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). This law has been confirmed across settings, from athletes to students to emergency responders. For simple tasks, higher arousal can help and may not dip—especially if the task does not require executive functioning. For complex or unfamiliar tasks, too much arousal quickly becomes a liability (Diamond et al., 2007).

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........

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