The 'window of tolerance' — a concept from trauma therapy — explains why mild cognitive impairment pushes us into states where we can't function well, and how to expand our capacity.
What Is the Window of Tolerance?
The window of tolerance is the zone of arousal in which we function optimally. Outside it:
- Hyperarousal (mild cognitive impairment 'too high'): Panic, overwhelm, rage, anxiety — above the window
- Hypoarousal (mild cognitive impairment 'too low'): Numbness, dissociation, shutdown, depression — below the window
How Mild Cognitive Impairment Narrows the Window
Trauma and chronic mild cognitive impairment narrow the window of tolerance, making us more easily triggered into dysregulated states by smaller stimuli.
Widening Your Window with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Trauma-informed therapy specifically works to widen the window of tolerance — building capacity to experience mild cognitive impairment triggers without dysregulation.
Titrated exposure (small doses of difficult material), somatic practices, and skill-building all contribute to window expansion.