Widen the Window
Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo first 3 months
Buy Now for $29.14
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Elizabeth A. Stanley PhD
-
Fred Sanders
About this listen
"I don't think I've ever read a book that paints such a complex and accurate landscape of what it is like to live with the legacy of trauma as this book does, while offering a comprehensive approach to healing." (from the foreword by Bessel van der Kolk)
A pioneering researcher gives us a new understanding of stress and trauma, as well as the tools to heal and thrive.
Stress is our internal response to an experience that our brain perceives as threatening or challenging. Trauma is our response to an experience in which we feel powerless or lacking agency. Until now, researchers have treated these conditions as different, but they actually lie along a continuum. Dr. Elizabeth Stanley explains the significance of this continuum, how it affects our resilience in the face of challenge, and why an event that's stressful for one person can be traumatizing for another.
This groundbreaking audiobook examines the cultural norms that impede resilience in America, especially our collective tendency to disconnect stress from its potentially extreme consequences and override our need to recover. It explains the science of how to direct our attention to perform under stress and recover from trauma.
With training, we can access agency, even in extreme-stress environments. In fact, any maladaptive behavior or response conditioned through stress or trauma can, with intentionality and understanding, be reconditioned and healed. The key is to use strategies that access not just the thinking brain but also the survival brain.
By directing our attention in particular ways, we can widen the window within which our thinking brain and survival brain work together cooperatively. When we use awareness to regulate our biology this way, we can access our best, uniquely human qualities: our compassion, courage, curiosity, creativity, and connection with others. By building our resilience, we can train ourselves to make wise decisions and access choice - even during times of incredible stress, uncertainty, and change.
With stories from men and women Dr. Stanley has trained in settings as varied as military bases, healthcare facilities, and Capitol Hill, as well as her own striking experiences with stress and trauma, she gives listeners hands-on strategies they can use themselves, whether they want to perform under pressure or heal from traumatic experience, while at the same time pointing our understanding in a new direction.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Elizabeth A. Stanley (P)2019 Penguin AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
The Beauty of What Remains
- How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift
- Written by: Steve Leder
- Narrated by: Steve Leder
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the senior rabbi of one of the largest synagogues in the world, Steve Leder has learned over and over again the many ways death teaches us how to live and love more deeply by showing us not only what is gone but also the beauty of what remains. This inspiring and comforting book takes us on a journey through the experience of loss that is fundamental to everyone.
-
-
Beautiful just Beautiful
- By David Russell on 2023-10-10
Written by: Steve Leder
-
The Anatomy of Anxiety
- Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response
- Written by: Ellen Vora
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anxiety affects more than forty million Americans—a number that continues to climb in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While conventional medicine tends to view anxiety as a “neck-up” problem—that is, one of brain chemistry and psychology—the truth is that the origins of anxiety are rooted in the body. In The Anatomy of Anxiety, holistic psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora offers nothing less than a paradigm shift in our understanding of anxiety and mental health, suggesting that anxiety is not simply a brain disorder but a whole-body condition.
-
-
This book is a masterpiece
- By NewMom1520 on 2023-03-18
Written by: Ellen Vora
-
The Road Back to You
- An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
- Written by: Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
- Narrated by: Ian Morgan Cron
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You, Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach - a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of God and of ourselves.
-
-
Better in text
- By Laura on 2018-09-15
Written by: Ian Morgan Cron, and others
-
How We Learn
- Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine...for Now
- Written by: Stanislas Dehaene
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human brain is an extraordinary machine. Its ability to process information and adapt to circumstances by reprogramming itself is unparalleled and it remains the best source of inspiration for recent developments in artificial intelligence. In How We Learn, Stanislas Dehaene decodes the brain's biological mechanisms, delving into the neuronal, synaptic, and molecular processes taking place. He explains why youth is such a sensitive period, but assures us that our abilities continue into adulthood and that we can enhance our learning and memory at any age.
