Three Skills for soothing Yourself during panic

Linguistically, our culture often conflates panic and anxiety. Clinically speaking, they are different psychological experiences. Nonetheless, you will often hear people describing the experience of anxiety as “full blown panic” (i.e. “OMG, I legit just had a panic attack!!!”).

To clarify, panic and anxiety, though both unpleasant to feel, are different experiences. Even with high anxiety, we are typically grounded to the present moment - we know who we are, where we are, and what day and time is it. With panic, however, dissociation can emerge, making executive functioning difficult. (Panic differs from anxiety in that it is often described as feeling as if you are dying, out of control, or imminently endangered. It is not uncommon in these moments for people to disengage, isolate, freeze, or escape.)

In these moments, cognitive coping skills typically fail. And for good reason - your fight or flight system has kicked into overdrive to protect you, and more important tasks (like fighting or flighting) become the brain’s primary concern.

This is why physical soothing is typically most effective in moments of panic: our brains can engage in physical movement and breath work with more ease than they can “rationalize” their way out of panic.

It isn’t YOU - it’s your brain doing what brains do: being hierarchical in their approach to keeping you alive. When danger is present, FIGHT or FLIGHT has historically kept us safer than sitting around and thinking.

Here are three skills I use with clients that encourage grounding and take you out of panic:

(i.e. attunement to the present moment rather than 

watching a movie in your mind’s eye of 

all of your “what if” or worst fear scenarios).

• 5,4,3,2,1 Exercise

  • This is a 5 minute exercise that engages each of the five senses. This can be done out loud or you can do this in your head if you are in a quiet, public space.

    • minute one: focus on 5 things you can see in your field of vision (i.e. “I can see the wall, the grass, my hands, my phone, my dog, etc”).

    • minute two: focus on 4 things you can feel with your body (i.e. “I can feel my watch on my wrist, I can feel the pillow under my head, I can feel the hair on the back of my neck, I can feel my feet on the floor, etc”).

    • minute three: focus on three things you hear (i.e. “I can hear the clock ticking, the sound of music, the air conditioner, the music, etc”).

    • minute four: focus on two things you can smell (i.e. “I can smell the grass that was just cut, my fresh laundry, and the soap on my hands”). You can also keep a tissue with your most calming essential oil dabbed on it in your pocket or bag.

    • minute five: focus on one thing you can taste (i.e. “I can taste mint from having brushes my teeth.”) Or, grab a mint, dark chocolate, etc. and just notice the strong flavor.

  • You can move through this practice a few rounds, switching which sense you begin with based off of what is available to you. If you are especially prone to panic, keeping mints, essential oils, air pods, etc. readily available to you can make it easier to do this.

• Finger Tracing

  • Holding your hand out in front of you, spread out your fingers, with your palm facing outward, away from your body. With your other hand, take your pointer finger and slowly trace the shape of your outstretched hand. As your pointer finger moves up each finger, slowly inhale. The tracing should be slow and steady. As you approach the tip of each finger, pause and hold your inhale. After that slight pause, continue tracing downward. This is where the breath is released.

    • In summary:

      • Upward movement = slow inhale

      • Finger tips = pausing and holding

      • Downward movement = slow exhale

    • This can be repeated for a few minutes, until you notice your breath and heart rate have slowed. The breath should be slow and deliberate, with focused attention on the image of your hands. Often in panic, we go into the “movie in our mind’s eye”. By taking notice of our physical body in the present moment, we further help ourselves ground because we are responding to the present image rather than what we are envisioning in our mind.

• Counting Backwards by SEVEN from 100

  • Start at the number 100 and begin counting backwards by 7

    • i.e. 100…93…86…79…72…etc

      • This practice is especially helpful if you notice you are about to slip into panic. This can be used preventatively, especially if intrusive thoughts are heavily focused on catastrophe and danger. Counting backwards will hopefully pull your brain out of that disaster scenario long enough to start using other self-soothing skills like deep breathing and physical grounding.

Though each of these skills can be helpful for navigating panic, none of them are a substitute for the support of a licensed clinician or even medication management from a trained physician. Please do consult with your provider if panic is impairing your daily functioning and interfering with relationships.

Contact me if you are looking for support for panic attacks from a licensed psychotherapist. Panic, though incredibly challenging, is treatable. With the right support, relief is possible.