In order to heal chronic pain, chronic illness, anxiety and depression we need to braoden our window of tolerance.
Window of Tolerance is a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel used to understand and describe normal brain/body reactions, especially following adverse experiences.

We have an optimal arousal level when we are within the window of tolerance that allows for the ebb and flow or ups and downs of human emotion. We may experience hurt, anxiety, pain or anger that brings us close to the edges of the window of tolerance but generally we are able to utilize strategies to keep us within this window.

Similarly, we may feel too exhausted, sad, or shut down but we generally shift out of this.

The more can remain in our window of tolerance the more we can nurture optimal health outcomes.

When we experience adversity through trauma and unmet attachment needs and/or toxic stress this can disrupt our nervous system drastically.

Then our senses become heightened and our experiences and reactions are typically intensified and strategies are less readily accessible.

Adverse experiences shrink our window of tolerance which means we have less capacity to ebb and flow and are more likely to become overwhelmed more quickly.

Then we default to living in surival mode and living in survival mode is a direct path to a life of chronic pain, chronic illness, anxiety and depression.

When we are in our window of tolerance we are in an optimal arousal zone. This presents itself as having access to a generally relaxed and alert awareness where we can successfully manage life stressors.

When we have developed a broad window of tolerance we have fewer maladaptive behaviors and experience less excessive dysregulation.

In general we feel connected and flexible and are able to communicate even through times of conflict, challenge and stress.

In this optimal zone of arousal we are ready for learning and problem solving. This means even in times of trouble we can see the problem as a doorway to a solution. This is the essence of a growth mindset and a possibility consciousness.
When we experience prolonged overwhelm, as is the case with chronic pain and chronic illness, we can leave our window of tolerance and move into the zones of hyper or hypoarousal.

Hyperarousal is a high level of arousal leaving us feeling overwhelmed, anxious. highly stressed and stuck in flight or flight.

Heart rate increases to ready us to moveaway from or fight against danger whether real or perceived. This leads to faster breathing and increased blood pressure.

Hypoarousal is a low level of arousal that can leave us feeling zoned out, spacey, or numb. This is the shut down response of freeze that leaves us immobilized when we are unable to fight or flight. Its a survival state of dissociation and collapse.

When we live with chronic pain and chronic illness, anxiety and depression its an indication that we are living outside of our window of tolerance and stuck in fight, flight or freeze.

The path to healing chronic pain, chronic illness, anxiety and depression is one where we learn how to broaden our window of tolerance and break free of living in survival mode.

The first step is to bring awareness to the experiences, circumstances, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, memories and behaviors that knock us out of our window of tolerance.

When we are aware of these factors we can better equip ourselves with the tools and practices we need to support ourselves through overwhelm so we can better bring ourselves back to an optimal state of arousal.