-
-
Definitely one of the best pop-education books
- By Cal on 2021-04-18
Written by: Stanislas Dehaene
-
The Autistic Brain
- Thinking Across the Spectrum
- Written by: Temple Grandin, Richard Panek
- Narrated by: Andrea Gallo
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has undergone a transformation in her lifetime: Autism studies have moved from the realm of psychology to neurology and genetics, and there is far more hope today than ever before thanks to groundbreaking new research into causes and treatments. Now Grandin reports from the forefront of autism science, bringing her singular perspective to a thrilling journey into the heart of the autism revolution.
Written by: Temple Grandin, and others
-
The Secret Language of the Body
- Regulate Your Nervous System, Heal Your Body, Free Your Mind
- Written by: Jennifer Mann, Karden Rabin
- Narrated by: Jennifer Mann, Karden Rabin
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your autonomic nervous system is responsible for the constant but mostly subconscious communication between your brain and body. When you experience stress, anxiety, or trauma, your nervous system formulates responses to keep you alive. But you can also become trapped in survival mode if you’re consistently exposed to unsafe environments, toxic relationships, or destructive thought patterns. Mind-body practitioners Jen Mann and Karden Rabin now provide the first in-depth look at nervous system regulation, somatic therapy, Polyvagal theory, the vagus nerve, and the mind-body connection.
Written by: Jennifer Mann, and others
-
The Beauty of What Remains
- How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift
- Written by: Steve Leder
- Narrated by: Steve Leder
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the senior rabbi of one of the largest synagogues in the world, Steve Leder has learned over and over again the many ways death teaches us how to live and love more deeply by showing us not only what is gone but also the beauty of what remains. This inspiring and comforting book takes us on a journey through the experience of loss that is fundamental to everyone.
-
-
Beautiful just Beautiful
- By David Russell on 2023-10-10
Written by: Steve Leder
-
The Anatomy of Anxiety
- Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response
- Written by: Ellen Vora
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anxiety affects more than forty million Americans—a number that continues to climb in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While conventional medicine tends to view anxiety as a “neck-up” problem—that is, one of brain chemistry and psychology—the truth is that the origins of anxiety are rooted in the body. In The Anatomy of Anxiety, holistic psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora offers nothing less than a paradigm shift in our understanding of anxiety and mental health, suggesting that anxiety is not simply a brain disorder but a whole-body condition.
-
-
This book is a masterpiece
- By NewMom1520 on 2023-03-18
Written by: Ellen Vora
-
The Road Back to You
- An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
- Written by: Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
- Narrated by: Ian Morgan Cron
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You, Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach - a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of God and of ourselves.
-
-
Better in text
- By Laura on 2018-09-15
Written by: Ian Morgan Cron, and others
-
How We Learn
- Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine...for Now
- Written by: Stanislas Dehaene
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human brain is an extraordinary machine. Its ability to process information and adapt to circumstances by reprogramming itself is unparalleled and it remains the best source of inspiration for recent developments in artificial intelligence. In How We Learn, Stanislas Dehaene decodes the brain's biological mechanisms, delving into the neuronal, synaptic, and molecular processes taking place. He explains why youth is such a sensitive period, but assures us that our abilities continue into adulthood and that we can enhance our learning and memory at any age.
-
-
Definitely one of the best pop-education books
- By Cal on 2021-04-18
Written by: Stanislas Dehaene
-
The Autistic Brain
- Thinking Across the Spectrum
- Written by: Temple Grandin, Richard Panek
- Narrated by: Andrea Gallo
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has undergone a transformation in her lifetime: Autism studies have moved from the realm of psychology to neurology and genetics, and there is far more hope today than ever before thanks to groundbreaking new research into causes and treatments. Now Grandin reports from the forefront of autism science, bringing her singular perspective to a thrilling journey into the heart of the autism revolution.
Written by: Temple Grandin, and others
-
The Secret Language of the Body
- Regulate Your Nervous System, Heal Your Body, Free Your Mind
- Written by: Jennifer Mann, Karden Rabin
- Narrated by: Jennifer Mann, Karden Rabin
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your autonomic nervous system is responsible for the constant but mostly subconscious communication between your brain and body. When you experience stress, anxiety, or trauma, your nervous system formulates responses to keep you alive. But you can also become trapped in survival mode if you’re consistently exposed to unsafe environments, toxic relationships, or destructive thought patterns. Mind-body practitioners Jen Mann and Karden Rabin now provide the first in-depth look at nervous system regulation, somatic therapy, Polyvagal theory, the vagus nerve, and the mind-body connection.
