Coping With Panic Attacks

There are moments when the loudest voice in the room is not the truest one.
In this gentle practice, imagine your inner critic stepping out of the driver's seat and disappearing into the distance, while another voice returns: the wise, steady part of you that remembers who you are beneath the panic, the overthinking, and the self-doubt.
Imagine your inner critic drifting farther and farther away, until all that remains is your breath, your body, and the quiet strength that has been waiting underneath the noise. The butterflies are allowed to stay. The shaky hands are allowed to stay. Nothing needs to be fixed before you move forward.
This gentle practice is for the threshold moments, the interview, the conversation, the new beginning, the leap you’ve been talking yourself out of. Come here when you want to remember that courage is not the absence of trembling, but the willingness to walk forward anyway.
May your authentic self forever shine through.

Transcript

This is your higher self. This is your best friend. This is your wise self. Coming back in charge when you're in a critic and your panic has taken over for a long, Long time. Firstly, Remembering that you are totally in control of your thoughts. And how you respond to your thoughts, Your sensations and your fears. So you're going to need to ask your inner critic to completely Step aside. Get out of the driver's seat. It out of your body. Leave the room. Leave this building. Leave this suburb. Leave this town. And ask her to go far, Far away. Completely out of your sight. And completely out of your reach. And then coming back into your physical body in this moment. Visualizing a beautiful but light sense of armor or protection around you. Either by imagining a beautiful bright light a wall. A ribbon, A rope. Whatever comes to mind for you. As something that visualizes you containing your beautiful energy and your excitement for this next opportunity. And signifying to your inner critic that she's no longer welcome in this experience. Remember your breath and start to breathe deeply and purposefully, Knowing this is the best thing you can do for yourself during overwhelm. And if you can, Breathing out a little longer than when you breathe in. Perhaps you might like to breathe in to the count of three. And slowing your breath down so that you breathe out for four counts or five counts. And even if you feel emotional or panic, This is still the best thing you can do. Extending the breath as much as you can. Breathing in a beautiful cyclical way so that you come into the center of your body. Remembering that the breath is the buzz. The breath is the master. Let the mind sit aside as you just come into the body and it's okay to allow all of those physical sensations to be there. All of the butterflies, The tight chest. The shaky hands. Take time now to observe all of the physical symptoms of your anxiety or your fear or your nervousness. And just let them be there. There's nothing wrong with these symptoms. There's no need to get these out of your body. There's no need to be afraid of them. But the important thing is to leave the story that your inner critic tells you. Out of it. Simply feel your symptoms. All through the body. Without making up a story that you're not good enough. I'm not smart enough. You're not ready. Simply be with the physicality of your body. And breathe through it. I'm going to invite you to Question whether you feel fear. Or adrenaline. Do you feel scared or do you feel excited? Do you feel like you might die? Where you might just start living. Even though these are such opposites, They often feel exactly the same in the body. I'm the voice that initially sparked your interest in this idea, This opportunity, Before all of the inner critic came flooding in. Here I am. Humbly being your companion along this journey. Not letting you give up. It's not letting you chicken out. I'm that anchor. That you can trust. To lead you in the direction of living courageously. Living fully. Living out loud. Valuing, Trying and failing. Valuing putting yourself out there. Valuing stepping out of your comfort zone. Valuing vulnerability. Valuing the not knowing. Valuing this feeling of being alive. And what a beautiful thing to feel. As we start to close this meditation. Sending yourself some well wishes from your higher self that you know to be true. And now that the inner critic is out of the picture, These can come through freely. Reminding yourself, I know how to handle this. I know what to do. I am totally capable. I am smart. Am accomplished. And even though I find many things easy or second nature to me, It does not mean they are easy to others. And just sending yourself any other affirmations or well wishes that you feel you need to face this next challenge. Just silently repeating them to yourself. As we start to close this meditation, I'm going to invite you to sit up a little straighter. Look up a little higher. Drop your shoulders and puff your chest out. Relax your body, But make your spine tall and confident. Feel the strength of your legs your feet on the ground. And just see yourself walking forward and confidently to this new opportunity. Doing this all without the inner critic. As if you'd never met her before. You'd never heard her story. Knowing she can't come back in. Observing yourself walking, Talking, Moving as if you'd never had an inner critic in your whole life. Get very clear on this vision in detail. Notice your face, Your voice, The way you interact. Where you feel inside as you move towards an opportunity. Never having a doubt in your mind. Be with this version of you. Even giving her a name if it helps you. Or it may simply be your own name. Be with her in this moment for as long as you can. Throughout the day. Throughout the weight. Throughout your life. Thank you for listening to this meditation with me. May your authentic self forever shine through.