Managing student stress: Understanding the window of tolerance

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Managing student stress: Understanding the window of tolerance

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This article was last reviewed in August 2025 by the Komodo Psychology Team

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Stress is an unavoidable part of daily life, and the developmental challenges of adolescence often leave high school students feeling particularly overwhelmed. On top of typical pressures like peer relationships, academic demands, and identity exploration, young people are navigating a world shaped by social media, climate concerns, financial pressures, and rapid technological change. For many students, these combined demands create a perfect storm of stress.

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Stress arises when the combination of internal and external pressures exceeds an individual’s capacity to cope. While stress can be a valuable part of learning and growth, when students are unable to manage it effectively the impact on their development, engagement, and behaviour can be profound. Poorly regulated stress can interfere with learning, relationships, and wellbeing, and in some cases, can lead to long-term patterns of disengagement.

We know that people respond differently to stress. Some appear to move calmly through chaotic circumstances, while others find daily challenges emotionally overwhelming, making it hard to participate in learning and social life. One way of understanding these differences is through the concept of the window of tolerance, which describes the optimal level of arousal where individuals are able to function and thrive (Siegel, 2012). When students are within their window of tolerance they are able to learn effectively, manage emotions, and connect with others. When they move outside of this window, either into hyperarousal (fight or flight) or hypoarousal (freeze or shut-down), learning and regulation become far more difficult (McCauley et al., 2022).

Neuroscience has helped us understand how stress affects the brain. When the amygdala and limbic system detect threat, the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning, decision-making, and problem solving, becomes less active (Arnsten, 2021). In practice, this means a stressed student may appear defiant, distracted, or disengaged, but what is really happening is that their brain is prioritising survival over learning. As Dr. Lori Desautels (2020, 2021) highlights in her work on applied educational neuroscience, when we create classroom practices that calm the nervous system and engage the body and senses, we increase the likelihood that students will remain in their window of tolerance and be ready to learn.

When students spend significant time outside their window of tolerance, we often see:

• Decreased engagement, school attendance, and increased risk of dropout
• Lower academic achievement
• Difficulties in peer relationships and social interactions
• Externalising behaviours in class such as disruption, fidgeting, or restlessness
• Reliance on unhealthy coping strategies, including substance use, as attempts to self-regulate (Pascoe et al., 2020; Salmela-Aro et al., 2022).

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Co-regulation: The role of relationships

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One of the most powerful ways to support students in their window of tolerance is through co-regulation. Co-regulation describes the process by which one person helps another calm and regulate their nervous system through presence, connection, and nonverbal cues. For adolescents, the nervous system is still developing and highly sensitive to social signals. A calm, attuned teacher or parent can act as an external regulator, helping a stressed student return to balance (Shanker, 2021).

Neuroscience shows that our autonomic nervous systems are constantly interacting with those around us. Facial expressions, tone of voice, body posture, and breathing patterns all communicate safety or threat. When an educator maintains calm presence, consistent boundaries, and empathy, students’ nervous systems detect safety, making it easier for them to re-enter their window of tolerance (Porges, 2021; Desautels, 2020).

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Practical ways to build co-regulation into classroom life include:

• Use a calm tone even when students are agitated.
• Model regulation by showing your own breathing and grounding strategies.
• Provide proximity through simply standing near a student or checking in quietly.
• Acknowledge emotions without judgment, letting the student know they are seen and not alone.

Over time, repeated experiences of co-regulation strengthen students’ own ability to self-regulate. Co-regulation is not a luxury in schools but a fundamental practice for building safe, connected learning environments.

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Five strategies to expand the window of tolerance

These strategies can be used both reactively, to bring students back into their window of tolerance, and proactively, to expand the window over time:

1. Belly Breathing
Place a hand on the belly and a hand on the chest. Take slow deep breaths and imagine a balloon expanding in the belly with each inhale. Encourage exhaling slowly to settle the nervous system.

2. Mindfulness
Invite students to engage with a mindful activity, such as focusing on sounds, sensations, or guided grounding. Regular practice has been shown to reduce stress reactivity and improve attention (Britton et al., 2021).

3. Soothe the Senses
Support students to identify sensory inputs that calm them. This might include music, movement, cold water on the face, or a quiet space away from stimulation.

4. Gratitude Practice
Reflecting on positive moments and identifying things to be thankful for can help shift attention away from stress and broaden emotional resources.

5. Coping Ahead Plan
Work with students to create a personalised plan for times of stress. Having strategies ready before they are needed increases confidence and reduces escalation.

These strategies are not just quick fixes. When they are embedded into classroom culture, they can build resilience, expand students’ windows of tolerance, and improve both wellbeing and academic engagement.

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References: 

• Arnsten, A. F. T. (2021). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 22(6), 420–437. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-021-00459-7
• Britton, W. B., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Puder, M., Perelman, D., & Levinson, D. B. (2021). Moving beyond mindfulness: Defining equanimity as an outcome measure in meditation and contemplative research. Mindfulness, 12(5), 1080–1092. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01565-9
• Desautels, L. (2020). Connections over compliance: Rewiring our perceptions of discipline. Warren Publishing.
• Desautels, L. (2021). Intentional neuroplasticity: Moving our nervous systems and educational practices toward post-traumatic growth. Butler University.
• Immordino-Yang, M. H., Darling-Hammond, L., & Krone, C. (2019). Nurturing nature: How brain development is inherently social and emotional, and what this means for education. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1633924
• McCauley, E., Brown, S. M., & Levine, J. (2022). Neurobiological perspectives on stress in adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(6), 873–880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.12.005
• Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823
• Porges, S. W. (2021). Polyvagal theory: A science of safety. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 15, 672806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2021.672806
• Salmela-Aro, K., Upadyaya, K., & Hietajärvi, L. (2022). School burnout and engagement profiles among adolescents: Associations with academic achievement and stress. Learning and Instruction, 80, 101619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101619
• Shanker, S. (2021). Self-reg: How to help your child (and you) break the stress cycle and successfully engage with life. Penguin Random House.
• Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

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