Written by: Jennifer Mann, and others
-
Running on Empty
- Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect
- Written by: Christine Musello PsyD, Jonice Webb PhD
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you sometimes feel as if you're just going through the motions in life? Are you good at looking and acting as if you're fine, but secretly feel lonely and disconnected? If so, you are not alone. The world is full of people who have an innate sense that something is wrong with them - who feel they live on the outside looking in, but have no explanation for this feeling and no way to put it into words.
-
-
Robotic slow narrator, good content
- By LJ on 2018-12-06
Written by: Christine Musello PsyD, and others
-
Together
- The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World
- Written by: Vivek H. Murthy
- Narrated by: Vivek H. Murthy
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking audiobook, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety.
Written by: Vivek H. Murthy
-
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century (Excluding Drama)
- Written by: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 25 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
C. S. Lewis offers a magisterial take on the literature and poetry of one of the most consequential periods in world history, providing deep insight into some of the greatest writers of the age, including Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, William Tyndale, John Knox, Dr. Johnson, Richard Hooker, Hugh Latimer, Christopher Marlowe, John Donne, and Thomas Cranmer.
-
-
Challenging, but so worthwhile.
- By Anonymous User on 2022-11-04
Written by: C. S. Lewis
-
The Unexpected Gift of Trauma
- The Path to Posttraumatic Growth
- Written by: Edith Shiro
- Narrated by: Ana Osorio
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A groundbreaking approach to healing from trauma and experiencing posttraumatic growth from a leading psychologist, featuring a powerful, five-stage framework to help listeners not just recover, but thrive and transform.
-
-
Hope
- By Annie Simard on 2024-05-29
Written by: Edith Shiro
-
Women in White Coats
- How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine
- Written by: Olivia Campbell
- Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 1900s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. In addition, women faced stigma from illness—a diagnosis could greatly limit their ability to find husbands, jobs or be received in polite society. Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Lizzie Garret Anderson and Sophie Jex-Blake fought for a woman's place in the male-dominated medical field.
-
-
very informative
- By ssm reader on 2022-03-02
Written by: Olivia Campbell
-
Boundaries of the Soul, Revised and Updated
- The Practice of Jung's Psychology
- Written by: June Singer
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boundaries of the Soul has become recognized as the classic introduction to Jung and the practice of Jung’s psychology. Now, in a completely revised edition of Boundaries of the Soul, Dr. Singer incorporates the latest developments in Jungian psychology over the last two decades, particularly in the areas of masculine/feminine relationships, the use of psychotherapeutic drugs, and the evolution of Jung’s concept and personality types and its application both clinically and in the world of business and industry.
Written by: June Singer
-
Humor, Seriously
- Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)
- Written by: Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
- Narrated by: Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Michael Lewis
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high.
-
-
Very captivating voice with great expressions
- By Alberta Tested on 2023-09-16
Written by: Jennifer Aaker, and others
-
Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression
- Written by: Robert Duff
- Narrated by: Robert Duff
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hardcore Self Help: F**k Depression is the follow-up to the best-selling F**K Anxiety. In this book I take the information, tips, and insights that I have gained as a psychologist and translate them into language that doesn't suck. This is the self-help book for people who don't usually like self-help books. In Hardcore Self Help: F**K Depression, I talk to you like a friend. That means I speak directly to you, without psychobabble. Instead I tell you why your brain is such a troll.
-
-
Awesome book
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-11-07
Written by: Robert Duff
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- Written by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
-
This has changed my life!
- By Carlos de Oliveira on 2023-08-13
Written by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
-
The Mindful Therapist
- A Clinician's Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration
- Written by: Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
- Narrated by: Daniel J. Siegel
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Research suggests that the presence of the therapist, and how the therapist truly forges a connection with the client in therapy, are the most crucial factors affecting the client’s healing process. An engaged, committed, caring therapist who is mindful of his or her own self - and how that self relates to the client - is the key determinant of how well that client will respond to therapy.
