Returning to the Window
4:01
Companion Slides
When someone leaves their Window of Tolerance — practical paths back in for helpers and survivors.
Key Concepts
- First step: noticing you've left the window
- Hyperarousal: extended exhale breathing (in 4, out 6), grounding, slow rhythmic movement
- Hypoarousal: orienting to the room, movement, temperature, sensory engagement
- Co-regulation: check your own body first before helping regulate someone else
- You can't think your way back in — the body leads the way out
Part of
Module 1: How Trauma Changes People
What trauma really is, how the brain responds, what the ACE study tells us, and the science of resilience.