13 Tips to Manage Anxiety, Burnout & Stay in Your Window of Tolerance

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and burned out? Do you long for strategies that you can use? Ones that empower you to help yourself step back into a state of feeling calm and regulated? Especially when life throws its challenges your way? If so, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll explore 13 effective strategies to help combat anxiety, burnout, and regain access to your Window of Tolerance.

In our last blog, “How to Understand Anxiety, Burnout & Your Window of Tolerance,” we explored the concept of the Window of Tolerance, a vital psychological state where you can manage stress and emotional responses effectively. We also investigated the two key states that you can find yourself in when you lose balance: hypoarousal, where you might feel lethargic or emotionally disconnected, and hyperarousal, where you may feel jittery or constantly on edge. Today, we’re taking it a step further, and focusing on practical ways you can help yourself re-enter that window.

Learning how to navigate your Window of Tolerance is a game-changer. It can be a lifesaver during high-pressure situations, especially when grappling with anxiety or during times of burnout. Developing this skill equips you with the tools to handle stressors that life may throw your way. So, let’s dive right in.

What to do if you’re Hypoaroused

If you find yourself hypoaroused, meaning you’re experiencing burnout, feeling lethargic, have a lack of motivation or are feeling emotionally disconnected, it’s crucial to activate your senses. If you notice yourself falling into hypoarousal or find yourself already there, you can try some of these activities:

1. Get out of bed (when you’re not supposed to be sleeping)
2. Move your body
3. Go for a walk
4. Notice the urge to isolate and withdraw, then do the opposite
5. Reach out to the people you trust most
6. Reach out for professional support

What to do if you’re Hyperaroused

On the other hand, if you’re hyperaroused, perhaps due to heightened anxiety, feeling jittery, or constantly on edge, you’ll want to ground yourself in the present moment. Before taking action, check if there’s a genuine cause for alarm. If there isn’t, consider these calming activities:

1. Notice your surroundings
2. Wiggle your toes
3. Feel the ground beneath your feet
4. See what you can smell in the air
5. See if you can notice the taste of what you last ate
6. Allow yourself to focus on what you can hear
7. Breathe slowly and focus on sensing the cool air through your nostrils

Remember, not all activities work for everyone. If you try one and it doesn’t help or makes you feel more anxious, it’s perfectly fine to stop and experiment with another.

Part of supporting your mental health includes recognizing when you’re outside your Window of Tolerance and employing strategies to return to it. Prioritizing self-care, particularly during times of burnout or heightened anxiety, maintaining a healthy diet, and attending to your physical and emotional needs can better equip you to tolerate life’s ups and downs.

Your personal and ancestral history can also influence your Window of Tolerance, making it essential to be gentle with yourself and seek support when needed, especially when anxiety or burnout strikes.

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Works Referenced

Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the fragmental selves of trauma survivors: Overcoming internal

self-alienation Routledge.

Heller, L., & LaPierre, A. (2012). Healing developmental trauma: How early trauma affects self-regulation, self-image and the capacity for relationship North Atlantic Books.

Howell, E. (2020). Trauma and dissociation informed psychotherapy W.W Norton & Company, Inc.,.

Levine, P. A., & Maté, G. (2010). In an unspoken voice : How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books.

Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology; Front Psychol, 6, 93. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093

Wright, A. (2022). What is the window of tolerance, and why is it so important?https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202205/what-is-the-window-tolerance-and-why-is-it-so-important