Finding Your Zone

"The Yerkes-Dodson Law, first described in 1908, suggests that our performance improves with physiological or mental arousal-but only up to a point. Picture a bell curve: Too little arousal ( boredom, fatigue), and we underperform. Too much arousal ( anxiety, panic), and performance drops. Somewhere in the middle is our "zone of optimal arousal," where we're alert, focused, and effective (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908)."

"The window of tolerance, a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel (1999), describes the emotional "zone" where we can think, feel, and act flexibly. Inside the window, we can respond thoughtfully and act in line with our values. Outside the window, we may become hyperaroused (anxious, panicky, angry) or hypoaroused (numb, shut down, dissociated). After a trauma or injury, our window of tolerance can narrow. Everyday stressors and reminders of the trauma or injury can push people outside this window, making it hard to function"

The Yerkes-Dodson Law links performance to physiological or mental arousal in an inverted-U relationship: low arousal causes boredom and underperformance, while excessive arousal causes anxiety and performance decline. Simple tasks tolerate higher arousal, whereas complex or unfamiliar tasks suffer when arousal is too high. The window of tolerance defines the emotional range in which individuals can think, feel, and act flexibly. Hyperarousal produces panic, anger, or anxiety; hypoarousal produces numbness, shutdown, or dissociation. Trauma often narrows the window of tolerance, and everyday stressors can push people outside it, though practice can expand resilience and tolerance.

Read at Psychology Today