What Are Panic Attacks?

Ever have the feeling like your heart is racing? Maybe you are suddenly unable to breathe or concentrate? These are  the usual signs of a panic attack. A panic attack may result in dizziness, chest pain, or sweating. 

Panic attack symptoms may be similar to those of an anxiety disorder, but will vary from person to person. A  usual panic attack lasts for less than twenty minutes, but this too depends on the individual. When a person experiences panic attacks frequently, they may have a panic disorder.

Symptoms of a panic attack may include;

• Racing heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Headaches
• Chills
• Heart palpitations
• Sweating
• Shaking

What Can Cause Panic Attacks at Work?

Panic attacks at work happen in different reasons. For example, a person with situational anxiety may experience an attack based just on their workplace or office environment. Or, someone may become incredibly overwhelmed by a myriad of deadlines or expectations. Work anxiety may further the risk of panic attacks, as a person feels they cannot function under increased pressure from managers or co-workers.

Panic attacks at work may be caused by;

• Giving an important presentation
• New job anxiety
• Asking for a raise
• Tension between co-workers
• Meeting deadlines

 8 Ways to Handle a Panic Attack at Work

While a panic attack can be scary, there are many ways to handle one when expericing. You can adopt coping skills to better navigate an attack as it occurs. These skills will help to prepare for your  workday ahead of time, helping to ease anxieties that contribute to an attack. It is important to practise healthy coping mechanisms so you can recover from intense symptoms in a quicker manner.

Here are eight ways to deal with panic attacks at work;

1. Focus on Your Breath

Taking the time to focus on your breath can help you feel more in control during moments of panic. Using breathwork at work includes stepping back to bring attention to your breath and ground you mentally and emotionally. During a panic attack, breathing can become tortured. Breathwork can help reduce this symptom as it works on calming your nervous system, allowing you to feel more balanced and relaxed.

2. Practise Mindfulness

Mindfulness for anxiety and grounding techniques can be used on a daily basis. When a person develops these skills, they are able to implement them during times of distress and overwhelm. One way to do this is to think of mindfulness as a sandwich a morning practise constitutes your first layer of bread, mindfulness throughout the day substitutes the fillings and the bottom piece of bread comes from one last session before bed. Prolonged practise can help you be prepared for tough situations that may induce anxiety at work.

In the event of a panic attack at work, try stepping outside and feeling the ground beneath your feet. Or, take a break to perform mindful breathing by using the 333 Rule or 54321 Method.

3. Use Relaxation Techniques

You can take a step back to use relaxation techniques at any time, not just during moments of distress. In fact, it’s  a lot of the time best to practise these outsides of high pressure situations so that when stress does arise, your body knows how to react.

Try practising progressive muscle relaxation on a regular basis. This builds muscle memory so you can apply this technique during times of increased anxiety and tension, hopefully preventing a panic attack entirely. Another way to practise relaxation is through autogenic training,  which includes using autosuggestion in difficult moments.

4. Write Down Your Thoughts

Taking time to journal daily is a helpful tool when handling overwhelm commonly of work obligations and pressures. Journaling for mental health allows you to get your thoughts out on paper, rather than let them flood your mind. If you do not know what to write about, using journal prompts for anxiety can help you get started. Taking the time to start sifting through your negative thoughts can help decrease the likelihood of experiencing further panic attacks at work.

5. Consider Talking with Your Boss

Feeling anxious at work may come from an overwhelm of responsibilities. If this is the case, it is helpful for you to share how you are feeling with your boss and discuss changes that need to be made. Speak honestly about what you have been experiencing. Be sure to cover what has happened in the workplace recently that may be causing your anxiety.

Additionally, it may be beneficial to let your boss know the work you’ve made in order to decrease you anxiety on your own. Exploring this can help you both come to a decision about what factors related to your workload or environment need to be addressed. If you do not feel comfortable speaking with your boss, reach out to human resources for support.

6. Taking Break

Taking time to yourself, means taking a day off or planning a short vacation. Give your body and mind a break. Both in personal or work area. This will help reduce the anxiety that can build up before a panic attack.

7. Setting Boundaries

Know your limits, in regards on what you can and can’t do in the office. If you can’t take on new responsibilities, turn down the job. If asked to work longer hours, be alert and know when to speak up.

8. Be Hydrated

Hydrate yourself! It will help you gain control if you feel completely overwhelmed. It also helps you to calm you down and get you back into a regulated state.

How to Avoid Having a Panic Attack at Work

Healthy lifestyle changes can avoid  the usual panic attacks, by developing proactive and defensive coping skills your body and mindset can help you manage stress.

Below are some ways to prevent panic attacks at work;

• Identify reasons; Thinking what and who can trigger you panic attack is one of the bes way to avoid in from triggering.
• Be active; Exercise rel reduces endorphins that help you feel calmer and more relaxed, having a regular exercise can help reduce the amount of time panic attacks occur.
• Limit Yourself; Only agree to take on new responsibilities if you can. Don’t always say yes to everything because that may cause a lot of stress, which leads to anxiety and stress.
• Support system; Family and friends are one of the best support sy comes you need, it allows you to share your thoughts and feelings.
• Spending time alone; At work, we are surrounded by many people. spending along with yourself helps you don’t feel stressed or tired.
• Listen to anxiety podcasts; listening to podcasts can give you more information on how to deal with panic attacks at work.

When to Seek Professional Help

Looking for help from professional can be beneficial if you suffer from panic attacks or a panic disorder, sometime self treatment does not help to overcome certain conditions, with the help of professionals it can managed better. However, it depends on the person, there are many treatments for panic disorder that can be considered, so it’s important to research and find the options that are best for you.

Medications

Using medications, it can help target the negative symptoms of anxiety that can cause stress and panic. If your schedule is busy, using an online psychiatrist service to find a psychiatrist who can prescribe medications for panic disorder is one way to help.

Final Thoughts

Panic attacks can be frightening. Telling your boss or co-workers about your panic attack sometimes make us feel belittle. So developing healthy lifestyle, coping and relaxation skills that can help you prevent anxiety before it happens, as well as manage stress. Consider looking for professional help for treatment either through therapy or medication if you cannot cope with your symptoms.