The autonomic nervous system, and the importance of creating a sense of security within oneself to facilitate healing and integration.
Internal safety refers to the felt sense of security, trust and openness that exists within our inner world. When we have a strong foundation of internal safety, all of our parts feel heard, respected, protected and valued. They trust that their needs will be met with compassion rather than judgment or dismissal. This allows them to relax their hypervigilant, defensive postures and engage more vulnerably and cooperatively in inner work.
Cultivating internal safety is crucial because it creates the conditions for our parts to come out of hiding and express themselves authentically, without fear of harm. When our protective parts sense that we are tending to the entire system with care, they can begin to soften their guards.
This establishes an open channel of communication between parts and Self, paving the way for deep healing to occur. In the absence of inner safety, parts often stay in a state of tension and conflict, obstructing the natural process of growth and integration.
On a bodily level, true internal safety feels like a profound sense of calm, relaxation and inner peace. There’s an absence of constriction or bracing against threat. Instead, we rest in a deep knowing that all parts of us are fundamentally welcomed and okay, even the ones holding pain. From this settled nervous system state, we gain access to our innate resources, resilience and capacity to heal.
The Biology of Safety
Our bodies have a highly intelligent, built-in system for detecting safety and danger. This system is an integral part of our autonomic nervous system, which has two primary modes or states:
The sympathetic nervous system is our primal “fight, flight or freeze” circuitry. When the nervous system perceives a lack of safety or an impending threat, the sympathetic branch activates to prepare the body for danger.
This puts us in a state of high alert, with a rapid heartbeat, tense muscles, anxious thoughts and disrupted digestion. While this stress response serves an important survival function, chronic sympathetic activation takes a toll on our physical and psychological wellbeing.
The parasympathetic nervous system is our “rest, digest and repair” mode. When the nervous system detects that we are out of harm’s way, the parasympathetic branch comes online to down-regulate the body. This is marked by a sense of calm, slowed heart rate, deepened breathing and muscle relaxation. The body shifts its energy away from threat detection and towards nourishment, healing and restoration.
As we intentionally create an inner atmosphere of genuine safety for our parts, we support the nervous system in shifting out of sympathetic arousal and into the parasympathetic state conducive to growth and wellbeing. The more consistently we practice generating internal safety, the more readily our system learns to rest in its natural state of balance and ease.
Internal Safety aligns with established psychological theories and models, such as:
- Internal Working Model of Attachment: This concept, rooted in attachment theory, suggests that individuals develop internal representations of themselves and their caregivers, influencing their perceptions of safety and relationships. A well-functioning internal working model helps maintain proximity to caregivers and supports appropriate responses to the environment.
- Polyvagal Theory: Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, this theory emphasizes the role of the autonomic nervous system in detecting safety and danger. It highlights how our physiological state influences our ability to engage socially and feel secure.
- Psychological Safety: Originating from the work of Carl Rogers in the 1950s, psychological safety refers to an environment where individuals feel secure, valued, and free from fear of negative consequences, fostering openness and creativity.
While internal safety and the window of tolerance are closely related, they are not the same concept, though they influence and support each other.
Internal Safety
Internal safety refers to the felt sense of security and trust within yourself. It is the inner environment where all parts of you feel heard, protected, and valued, allowing for authentic self-expression and healing. This concept is commonly discussed in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and trauma-informed practices, where the focus is on cultivating a safe internal space for vulnerable or protective parts to relax and cooperate.
Window of Tolerance
The window of tolerance, a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel, describes the optimal arousal zone where a person can function and process emotions effectively without becoming overwhelmed. When you are within your window of tolerance, your nervous system is regulated—you are neither hyperaroused (fight/flight) nor hypoaroused (freeze/shutdown). This concept is widely used in trauma therapy and somatic practices.
The Connection Between Internal Safety and the Window of Tolerance
- Internal safety supports a wider window of tolerance: When you feel safe internally, your nervous system is more regulated, which helps you stay within or return to your window of tolerance during stress.
- A wider window of tolerance fosters internal safety: As your capacity to stay present during challenging emotions grows, your inner parts feel safer to emerge and express themselves without fear of being overwhelmed.
In short: Internal safety is the felt experience of being safe inside, while the window of tolerance describes the capacity to stay regulated in response to stress. Although they are not the same, fostering internal safety expands your window of tolerance, and a broader window of tolerance deepens your internal sense of safety.
More on the Window of Tolerance – Coming Soon
Understanding the window of tolerance is essential for navigating stress, emotional regulation, and trauma recovery. In our next blog, we’ll dive deeper into:
- What the window of tolerance is and why it matters
- How stress and trauma shrink this window—and how to expand it
- Practical tools to regulate your nervous system and stay within your window
- The connection between internal safety and emotional resilience
Stay tuned for a deeper exploration of how to cultivate a sense of ease, balance, and inner strength.