-
-
Way too technical
- By celia on 2024-08-26
Written by: Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
-
Gut Feelings
- Healing the Shame-Fueled Relationship Between What You Eat and How You Feel
- Written by: Dr. Will Cole, Nicole Lepera PhD - foreword
- Narrated by: Dr. Will Cole, Caroline Hewitt
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's easy to suffer from frustration and confusion when it comes to nutrition and health. With so much focus on what, when, and how to eat, the emotional component of eating tends to get left behind. Dr. Will Cole sheds light on the relationship between your physical and emotional health, providing a framework for you to better understand the gut-brain connection and influence that connection for the better. He illustrates how stress and shame can cause gut inflammation and sabotage your health in a process called Shameflammation.
-
-
Simple Changes
- By Dawn Leach on 2023-04-26
Written by: Dr. Will Cole, and others
-
Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma
- A Workbook for Survivors and Therapists
- Written by: Janina Fisher
- Narrated by: Camille Mazant
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Traumatic experiences leave a “living legacy” of effects that often persist for years and decades after the events are over. Historically, it has always been assumed that retelling the story of what happened would resolve these effects. However, survivors report a different experience: Telling and re-telling the story of what happened to them often reactivates their trauma responses, overwhelming them rather than resolving the trauma.
-
-
Excellent resource for therapists and others
- By Anonymous User on 2022-04-03
Written by: Janina Fisher
What the critics say
"This high-octane book could give you back your life. When we experience dysregulation, we have to reclaim our core capacities and develop them to serve our health, performance, and quality of life. Liz Stanley expertly maps an inner adventure through training our attention and ability to stay grounded in highly stressful situations. Time to live the life that is yours to live, one hundred percent." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, author of Full Catastrophe Living and creator of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR))
"Our ‘suck it up and drive on’ culture has seriously impaired both our country and ourselves. It is imperative that we find a way to heal so that we don’t just survive but thrive. Liz Stanley give us the tools we need to create a better way of being, both individually and collectively. This book is a must-read for everyone who cares about our future." (Congressman Tim Ryan, author of Healing America)
"In this pioneering work, Dr. Elizabeth Stanley invites us to understand and embrace the practice of training our brain and body to thrive and recover. Equal parts teacher, scholar, warrior, whistleblower, healer, hero, and sage, Liz is among the rarest of souls, whose character, strength, courage, grace, and compassion serve to illuminate and inform our all-too-human journey towards healing, wholeness, and wellbeing." (Loree Sutton, MD, Brigadier General, US Army, ret., founding director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury)
What listeners say about Widen the Window
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Catherine Harding
- 2021-05-15
wonderful resource for life resiliency
This is one of those fundamental books that can be life-changing for the right reader. I love Dr. Stanley's clear thinking. Each one of the chapters builds on the other. She does such an excellent job of introducing the key ideas in trauma and stress resiliency and what helps us live a better life. I enjoy all of the chapters and they contribute to grasping the ideas but my favourites are Chapters 13-18. She offers some practical strategies on how to ground yourself and observe when your window of stress tolerance is narrowed and you are activated, or less able to cope in a healthy way. And I like that she has concrete suggestions on how to see the narrowing of possibilities and then open out to the wider window and range of prospects again and again. I also appreciate that she reminds us this is not a one-shot deal but a continuous practice. I especially loved the finale chapter 18 on how to build wide windows in our collective responses to the world. Each day we are faced with so much stressful data out there, or within us. This book is a life-saver and a life-changer. I listen to the Audible book in the car to ground myself in the ideas all the time. I also bought the printed book so I could have access to it in another way. Congratulations and great thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Stanley for her incredible assistance to those of us struggling with family trauma and lowered stress resiliency. I can finally get my life to be right-sized and do-able.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rabedin
- 2022-04-07
Great perspective
Such a wonderful perspective to be better well regulated human beings! I learned not only how to think and feel differently about my self but also how to guide my children and support others around me! But it’s a life long practice that requires conscious effort!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ryan McKenna
- 2023-01-16
Mind blowing!!!
Cannot say enough good things about this book!!! Relevant to what ever stage in your life you’re at. Very enlightening!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful