Don't Panic
Don't panic.
Stop panicking.
Sit down! You're making a scene!
What are you doing?! I said don't panic!!! GARGHHH!
If you've ever had a moment of panic, you can relate to the scenario above... either receiving said "advice" from someone else or (in most cases) yelling it at yourself in the midst of panic.In a state of panic, your body tenses up, your chest can feel tight, you can have trouble breathing, and a host of other physical symptoms worthy of the warning label on a No Doz pill bottle. We're overcome with fear and anxiety, so much so that we can even feel paralyzed by it.When we tell ourselves to stop panicking, it's like covering the spout of a boiling teapot. It's going to find a way to explode, and it's probably just better if you let the steam out than trying to plug it up.So why do we insist upon trying to tamp down our panic, when our body is obviously telling us to let it out?If you're panicking, the worst thing you can do is tell yourself not to. Besides the fact that it will be totally ineffective, it will put even more pressure on you, causing further panic. Read: great big explosion in the least appropriate place...So what do you do instead? How do you let that anxiety out without freaking the eff out? When panic sets in, here's my course of action...
Way, way down
I know, I know. I talk about deep breaths all the time, but there's a reason for it!Deep breaths will help calm your racing heart and stop you from hyperventilating as well as increase the release of calming, happy-making endorphins.Try the 5-2-5 count exercise. Breathe deeply, filling up your belly for 5 counts. Hold the breath for 2 counts, then gently exhale for 5 counts. Concentrate on the breath the whole time.Focusing on the breath instead of how freaked out you are can definitely help calm you down as well!
Where's the fire?
When you're feeling a bit calmer, you can move on to this next step: finding the fire.In cases of panic attacks, there's not always a trigger. Sometimes they just come up uninvited and all we can do is ride it out.If you're experiencing a state of panic that's not a full-blown attack, however, it's likely that there is something that provoked it. Look back and ask, Where's the fire?Finding the cause of your panic is the key to doing something about it and, thus, preventing it from recurring. Go over this list of questions as a start:
- Where was I when panic set in?
- Who was I with?
- What was I doing?
- What was I thinking about?
Write down your answers and see which one makes you feel the most anxiety, then ask:
What about this place/person/situation causes me so much stress?
Once you've whittled it down to one, blazing stress-trigger, you've found your culprit. Or, it may be the combination of a few of your answers.You have to find the fire before you can put it out. Don't try to bypass this step, hoping it'll just go out on its own. You don't want to end up with a bigger problem later on!
What can I do right now to alleviate this stress?
You've found the fire, and before it starts burning you up all over again with all it's panic-producing flames, you're gonna find your extinguisher. Here's how:What is one step you can take right now toward fixing this problem?Write it down so that, if this same stressor comes up again in the future, you can look at this list of action steps to take instead of going through the process again.
Do it!!!
Extinguish that baby with a hefty dose of action.
If it was where you were that brought on the anxiety, move.
If it was who you were with, talk to someone else from now on, or look for a way to spend less time with them.
If it was a situation you're dreading, take that first step to getting it out of the way or find a way to get out of it if that feels better to you.
There's no cure for anxiety like action. The more inactive you are in your life, the more your body will alert you to the fact that you just weren't meant to be stationary.
Is this recurring?
If you feel stricken by panic often or your level of anxiety is worsening, there's something that needs to be addressed. Be it a panic disorder or a situation that's bothering you, something is out of line in your life.See a professional if you feel like it's getting out of hand and taking action isn't solving it. They can get into the nitty gritty with you and help you find the fires you might not even see.Believe me, my little teapots, I speak from personal experience on this topic. Address these issues before those fires start joining in ranks and you boil over.
In other news...
Great, big, juicy changes are coming to Strong Inside Out, but I have very good news: those changes are going to be geared toward YOU!I want Strong Inside Out to be the most helpful, inspirational, and motivating site for each one of you, but I'm going to need your help. If you have a couple minutes, I would greatly appreciate your input!I've made up a brief survey on Google Docs that will help me better understand you and what you need from me. Please take a little bit of your day to tell me more about yourself to help me help you.
If you don't see the form below, click here to tell me about yourself!
It's all completely confidential and anonymous so have no fear of speaking freely. ;) Thank you so very much for being a part of the future of Strong Inside Out!Here's to a bright and shiny one...With hope and fire,Amy