Panic attacks are awful for anybody to experience. Your heart races and you start gasping for air, thinking the worst. I’ve experienced a fair few panic attacks and I know that it’s almost impossible to ‘just calm down’ when experiencing this situation. While we might not always know that a panic attack is on its way, we can do something about reducing those symptoms when we begin to notice them. I present to you, the 5,4,3,2,1 Technique.
What Is The 5,4,3,2,1 Technique?
The 5,4,3,2,1 technique is a form of grounding in which you get out of your thoughts and instead place yourself back in the moment. Nothing else is important other than the things around you. If you take time to focus on your senses, then your body will start to revert back to non-panic mode.
The aim is to name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. I know that this may seem a little bit patronising at first (because who wants to be listing off the obvious in a moment of panic?) but you might be surprised at how effective it is.
Does It Work?
I must admit, when my mom came to help me, when I experienced my first ever panic attack, and started telling me to name five things I could see, I thought she was joking. I thought: ‘How is this going to help me?’ I felt like the world was ending so, at that point, I was willing to give anything a go.
Surprisingly, it helped me shift my focus to the here-and-now rather than worrying about what ifs. Even if you think it is a rather stupid idea and start laughing at the concept, surely it’s better than the alternative? I always go to this technique now whenever I feel myself starting to panic, as I know I can calm down quite quickly by following this logical and structured technique.
What Other Things Can I Do To Help Myself?
If you find that you struggle with panic attacks quite regularly, this technique alone may not always work. Sometimes you can only do so much to help yourself. It’s important that you also reach out to others for support too.
While this technique can work well in the moment, you should also look to find more long-term solutions to support yourself. Tackling the root of the issue can help to reduce your anxiety, so it’s worth speaking to your loved ones and your GP for advice.
Of course, if you are struggling to control your breathing during a panic attack, you can always call 111. I’ve done this before when things got really bad and a GP was able to talk me through why I was experiencing a panic attack and what I could do to manage it. We can’t always do everything by ourselves, so don’t feel disheartened if one technique doesn’t work for you because there are plenty of other methods out there.