You know that feeling when your heart is hammering before a conversation you've been dreading — or when you go completely flat and numb after something overwhelming happens? Neither state feels like you. And neither state is where healing happens.

There's a concept in somatic psychotherapy called the window of tolerance, and understanding it might be one of the most useful things you can do for yourself right now. It's not a magic fix — nothing in trauma recovery is. But it's a map. And when you're lost in your own nervous system, a map matters.

Have you ever found yourself snapping at someone you love, then wondering where that came from? Or maybe you've gone completely numb in the middle of a hard conversation — shutting down, checking out, feeling nothing at all. These aren't character flaws. They're not signs that you're "too much" or "not enough." They're your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you.

Small Daily Practices, Big Shifts: An Introduction to Nervous System Hygiene

Have you ever found yourself snapping at someone you love, then wondering where that came from? Or maybe you've gone completely numb in the middle of a hard conversation — shutting down, checking out, feeling nothing at all. These aren't character flaws. They're not signs that you're "too much" or "not enough." They're your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you.