by Dr. Perpetua NeoDecember 26, 2016 5:25 AM
When I was dealing with my own constant
panic attacks, I became a bit of an anxiety savant.
During
that time, my daily commute was about four hours. Most of that was on
the train, where I experienced most of my panic attacks. At the height
of my struggles, I was sorely tempted to give up on my education. I
wasn’t the only person who would ever have
not done something because of their anxiety.
But,
hesitant to forfeit the hefty sum (almost $100,000) I’d put toward
getting my degree, I began to research and experiment with strategies to
quell my panic attacks. Here are a few of the methods that made the
biggest difference for me.
1. Tiptoe.
My friend Em Burnett, a
Qigong instructor,
says our Yang energy rises when we panic. Indeed, whenever we feel
anxious, we are stuck in our heads, and forget that we have bodies. Em
advises that we bring our energy back down—that we ground ourselves. To
do that, just tiptoe, then drop to your heels. Do this several times.
Alternatively try walking on your heels, noting the contact with the
ground, then press both your feet together.
2. Walk slowly.
My colleague Tom Cronin, a
meditation teacher,
puts it so beautifully: “If your mind is running a million miles an
hour, your body is going to be hyper-stimulated." Whether we realize it
or not, panic attacks happen when we’re in “flight” mode, which is why
we try to move as quickly as the situation allows.
One
of the easiest things we can do is to intentionally slow down, bringing
awareness to the points of contact where the soles of our feet touch
the ground. This action anchors us in the moment. Then we are able to
bring attention to what’s going on around us.
Train yourself to
notice a sight, sound, and smell separate from yourself. I’ve had
clients tell me, “I’ve discovered all these new places to eat and shop,
because I started focusing on the environment around me.” How’s that for
a reward?
3. Hug yourself.
Thich Nhat Hanh, my favourite
Zen master, says that “When we hug, our hearts connect and we know that
we are not separate beings.” When in a state of panic, we need the most
love. My colleague and Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner
Carmen Dolz
taught me the Big Hug position: Just cross your arms in front of your
chest, fingertips under your armpits, and breathe deeply, dropping your
shoulders as you exhale. The Big Hug is powerful because it connects the
energy path of the heart with the nervous system. It opens the lungs,
allowing our respiratory paths to expand, helping the breath reach us
even more deeply. Essentially, it is the art of harmonizing ourselves,
by using our hands as jump leads.
4. Splash your face with cold water.
Cold
water stimulates our parasympathetic nervous systems, helping us to
calm down by waking up our vagus nerves. This brings down the heart rate
and activates the immune and digestive systems. Our skin has up to 10
times more cold receptors than warmth receptors, meaning splashing our
face with cold water can have a quick, intense effect.
5. Breathe into a paper bag.
My
friend Benita Scott, an EFT Practitioner, recommends breathing in and
out of a paper bag. This capitalizes on the increasing carbon dioxide we
get from re-inhaling our own breath. This triggers a calming reflex.
6. Practice bilateral stimulation.
When
anxious, we get lost in our heads, where worries have infinite space to
amplify. During panic attacks, beliefs like “I’m trapped,” “People will
laugh at me,” and “I’m going to die” can
consume us.
Bilateral stimulation
activates both hemispheres of the brain, distracting from the worry at
hand. My favorite form of bilateral stimulation is to imagine passing a
lime-sized ball between my right and left palm. Just keep doing it, and
those difficult thoughts dissipate.
7. Meditate.
This
meditation requires only three breaths and draws in support from the
earth and the sky—and whatever symbolism or meaning we give to these.
- Take
a deep breath, drawing air in from the soles of your feet, channeling
support from the earth. As you exhale, use your breath to create a
golden bubble of energy around you.
- Inhale deeply, drawing in
air and light through the crown of your head from the sky. Exhale out a
golden bubble of light energy around you.
- Take a third deep
breath in, drawing love and air from around you, through your heart.
Exhale through your heart, filling the space around you with love and
protection.
I know firsthand how powerless it feels to have
a panic attack. It’s so easy to get sucked into the belief that there’s
something wrong with you—that you’re defective and unlovable. Panic
attacks are really your body’s way of telling you that something in your
life needs to change. Perhaps it’s your relationship with stress or
that you’re embroiled in a toxic situation. Whatever it is, your body
can help you heal. You just need to trust it, and trust that you’re
worthy of a fulfilling and peaceful life.
Feeling good about yourself makes you more attractive to others. And as you 
1.貓咪讓你心平氣和
