Have you ever felt your heart racing out of nowhere? Your palms getting sweaty, breathing becoming difficult, and a sudden overwhelming fear taking over? If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone. Panic attacks affect millions of people, and they can be absolutely terrifying when they happen.
I still remember my first panic attack. I was driving on the highway when suddenly my heart started racing, my vision narrowed, and I was convinced I was dying. I pulled over, called my partner in tears, and ended up in the emergency room—only to be told it was “just anxiety.”
It took me years to understand there’s no “just” about it. Panic attacks are intense, overwhelming experiences that deserve to be taken seriously. But the good news is that I went from having several attacks a week to maybe one mild one every few months. The strategies in this post were my lifeline.
The good news? You can learn to manage them. As someone who’s both studied and experienced panic attacks firsthand, I want to share some practical strategies that have helped me and many others.
First, let’s understand what’s actually happening
Your body isn’t trying to hurt you. Strange as it sounds, a panic attack is your body’s way of trying to protect you. It’s your fight-or-flight response misfiring, flooding your system with adrenaline when there’s no actual danger.
When a panic attack strikes, your brain’s alarm system (the amygdala) activates without a real threat present. This triggers a cascade of physical reactions: your heart races to pump more blood to your muscles, your breathing quickens to take in more oxygen, and stress hormones like adrenaline surge through your bloodstream. These are all helpful responses if you’re facing an actual threat—but when there’s no real danger, these sensations feel overwhelming and scary.
What makes panic attacks even trickier is that the fear of the symptoms can create a vicious cycle. You notice your heart racing, which makes you worried, which makes your heart race more, which increases your worry… and suddenly you’re in full panic mode.
Knowing this doesn’t make the feeling less real, but it can help you remember: this feeling will pass. It always does. No panic attack lasts forever, even though it might feel that way in the moment.
In the moment: How to stop a panic attack
1. Breathe, but not how you think
Forget the “just breathe deeply” advice that everyone gives. When you’re panicking, that can make things worse. Taking big, deep breaths can actually increase feelings of lightheadedness and make you feel like you’re not getting enough air.
Instead, try this pattern that I learned from a therapist:
- Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4
- Hold for 1 second
- Exhale through your mouth for a count of 6
- Repeat for at least 2 minutes
The key is making your exhale longer than your inhale. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” response) and literally signals your body to calm down. It works because longer exhales stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate your heart rate and blood pressure.
Try placing one hand on your chest and one on your stomach while you do this. Focus on making your stomach hand rise more than your chest hand—this ensures you’re breathing deeply into your diaphragm rather than taking shallow chest breaths.
2. Ground yourself with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique
This pulls you out of your spiraling thoughts and back to reality:
- Name 5 things you can SEE around you (look for colors, shapes, objects—really focus on the details)
- Name 4 things you can TOUCH or FEEL (the texture of your clothes, the temperature of the air, the sensation of your feet on the ground)
- Name 3 things you can HEAR (traffic outside, the hum of electronics, your own breathing)
- Name 2 things you can SMELL (or like the smell of, if you can’t smell anything in your environment)
- Name 1 thing you can TASTE (or like the taste of, if you’re not eating or drinking)
I was skeptical about this until I tried it during a 3 AM panic attack. It works because it forces your brain to process sensory information instead of feeding the panic. It’s like manually switching the channel in your brain from “panic mode” to “observation mode.”
The more specific you can be with each sense, the better. Instead of just noting “I see my couch,” try “I see my blue couch with the small coffee stain on the left cushion.” The details matter because they engage your brain more fully.
3. Use cold to shock your system
This sounds strange but trust me. Splash very cold water on your face or place an ice pack on your chest or the back of your neck. You can also hold an ice cube in your hand and focus on the sensation.
The cold sensation activates your body’s dive response (the same one that kicks in when you jump into cold water), which naturally slows your heart rate and breathing. It’s like hitting a reset button on your nervous system.
This works because cold exposure stimulates the vagus nerve and triggers a parasympathetic response. Your body essentially thinks, “Oh, I must be diving underwater now, so I need to conserve oxygen and slow things down.” This counteracts the racing heart and rapid breathing of panic.
A friend taught me this trick, and it’s become my go-to when nothing else works. I keep ice packs in my freezer specifically for anxiety emergencies!
4. Talk back to your panic
When panic thoughts come (“I’m dying,” “I can’t breathe,” “I’m going crazy”), challenge them out loud—yes, actually speak the words:
“This is anxiety. It’s uncomfortable, but not dangerous.” “I’ve felt this before, and it always passes.” “My body is trying to protect me, but I am actually safe.” “This is just adrenaline. Nothing bad is happening to me.” “I am not having a heart attack. My heart is beating fast because of anxiety.”
Speaking these truths out loud can break the cycle of fearful thoughts. It engages a different part of your brain than when you think silently, and hearing your own voice can be surprisingly grounding.
I find it helpful to prepare these statements in advance when I’m calm, maybe even writing them down on a card I can carry with me. During panic, your thinking brain goes offline, so having these pre-prepared statements makes them easier to access.
