My Top 3 Ways to Cope With Panic

There comes a point where the way you’re headed isn’t going to work.  This statement isn’t about marital separation, but about my personal reaction to it.  I can’t change it.  It’s a fact.  It’s also a fact that I have no control over when I can end this.  The ball is wholly in Scott’s court.  This entire idea is giving me almost constant panic attacks, and since the whole dealio with the blood pressure I’m sure my body is not welcoming the extra adrenaline.

My first tactic for calming these feelings was to keep writing it out and sitting with the feelings that came up.  All this is doing is keeping me focused on the uncertainty of my situation and feeding my fears.  That will need to stop.  Introspection is fine in small doses, but it makes for a depressing read and a writer with health problems.  What I need is some action.  Well, yes and maybe that too.

Walking is my go-to adrenaline burner.  Movement gets my energy going, the rhythm of my feet brings my heart into line and the meditative process of walking clears my head and processes my thoughts.  Walking helps my brain lay everything I need to focus on out for me like silverware on a table.

Water grounds me and forces my jaw to unclench.  Drinking water keeps my system primed and clean and cools the heat of panic.  Warm water, like coffee or tea, signals a pause and a moment to reflect on how stable I actually am.

Breathing is the first thing I forget to do when I panic and the quickest way to bring me back.  The breathing I learn from yoga is to rest the tip of  my tongue on the roof of my mouth behind my teeth and breathe evenly through my nose.  In a total panic I go straight into Lamaze breathing.  The short, controlled bursts require so much focus, nothing else can stay on my mind.

It’s a short list, but effective.  I’ll go more into an organization of my day in another post (mostly because I have to come up with something!)  Right now I need to go find my tennies and my Nalgene.