to express our needs, or when we do, they are ignored. The result is a deep disconnect …
Protective Factors For Suicide
With suicide being the leading cause of death for Australians from ages 15 to 44, it is important we are all aware of the protective factors. If you read through this list and see that you are weak in some …