Home
>
Stress Management
>
Mindfulness and Panic: Ask Your Anxiety

Mindfulness and Panic: Ask Your Anxiety

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 for good.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches eyes-wide-open ways to get calm, clear and creative. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

Mindfulness and Panic: Ask Your Anxiety

Stress Management