03/10/2026
If you constantly feel either anxious and overwhelmed or completely numb and shut down, you may be outside your Window of Tolerance.
The Window of Tolerance — a concept developed by Dan Siegel — describes the zone where your nervous system can handle stress without spiraling into anxiety (hyperarousal) or collapsing into shutdown (hypoarousal).
When you’re in hyperarousal, anxiety takes over: racing thoughts, irritability, panic, overthinking, sensory overload.
When you’re in hypoarousal, depression or burnout can show up: brain fog, numbness, procrastination, dissociation, exhaustion.
Many anxious, high-achieving, and neurodiverse adults bounce between both — especially when managing chronic stress, masking, or perfectionism.
This isn’t a personality flaw.
It’s nervous system dysregulation.
Emotion regulation skills help you:
• Recognize when you’ve left your window
• Calm anxiety without suppressing it
• Gently activate when you feel shut down
• Expand your capacity for stress over time
Therapy for anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence isn’t about “fixing” you. It’s about helping your nervous system feel safer.
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Disclaimer: This account is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Interacting with this content does not create a therapeutic relationship, and nothing shared here should be considered professional advice or a substitute for therapy. The information provided may not apply to your specific situation.
www.emilylewis.co | emily@emilylewis.co
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Emily M. Lewis Counseling
Therapy for anxious, depressed, and neurodiverse adults
Texas & Maryland