Preventing future panic attacks
1. Learn your triggers
Keep a simple journal noting when attacks happen and what was happening beforehand. You don’t need anything fancy—just jot down:
- Date and time of the attack
- What you were doing when it started
- What you were thinking about
- What you had eaten or drunk in the hours before
- How much sleep you got the night before
- Your stress level (1-10) before the attack
- Any physical symptoms that appeared first
Look for patterns – certain places, people, physical sensations, or even times of day. After a few weeks, you might notice that your attacks often happen after:
- Consuming caffeine or alcohol
- Getting less than 6 hours of sleep
- During particularly stressful work meetings
- When you’re in crowded spaces
- During hormonal shifts in your menstrual cycle
- After skipping meals
I discovered caffeine was a major trigger for me. Even just one cup of coffee in the morning could set me up for a panic attack by afternoon. Cutting back made a huge difference—I switched to half-caf and eventually to herbal tea, and my panic attacks decreased by about 70%. It was a simple change with dramatic results.
2. Practice daily relaxation
Even 5 minutes of meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or gentle yoga daily can build your “relaxation muscles” so your baseline anxiety stays lower.
Think of it like this: if your baseline anxiety level usually sits at a 4 out of 10, it doesn’t take much to push you up to a panic-inducing 8 or 9. But if you can get your baseline down to a 2, you have much more cushion before reaching panic levels.
Try setting a daily relaxation appointment with yourself:
- Morning: 5 minutes of deep breathing or stretching before checking your phone
- Mid-day: A 3-minute body scan at your desk (just noticing sensations from head to toe)
- Evening: 10 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and releasing each muscle group) before bed
The key is consistency over duration. Five minutes every day is much more effective than an hour once a week.
3. Move your body regularly
Exercise burns off excess stress hormones and releases endorphins, your body’s natural mood elevators. You don’t need intense workouts – a 20-minute walk can work wonders.
Movement helps your body process and metabolize stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline—the very same chemicals that fuel panic attacks. Without regular movement, these chemicals can build up in your system, making you more susceptible to anxiety.
Some gentle options that are particularly helpful:
- Walking outdoors (nature is a bonus anxiety-reducer)
- Swimming (the rhythmic breathing is calming)
- Dancing (put on your favorite music and move freely)
- Gentle yoga (especially forward folds and child’s pose)
- Tai chi or qigong (these combine movement with breathwork)
I found that even just a 15-minute morning walk changed my whole day. It’s like it gives those stress hormones somewhere to go instead of building up inside me.
4. Don’t avoid what scares you
If you start avoiding situations that have triggered panic, the fear grows. This avoidance pattern can shrink your world over time as more and more places or activities feel “unsafe.”
Instead, gradually face those situations with your new coping skills in hand. This approach, called “exposure therapy,” is one of the most effective ways to overcome panic in the long run.
Start small and build up:
- If crowded stores trigger panic, begin by going during quiet hours for just 5 minutes
- If driving causes anxiety, start with short trips on quiet roads
- If you fear public speaking, practice with a supportive friend before facing a crowd
Each successful exposure proves to your brain that you can handle these situations without catastrophe. Bring your breathing techniques, grounding exercises, and positive self-talk with you.
Remember: the goal isn’t to eliminate all anxiety (that’s not realistic or even helpful), but to build your confidence that you can handle anxiety when it arises.
5. Consider professional help
If panic attacks are frequent or severely impacting your life, talking to a therapist who specializes in anxiety can be life-changing. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is particularly effective for panic and typically shows results within 8-12 sessions.
A good therapist can:
- Help identify your specific panic triggers
- Teach you personalized coping techniques
- Guide you through gradual exposure to feared situations
- Address underlying thought patterns fueling your anxiety
- Determine if medication might be helpful alongside therapy
I resisted therapy for years, thinking I should be able to handle this on my own. When I finally went, my only regret was not going sooner. My therapist taught me that my tendency to hold my breath when stressed was actually triggering my panic—something I would never have figured out alone.
Remember: You’re stronger than your panic
The fact that you’re reading this means you’re already taking steps to tackle your panic attacks. That takes courage. Many people suffer silently for years before seeking help or information.
The most important thing to remember is that while panic attacks feel catastrophic, they are not dangerous. Your body cannot maintain that high level of arousal indefinitely—the panic will always subside eventually. With practice and the right techniques, you can learn to ride the wave of panic until it passes.
A personal note
Recovery isn’t always a straight line. You might have setbacks or discover new triggers along the way. But each time you successfully navigate through panic, you’re building evidence for your brain that you can handle this. You’re rewiring your nervous system toward calm.
Today, I can feel the first flutters of anxiety and think, “Oh, hello there,” rather than spiraling into fear. That relationship with my anxiety—seeing it as information rather than a threat—has been life-changing.
Have you found any particular strategies that help with your panic attacks? Or do you have questions about managing anxiety? Share in the comments below – sometimes the best support comes from others who understand exactly what you’re going through.
Starting today
If you’re struggling with panic attacks right now, I encourage you to try just one technique from this post today. Maybe it’s the 4-6 breathing pattern or keeping a simple trigger journal. Start small, be patient with yourself, and remember that learning to manage panic is a skill—and like any skill, it gets easier with practice.
You’re not broken, and you’re not alone. Millions of people deal with panic attacks, and many find their way to a place where anxiety no longer controls their lives. You can too.
Note: While these strategies are helpful for many people, this blog post is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you’re experiencing severe or frequent panic attacks, please consult with a healthcare provider. Some medical conditions can mimic panic symptoms, so it’s important to rule these out, especially if you’re experiencing new or changing symptoms.