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what to do during panic attack

If you’re in the middle of a panic attack, focus first on simple, physical steps that help your body calm down and remind yourself you are not in danger.

Quick Scoop: What to Do Right Now

1. Ride the wave, don’t fight it

  • Tell yourself: “This is a panic attack. It feels awful, but it’s not dangerous and it will pass.”
  • Remind yourself that panic attacks usually peak within minutes and then slowly ease.

2. Breathe low and slow

Use a simple breathing pattern to interrupt the “I can’t breathe” spiral.

  1. Breathe in slowly through your nose for about 4–5 seconds.
  2. Hold very lightly for 1–2 seconds (if that feels okay).
  3. Breathe out gently through your mouth for about 6–7 seconds.
  4. Repeat for a few minutes, keeping your shoulders relaxed.

You can rest one hand on your chest and one on your stomach; try to make the hand on your stomach move more.

Ground Yourself in the Present

Panic attacks often make you feel unreal or detached, like everything is far away. Grounding pulls you back into the present moment.

5–4–3–2–1 grounding

Quietly name:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel (clothes on your skin, feet on the floor)
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste or a slow sip of water

This shifts your attention from internal fear sensations to external reality.

Use a focus object

  • Pick any nearby object (a pen, your keys, a picture) and study it: color, texture, shape, temperature.
  • Describe it to yourself in detail: “This pen is smooth, dark blue, a bit cold, with silver letters…”

Talk to Yourself Like a Coach, Not an Enemy

Panic thrives on catastrophic thoughts (“I’m dying,” “I’m going crazy”). Replacing them with calm, realistic lines can take the edge off.

You might say to yourself:

  • “This is panic. My body is overreacting, but I’m safe.”
  • “I’ve had this before and it passed. It will pass again.”
  • “The worst that will happen is I’ll feel really uncomfortable for a while, and I can handle that.”

Think of it like talking a scared friend through turbulence on a plane.

Small Physical Actions That Can Help

You don’t need big workouts; tiny, controlled movements can help your nervous system reset.

  • Stay where you are, if it’s safe
    • Sudden rushing around can sometimes make symptoms feel worse.
  • Progressive muscle relaxation
    • Gently tense a muscle group (like your hands) for about 5 seconds, then release and notice the difference.
* Move through your body: hands, arms, shoulders, face, legs.
  • Light movement once you can
    • A slow walk in a safe space can help your breathing and release endorphins, especially as a longer‑term habit.

If Someone Else Is Having a Panic Attack

If you’re the one helping, your calm presence is often more powerful than “perfect” words.

  • Stay with them and keep your voice calm and simple.
  • Ask what they need and if they’ve had this before and know what helps.
  • Encourage slow, deep breaths by counting with them: “In…2…3…4. Out…2…3…4…5.”
  • Gently remind them that the attack will end and they’re not in danger.
  • If they want, guide a grounding exercise (5–4–3–2–1, focus object, or describing the room).

Seek urgent medical help if there’s chest pain, trouble breathing, or anything that seems different from their usual attacks, or if you’re not sure it’s “just” panic.

After the Panic Attack: Next Steps

Once the wave has passed, it’s tempting to pretend nothing happened. Looking at patterns can actually reduce future attacks.

  • Note what was happening just before (place, people, thoughts, body sensations).
  • Consider regular practices that lower overall anxiety:
    • Daily slow‑breathing practice, even when calm
* Mindfulness or short meditations

* Talking with a trusted friend or loved one
  • If attacks are frequent, very intense, or affecting work/relationships, a mental health professional can teach targeted tools (like CBT or interoceptive exposure) that are very effective for panic.

Important Safety Note

If your panic attacks come with thoughts of self‑harm or feeling like life is not worth living, reach out for urgent support: local emergency services, crisis lines, or a trusted medical professional. You deserve real‑time, human help alongside self‑help techniques.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.