You are sitting at home and have just taken a shower. You must be at be on tonight’s Zoom meeting and get together in half an hour and of course your internet is acting up. You’re thinking about what you need to do to get ready, who’s going to be online and whether you should talk to that person you really want to get to know better. Suddenly, you feel pressure in your chest. You feel the tightness in your throat and you feel it in your breathing. You’re so focused on worrying about tonight that you start panicking and get incredibly overwhelmed. You can’t even think about logging in right now. You must calm yourself down.
Calming Down
What are you supposed to do? You can try deep breathing. If you can focus on it, think of a balloon in your stomach that is inflating and deflating. Start breathing at a pace one step slower than you are right now, get into that rhythm then focus on slowing your breathing again one step down from that. Until, you are breathing at a steady slower pace again.
You can find one thing in your house that gives you a sense of peace and calms you down. It might be a picture of your family on vacation or lighting a candle and smelling the scent it makes. When you start to feel that feeling in your stomach, if you can go to that place of calm or start that calming ritual, that may allow to focus and not begin to panic.
Tips for Anxiety at Work
If you are at home at work and have to be on Zoom when you get anxiety attacks it can be helpful to already have items at your desk that will calm you down. For instance, if you are a tea drinker, bring your favorite tea to your desk or take a tea break. If you have a favorite plant, bring it to sit on your desk. You might want to designate an area at home that feels safe to you, such as a quiet room. If you feel yourself becoming anxious, go ahead and go to that room to calm down. If you feel panicky on your Zoom call, mute yourself and turn off the video or focus on something in your room that you can pay attention to and breathe on the call.
Reaching Out for Help
If you haven’t already, and you find yourself having a panic attack or even multiple panic attacks, it’s probably time to reach out to a therapist. If you feel anxious or worried all the time, therapy can help. Therapy offers a safe, calm space to talk about your anxieties and learn techniques to calm down before and during an anxiety attack.
If you are looking for someone to talk to, I can work with you to find the source of your anxiety. I will work with you on ways to remain calm when you are feeling anxious. We will work with you to prevent anxiety as well. Reach out to me at 404-948-6186 for a free consultation or contact me here via email.
