Are you living at the edge of your Window of Tolerance?

Tomorrow marks 11 weeks in this moonboot. If you’d told me at the start of this journey that I’d be here, I would have assumed “here” meant fully healed, walking freely, and back to normal. But healing—like many things in life—doesn’t follow a straight path. I thought pushing harder was the answer – but I was wrong. And while slowing down felt frustrating – like a setback – in reality I was expanding my Window of Tolerance.

At week 7, I convinced myself that I’d been in the boot long enough. My 6-week X-ray had shown no union, but I figured if I just pushed harder, things would improve. So, I ditched both crutches. The pain increased—expected. But I also felt a rush of independence. Finally, I could carry things again, move around more freely, and feel like I was making progress.

No pain, no gain, right?

Then I returned to physio, expecting a nod of approval for my perseverance. Instead, I got a reality check.

Two more weeks, minimum, on two crutches. Minimal weight-bearing. Give this bone the best chance to heal, or surgery may be necessary.

It felt like a massive step backwards. But my son, wise beyond his years, simply said:
“Better to take one step back now than five steps back later.”

He was right. I listened. I slowed down. I allowed my body the time it actually needed to heal. And now? Almost no discomfort. My Window of Tolerance has expanded.

The Window of Tolerance & Metabolic Health

This whole experience got me thinking about how often we push too hard—or don’t push enough—in different areas of life. And this doesn’t just apply to injury recovery or emotional resilience.

Our metabolic health operates on a similar spectrum.

🚀 Push too hard—over-exercise, under-eat, overload your system with stress—and your body perceives threat. Cortisol (your stress hormone) rises, blood sugar becomes dysregulated, recovery suffers, and you can end up exhausted, inflamed, and prone to burnout.

🛑 Don’t push enough—live in a sedentary state, avoid movement, eat in a way that dysregulates blood sugar—and the body adapts to that too. Insulin sensitivity declines, energy levels drop, and metabolic flexibility weakens.

Just like our nervous system, our metabolic system thrives within a balanced Window of Tolerance. Too much stress, and we burn out. Too little challenge, and we lose resilience.

The Deep Connection Between Metabolic & Mental Health

When we live outside our metabolic window of tolerance—either through constant stress or lack of movement—it doesn’t just affect our physical health. It directly impacts our mood, energy, and mental well-being.

• Chronic stress and high cortisol can contribute to anxiety, irritability, and low mood.
• Blood sugar swings from high refined carbohydrate diet and poor metabolic regulation can lead to brain fog, fatigue, and emotional highs and lows.
• Over-exercising or under-eating can leave us wired, exhausted, and struggling to regulate emotions.
• Not moving enough can lead to stagnation, low motivation, and depressive symptoms.

The sweet spot? Not too much, not too little—just right. The more we can honour our body’s need for movement, nourishment, rest, and recovery, the stronger both our metabolic and mental health become.

Where Are You Sitting in Your Window of Tolerance?

We all have different capacities in different areas of life. Take a moment to reflect:

• Are you constantly pushing the upper edge? Are you over-exercising, overworking, or feeling burnt out?
• Are you stuck at the lower edge? Are you avoiding movement, struggling with motivation, or feeling disengaged?
• Could slowing down—or gently pushing forward—actually help you build resilience and capacity?

For me, this injury was a forced lesson in self-care, patience, and trust. I tend to live at the top of my Window of Tolerance—pushing, striving, doing. But this experience has reminded me that sometimes, the real progress happens when we pause.

How to Expand Your Window of Tolerance for Both Mental & Metabolic Health

If you’re feeling maxed out, here are some ways to regulate and expand your capacity:

Prioritise rest. Whether it’s sleep, time in nature, or simply a few deep breaths, rest helps reset both your nervous system and your metabolism.

Balance blood sugar. Fueling with protein, fibre, and healthy fats helps keep energy steady and mood stable. Avoiding extreme highs and lows in blood sugar helps avoid extreme highs and lows in mental state.

Listen to your body and mind. Ignoring stress, pain, or exhaustion doesn’t make it go away. Acknowledge where you’re at and adjust accordingly.

Reframe ‘slowing down’ as a strategy, not failure. Sometimes, stepping back now prevents you from having to step even further back later.

Practice self-compassion. You don’t have to be at 100% all the time. You’re human, and healing—whether physical, emotional, or metabolic—takes time.

What’s One Way You Can Care for Yourself This Week?

So here’s my invitation to you:
Take a moment to check in with yourself. Where are you in your Window of Tolerance right now?
And what’s one thing you can do to bring a little more balance—whether in movement, stress, nutrition, or self-care—into your life this week?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below