How to Avoid Panic When the World is Panicking
1. Learn to recognize the signs of panic.
Panic begins with a strong feeling of fear—which can cause symptoms such as heavy breathing, sweating, a raised pulse, shortness of breath, shaking, nausea, and chest pain. A true panic attack can last 5-20 minutes.
Recognizing that you are panicking and not necessarily thinking clearly will allow you take a moment to pause and decide more deliberately how to react.
2. Tell yourself, “I am panicking—but I can handle it.”
Mentioning your feelings to yourself can help you keep them under control. Remind yourself: “This is a feeling and it will pass.”
3. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Focusing on your breathing will almost automatically slow it down and calm you. Take deep, slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, on letting your air intake push out your belly first and then your chest. Repeat for a count of 4, or 8—the number matters less than simply noticing and focusing on your breath.
4. If you find you can’t slow your breathing down or focus on it because your mind is racing, just notice that.
Accept it as normal, and keep returning to your breath, and eventually you will slow it down and deepen it. Simply noticing can help you calm down and focus on what you want to focus on.
5. Keep your eyes closed and just notice your other senses.
Notice what you feel, what you hear, what you can see behind your eyelids. Take an inventory of your senses and stay in the present, allowing your thoughts to appear when they do, but going back to your breath, or your other senses to acknowledge this moment and ground yourself.
6. Ask yourself if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
Often our fears and anxieties are triggered when we are one or more of the above, and we can help our panic by identifying the additional, treatable symptom we have and treating it directly. Eat food, acknowledge and figure out how to manage your anger, reach out to a friend or loved one, or take a moment of rest.
7. Train yourself to think of solutions rather than fears.
Turning your thoughts of “what if X happens” to “so what if X happens, I can always do Y” will help you. Remember, there are always answers—but panic prevents you from finding them.
8. Think about how fortunate you are.
There are always people who have it worse than you do—be grateful for what you have, and think about those who have it harder. Consider what you would do to help them—often that realization will give you the perspective you need to calm yourself and make it through.
PRO TIPS:
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, drugs, and alcohol. These can make you jittery, cloud your thinking, or make it harder to breathe.
Limit your attention to the news—consuming the news once or twice a day is plenty—there’s no need to check it every hour. Turn off your news alerts and notifications
Get some exercise. Practice yoga or meditation.
Talk to friends about how you are feeling—often a friend can help you gain the perspective you need, and often you can help them do the same.