Panic SUCKS
1) Acknowledge how you feel: Is your heart racing? Are you having terrible thoughts? Are your palms sweaty? Do you feel like you could jump out of your skin?
2) Acknowledge that even though you feel all those things you can do some things.
3) Ground yourself: Name 5 things RED, 4 things ORANGE, 3 things YELLOW, 2 things GREEN, 1 thing BLUE and cause I’m extra & it’s the rainbow order 1 thing PURPLE.
4) What is the day of week? What is the date? Who is your BTS bias? Who is the best K-pop band & why?
5) Do a guided relaxation of relaxing each body part? (Yes, it’s difficult but we’ve gotten through much more.) Use YouTube/someone else’s video if you can’t mentally do it on your own. (If I can I start with my toes and imagine feeling someone stroke down the top/bottom and sides of each toe in order, then all toes then foot, then ankles, then calves > each time this magical strokes are pulling the anxiety out of me, knees, thighs (the stroking once the part is done you go through the entire section ex: thighs done then third stroke for the entire leg). Proceed to do your entire body.
Other Techniques:
Tapping: hands tapping right left on your knees/table/whatever
Walking: (similar to tapping) the right left moves your brain in a different pattern
Breathing Exercises: (there’s a ton)
1) In for 4 > Hold for 4 > Release for 4
2) Big breath in once you’re at capacity sip a tiny bit more > Hold for 4 and release
3) In for 4 > Hold for 4 > Release for longer 6
4) Counting as you In & Releasing your breathes for as long as you want
Exercise: walking, lift weights, class (on YouTube)
Do something: Acknowledge you’re having a panic attack, categorize your feelings, know it sucks but while it sucks you can do something else.
Organize/Clean something
Plan a trip for the future
Make a dump list > everything that is troubling you in one long horrible list. Then pretend someone else wrote it > use your vast skills to organize (for what’s in your control make a to do list addressing what you can & to the others add reality in terms of how likely is the trouble going to come to pass > then realize while you ROCK you can’t tell the future… over time try internalizing you can’t control everything you can’t avoid pain)
Self-Care: Do something nice for yourself & do it regularly. This could be beauty or binge watching something pleasurable. Accepting it is okay to take care of yourself.
Daily Keeping the Evil Away:
1) Exercise
2) Self-care: Taking medication/showering/basics to pampering
3) Find a routine > a flow to your days & weeks
4) Make a schedule > and be okay adjusting it & schedule fun & things to look forward to
5) Write things down > Sometimes once it’s on paper/cyber list we know we aren’t ignoring it but addressing it at this time. Have several to do lists. (1 with everything/1 things you’d like to accomplish this week/ 1 of the top three things you need to do for school/work/home/self)
6) Therapy > formal or informal
7) Helping others > share your mad skills. Anxiety is a curse but it can also be a blessing. We are prepped and ready for most things.
8) Find what works for you > that will change and evolve.
Acknowledge when your rainbow barrels are filled and take time for yourself.
