Mindfulness and Panic:
Ask Your Anxiety
by Maya Frost
Panic.
Heart racing. Palms sweating. Breathing
rapid and shallow. Mouth dry. Knees knocking.
Whether it's a pop quiz, a job interview,
a spider, an impromptu speech, a crowded elevator,
a dirty restroom, the view from a cliff, a shot at
the clinic, a flight across the ocean, a first kiss,
or a trip to a crowded shopping center, we all have
something that fills us with panic. In severe cases,
we can develop anxiety disorders in which panic attacks
occur at seemingly random moments.
Whether you have a case of the pre-speech
jitters or a full-blown panic attack, the physical
symptoms are easily recognized. However, what we need
to see clearly are the thoughts going through our
mind whenever we feel anxious.
No matter what triggers your personal
panic parade-- complete with lively emotions, colorful
thoughts, and sizzling sensations--there is
one key element that gets the party started.
No, it's not just stress. It isn't
your personality type. It's not solely your past memories
or the way your mother raised you or your particular
physical challenges.
It is simply this: you are
lacking in self-esteem.
Okay, now did you automatically
start with the "But I am perfectly confident!
I am totally competent! I feel just fine about myself!" rebuttal? Ah, good. Watch that.
We just hate it when someone
suggests we might not have rock-solid self-esteem,
and yet we are pros when it comes to bashing ourselves.
Aren't we funny?
We'd rather believe that our anxiety
is due to biological factors so we can take a pill
to deal with it. But masking panic is not the same
as managing panic. If you want to transcend
your anxiety, you've got to get to the bottom of it.
The truth is that we only panic
about things we don't feel confident handling.
If we don't handle a particular
situation well, we dread the next time we must face
it. We doubt that we will ever handle it skillfully
even if we have done so in the past. We worry about
it--and then worry about worrying! Fearful avoidance
becomes our new way of responding.
Before we know it, we're stuck in panic purgatory.
Insert mindfulness here. Don't ask
for anxiety--ask your anxiety. Focus on the first
thought you have when that panic starts bubbling up
and gently ask, "Why? Watch...then ask again.
Play through several “why” cycles—and
learn.
Panic is simply misguided attention.
We must learn to watch the ROOT (some element requiring
greater self-esteem) instead of the RESULT (all-night
panic party) of our anxiety.
Ask your anxiety and
listen carefully. Use mindfulness to help
you redirect your attention, and you will learn to
disconnect that panic button.
