1. Recognize and accept that you are having a panic attack. Remember that panic
is a physiological response to anxious emotions and thoughts.
2. Remind yourself that you are healthy and there is nothing physically wrong
with you.
3. Begin breathing calmly to regulate your blood pressure and dioxide levels.
4. Get grounded in the present moment. Do something that engages your senses, for example, eat a piece of chocolate, pet an animal, take a shower.
5. Call someone who knows you well and tell them you are feeling anxious. Just saying it out loud can often help lessen the enormity of the thoughts in your head.
6. Change your environment. If you are outside, go inside and find a comfortable place to rest. If you are inside, go outside and breathe some fresh air.
7. Visualize something calming to stop the cycle of anxious thoughts.
8. Allow for all the emotions you are feeling – try to view them with curiosity
rather than fear. What might have triggered the panic?
9. Externalize the panic attack—give your anxiety a name. Recognize that it is not who you are.
10. Tell yourself that this attack will end, you are not stuck in the attack, and you
are not alone.
Source – Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell Smith (2018)
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