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a nervous system map

The Window of Tolerance

A printable map of the three zones your nervous system moves through — for therapists, clients, retreat handouts, and your own self-regulation work. Recreated in the Grief, Trauma & Your Mama palette.

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A nervous system map

The Window of Tolerance

where can you find yourself?
↑ therapy expands your window ↓
Hyperarousal "fight or flight"
In the body Racing heart · tight chest · clenched jaw · shallow breath · sleepless · can’t sit still
In the mind Anger · panic · rage · overwhelm · hypervigilance · reactive outbursts · out of control
start to feel irritable Dysregulation anxious · agitated
Window of Tolerance where life feels okay

You are here when…

Life feels comfortable. Your body is in an optimal state — you can reach both reason and emotion. You are calm but not tired. Alert but not anxious. You can engage with what is in front of you without losing yourself.

Expand it. Working with a therapist can widen your Window of Tolerance, so you are less easily triggered and have more ways to cope, soothe, and self-regulate when life is hard.

In the body Grounded · present · relaxed · good sleep · good digestion · able to soothe · feel safe
In the mind Connected · flexible · curious · creative · able to learn · caring · open · socially regulated
start to shut down Dysregulation losing track of time
Hypoarousal "freeze"
In the body Heavy · flat · no energy · poor digestion · cold · numb · slow speech · foggy
In the mind Depressed · shut down · dissociated · detached · disconnected · rigid · unavailable

Window of Tolerance is a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel in The Developing Mind (Guilford Press, 1999) and is widely used in trauma-informed clinical practice. This visual is an original recreation in the Grief, Trauma & Your Mama palette — not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Siegel. For licensed therapeutic guidance, please work with a qualified clinician.

Angela Schellenberg Grief, Trauma & Your Mama angelaschellenberg.com
how to use it

Three ways to put this to work

01

In your own home

Print it letter-size and put it on the fridge or your nightstand. When you feel off, find your zone — just naming where you are starts the regulation work.

02

In the therapy room

Print it 11×17 or order the felt tag-board version for your office. Use the movable tags to map clients in real time — especially powerful in EMDR, somatic, and grief work.

03

At a retreat or workshop

Use the printable handout in the welcome folder. The tag-board version becomes a shared map for the room — participants can physically track their own state through the day.

want a copy?

Get the printable, or the tag-board.

Download the high-res PDF for home printing, order the 11×17 wall print, or join the waitlist for the large felt tag-board version with movable tags.

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