How Working in Your Window of Tolerance Can Help Chronic Pain

What is the Window of Tolerance? 

The window of tolerance is the state of being regulated. When you are living life within your window of tolerance, you feel that you can take on the tasks and challenges that life throws at you! You can look at the window of tolerance in terms of chronic pain. Living within your window of tolerance would be having a day when your pain is manageable. You can get through all your daily tasks, chores, and activities while managing your pain experience.  

When you are outside your window of tolerance, you are in one of two states. You could be hyperaroused, meaning you are fearful, angry, anxious, or hypervigilant. You may feel like your muscles are tense. Or you could be hyperaroused, meaning you are zoned out, tired, depressed, or feeling numb. Both of these responses are a natural survival mechanism that your body will go through when you are outside of your window of tolerance.  

Living with chronic pain can cause your window of tolerance to get smaller. Living with pain can have you living in the past, remembering when experiences gave you more pain, feeling angry about the pain, or feeling so tired of living with the pain that you feel numb. Or, chronic pain may have you living in the future, fearful of when a pain flare-up will occur, stressed about tasks you need to get done, or feeling fed up and fatigued.  

When you have these experiences repeatedly, your brain becomes primed to look at things in the same way, shrinking your window of tolerance. You may find that the longer you have pain the less manageable pain days you have. Instead, days have more anxiety, fear, anger, depression, or fatigue. 

The good news? You can widen your window of tolerance!

Tips to Widen Your Window of Tolerance: 

1. Learn to recognize your window. Start paying attention to days when your pain is manageable vs days when your pain is higher or unmanageable. What is happening? What emotions are you feeling? What have you been up to? Has anything stressed you out? Asking yourself these questions and finding the answers can help you recognize how you feel when you are regulated with less pain vs when you are unregulated and have more pain.  

2. Self-regulate. Self-regulation can look different depending on how you feel. Some ways to self-regulate would be to take deep breaths, shake off any excess energy, meditate, tune into your senses, or do gentle movements. All of these things can help bring you into the present and back into your window of tolerance.  

3. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness involves tuning into the present without trying to change or judge the experience. Feeling angry, sad, or fed up with the pain? Try feeling these emotions instead of running away from them. Understand they will eventually pass.  

4. Have self-compassion. Getting angry or frustrated with yourself when you are outside of your window of tolerance or having a high pain day can be a natural reaction, but it won’t help you in the long run. Instead try using positive affirmations, or talking to yourself as if you were your 5-year-old self.  

5. Work with a therapist. A therapist can be a great resource to help you find your window of tolerance, and work with you to develop tools for self-regulation. They can also be a safe space to feel your feelings and share your emotions. If it is within your budget, I recommend working one on one with a therapist throughout your chronic pain journey.  

Do you notice your window of tolerance changing with your chronic pain? What tips and tricks have helped you?