Not now! This can’t be happening at work again.
You’re about to walk into a meeting in which you will be presenting to the team. However, you can feel the signs of a panic attack coming on. The sweat beading on your brow and your heart racing in your chest. There’s also this overwhelming feeling that no matter what you do, this is going to end badly.
Fortunately, there are lots of tools at your disposal for coping with panic attacks at work.
Take a look at these five ways to keep calm:
1. Be Mindful of Your Breathing
Keeping your breathing under control is a critical step towards managing anxiety. Why? Because your breathing affects other aspects of your body and mental status. When you start breathing more rapidly, as when a panic attack sets in, you actually take in less air. It also causes your heart to beat faster and contributes to the overwhelming feeling of panic.
You don’t realize it, but constant, steady breathing is an involuntary act that helps you stay calm in everyday life. Therefore, when you start experiencing a panic attack, the first thing to do is to slow your breaths. Try breathing in, holding your breath, breathing, out, and holding the breath again to a count of four. This will help to slow down your breathing.
2. Remind Yourself Everything is O.K.
A common symptom of an anxiety attack is a sense of doom and that there will be a catastrophe. This contributes to this sense of panic and anxiety. One way to cope with this symptom is simply reminding yourself that everything will be O.K. There is no danger, there is no threat. Although the present situation is scary, you won’t lose control. This mental reassurance can help you to stay calm and not let things escalate to the next level.
3. Talk Yourself Through the Situation
Another way to keep calm is by talking yourself through the situation. Pretend that you are an observer relaying information to someone else. Some things to think about include:
What are the facts of the situation?
How are they affecting you?
What are the potential solutions?
This exercise allows you to take a step back and be more objective about what’s happening. Thus, it helps you to create some distance between yourself and what’s causing the anxiety.
4. Know What Causes the Anxiety
When trying to keep calm, it’s important to know what causes you to have anxiety in the first place at work. These would be your “triggers.” For example:
Specific locations at work
Hearing particular sounds
Smells
Talking in public
Being put “on the spot” by a supervisor or coworker to answer a question
Receiving feedback
Remember too that your anxiety triggers may not be necessarily work-related, but could still occur at work. For instance, let’s say that you were in a car accident at some point in your life. If there is a television on at work and you see a news report of a car accident, that could trigger your anxiety.
5. Remember You are In Control
Anxiety is all about feeling out of control. That’s why it can be so scary and debilitating. It helps to remind yourself that you are still in control, no matter what the anxiety is telling you. If you need reassurance, call someone who knows you and is familiar with your anxiety. Sometimes you just need some reassurance that you are in control, not anxiety.
Workplace panic attacks do happen. However, if you are struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, know that there are real solutions available. Try the ideas above. If you are still struggling, contact my office today or click here to learn my approach to anxiety treatment.