Notice what happens when your nervous system moves into high activation, shutdown, or back into a range where you can stay present and make choices.
You do not have to be completely calm to be inside your window. You can feel hurt, angry, anxious, or sad and still remain connected to yourself, communicate, and choose your next step.
Psychoeducation
How the Window Changes Over Time
Stress can move your activation up or down. Regulation is not about forcing yourself to feel fine. It is about helping your body receive enough safety, movement, connection, or space to return to choice.
This branded graph is adapted from the activation-over-time concept shown in the attached Window of Tolerance resource. Your pattern may move up, down, or between states more quickly than this example.
0 · shut down5 · in my window10 · highly activated
Inside or near your windowYou may still feel emotion, but you have some access to language, connection, and choice.
Notice your pattern
What Each State Can Look Like in Real Life
These are possibilities, not a checklist for diagnosis. Mark the signs that fit you. Your response may change depending on the situation, relationship, environment, or level of exhaustion.
Hyperarousal
My system is trying to fight, flee, or get control fast
Inside My Window
I can feel and still remain connected to myself
Hypoarousal
My system is trying to freeze, shut down, or disappear
What tends to push me up?
What tends to push me down?
My earliest body signals
What people may notice
Build a real-life plan
Ways to Help Your Nervous System Shift
Choose strategies that are realistic for your body, culture, home, work, and relationships. A strategy is useful when it helps you regain choice—not when it forces you to suppress what you feel.
When I Am Too Activated
Slow the pace, reduce stimulation, release energy safely, and signal that the immediate moment is survivable.
When I Am Shut Down
Increase light, rhythm, movement, orientation, and safe connection without demanding too much too fast.
My Personalized Regulation Menu
Write the options that are most likely to work—not the ones that simply sound healthy.
Connection matters
People I Can Reach Out To
Support is more useful when people know what you need. List people who are emotionally safe, reliable enough, and able to respect your boundaries.
Name
Relationship
What I can ask from them
What helps from other people
What usually makes it worse
Put it together
My Plan for the Next Time I Leave My Window
Keep this brief enough to use when your thinking is not at its best.
Personalized Summary
Select your signs and strategies, then choose “Build My Summary.”
Finish here
Client Information
Add your name and email address so the completed worksheet is clearly labeled and you can choose whether to receive additional JL resources.
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Important: This worksheet is a psychoeducational and self-awareness tool. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or crisis response service. Use it with your clinician to understand patterns and identify safe, realistic skills. If you believe you may harm yourself or someone else, cannot remain safe, or are experiencing a medical emergency, use your local emergency or crisis resources immediately.
