A practical guide to managing anxiety and panic

Anxiety is something many people live with every day. It can show up quietly in the background or crash in like a storm. While a little anxiety can sometimes give you the push you need – a burst of adrenaline to finish a task – when it lingers too long or spikes without warning, it can become harmful. Panic attacks, for instance, are intense, exhausting, and often deeply frightening.

This article offers practical, compassionate strategies to help you manage anxiety and feel more in control. Think of these tools like a mental first aid kit – things to practice and draw upon in moments of stress, panic, or overwhelm.

5 strategies to help manage anxiety and panic

1. Grounding techniques: Reconnect with the present

When anxiety escalates or panic sets in, your thoughts can feel out of control. Grounding techniques help you come back to the now – to your body, your breath, and your surroundings.

Breathe

It sounds simple, but when anxiety strikes, we often forget to breathe properly. Controlled breathing signals your nervous system to slow down.

Try this breathing technique:

• Inhale for 4 counts: In… 1, 2, 3, 4
• Hold for 2 counts: 1, 2
• Exhale for 4 counts: Out… 1, 2, 3, 4
• Hold for 2 counts: 1, 2

Repeat this for a few minutes. Practice it regularly, so your body remembers the rhythm even during stress.

Name what’s around you

Look around and notice three or four specific things:

• “There’s a brown desk.”
• “There’s a large window above it.”
• “There’s a computer on top of the desk.”

Simple, factual observations help anchor you in the present moment and shift you away from racing thoughts.

Positive self-talk

How you speak to yourself matters. In anxious moments, offer yourself kindness:

• “I’m OK.”
• “This will pass.”
• “I’ve gotten through this before.”

If you practice self-compassion regularly, your inner voice becomes a calming presence during hard moments.

Meditation or calming mantras

Repeat grounding phrases to reassure your mind:

• “Gravity is holding me; I am safe.”
• “As long as I am breathing, I am okay.”

You don’t need to be an expert meditator – just find a few words that feel safe and soothing to you.

Visualise your happy place

Imagine somewhere peaceful and comforting: A sunny beach with soft waves lapping the sand. A quiet forest where light filters through green leaves. A cosy room with your favourite blanket.

Visualising this place during calm moments strengthens your ability to access it when anxiety strikes.

2. Shift the focus: Break the cycle of overthinking

Anxiety often thrives on rumination – thoughts looping around the same worries. Redirecting your attention can interrupt this cycle.

Distraction

Focus on something else:

• Watch a tree swaying in the wind.
• Scroll through photos of cute animals.
• Play a puzzle game or something that requires full attention.

Leave the situation

If you're in a space that's heightening your anxiety, you are allowed to step away. It's okay to remove yourself and regroup.

Slow your mental pace

If your mind is jumping through your to-do list – “I need to go here, then here, and do this” – stop. Focus on one task: “I’m going to the bank. I’m at the bank. I’m cashing this cheque.”

This simplifies your experience and keeps your nervous system from becoming overwhelmed.

Visualise a line between places

If moving between places makes you anxious, imagine a line connecting point A to B. Focus only on the next step. The goal is to reduce mental noise and stay present.

3. Set aside time to worry

It may sound counterintuitive, but scheduling time to worry can prevent anxiety from bubbling up throughout the day.

Schedule it

Choose a 10-minute window each day to think about your worries. Let your mind have that time – then gently close the door on them when time is up.

Make a worry list

Write your worries down. Getting them out of your head and onto paper can give you distance.

Evaluate your list

Go through each item:

• What can I solve?
• What can I delegate?
• What can I let go of?
• What’s outside my control?

Break down overwhelming worries into small, manageable steps. For example, if you’re afraid of forgetting something before leaving the house, make a checklist and keep a ready-to-go bag by the door.

4. Release the pressure: Let it out

You don’t have to hold everything inside. One of the most powerful anxiety tools is release.

Talk to someone

Find a trusted person – a friend, family member, or therapist. Sharing your worries helps lift the emotional weight. Choose someone who listens without judgment or overwhelm.

Disprove the worry

Use logic and evidence to challenge anxiety. For example: “If I’m worried I don’t have enough money, I’ll check my budget. I’ve planned well – I have enough.” Evidence-based reassurance can help silence irrational fears.

 5. Build healthy habits for long-term resilience

The more you care for your mental, physical, and emotional health, the better equipped you are to manage anxiety before it overwhelms you.

Daily practices

• Move your body (walk, dance, stretch).
• Eat nourishing food.
• Journal your thoughts.
• Spend time in nature.
• Listen to music that soothes you.

These habits don’t just help in the moment – they strengthen your long-term emotional health and reduce anxiety overall.

Know why you're doing it

Understanding why these habits matter makes it easier to stick with them. Remember: you're creating systems that support you on both the good days and the hard ones.

Even with all the strategies in place, there may still be days when anxiety hits hard. That’s OK. The goal isn’t to never feel anxious – it’s to build tools that help you move through it, not stay stuck in it.

And over time, you may notice a difference. Maybe anxiety doesn’t take up two hours of your day anymore – maybe it takes ten minutes. That’s growth. That’s progress.

Be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best you can. And remember, you don’t have to do it alone.