Coaching practices for What to Do During an Anxiety Attack
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For What to Do During an Anxiety Attack, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- The instant it hits in a store or a meeting, the only thought is get out now
- Even once the worst of it passes, I can’t get back into the room
- I always wait until I’m already in full panic to try to calm down, and by then it’s too far gone for anything to work
- The second I feel my heart pound or my chest tighten I clench up and try to force it to stop, and the fighting just cranks it higher
- I can feel it starting to build
Practices that may help
- Stay in the situation for the full arc
Leave only after the attack has peaked and begun to subside — not in the middle, no matter how strong the urge.
Panic Surfing - Engage with the present moment
Once the edge comes off, redirect attention fully into an activity or your surroundings.
The DARE Response to Anxiety, Made Practical - Use grounding before anxiety peaks, not after
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique - Allow the sensations without resisting
Let the physical feelings of anxiety be present instead of bracing against them.
The DARE Response to Anxiety, Made Practical - Deploy 4-7-8 as an acute anxiety interrupt
Four cycles of 4-7-8 breathing can interrupt a building anxiety response before it escalates.
4-7-8 Breathing, Made Practical - Use a 30-second micro-grounding version for public settings
In public or meetings, a single-sense version — three named things you can see — takes 30 seconds and shows nothing.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique - Allow the sensations instead of fighting them
Do not try to stop the racing heart, the dizziness, the breathlessness — allow them and observe.
Panic Surfing - Rehearse the response before you need it
Learn and practice the four steps in low-stakes moments so they are available under pressure.
The DARE Response to Anxiety, Made Practical - Run the full 5-4-3-2-1 sequence
Work through all five senses in order: 5 things seen, 4 heard, 3 touched, 2 smelled, 1 tasted.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique - The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique
Name five things you see, four you hear, three you feel, two you smell, one you taste.
The Anxiety Toolkit, Made Practical
Related concerns
- How To Stop An Anxiety Attack While Driving
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
Use grounding before anxiety peaks, not after
- What To Do When Someones Having An Anxiety Attack
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
- What To Do When You Have An Anxiety Attack
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
- How To Control An Anxiety Attack
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
- How To Deal With Anxiety Attacks At Work
Start the technique at the first sign of anxiety — not once the wave is overwhelming.
- How To Handle Anxiety In The Moment
Learn and practice the four steps in low-stakes moments so they are available under pressure.
Rehearse the response before you need it
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