Coping with Panic
Keeping Anxiety and Panic Hidden
By Shannon Knight
I almost didn’t write this because panic attacks can be hard to explain when you feel embarrassed.
It can feel like a full-body betrayal. When it hits, thoughts scatter, breathing changes, and the fear can make it hard to believe anyone could understand what is happening in that moment.
There can be a quiet voice that says, “Don’t say anything. You’ll worry them. Just get through it.”
Panic can take over quickly—breathing becomes rapid, thoughts swirl, and even speaking can feel difficult. It can feel like being trapped inside your own body while everything around you keeps moving.
Many women carry this silently. They show up, smile, and move through their day, all while holding something heavy inside.
It’s not just you.
Panic doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it builds quietly, then suddenly takes over. You can be in the middle of an ordinary moment—folding laundry, walking through the house—and everything shifts. Your body reacts as if something is wrong, even when you are safe.
The body remembers what it has been through. Even years later, it can respond as if that moment is still happening.
When panic comes, turning toward something steady can help. Prayer, truth, and simple grounding can gently bring you back.
A Grounding Exercise for When Panic Hits
When panic begins to rise, the very first thing you can do is gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Not by forcing the feeling away, but by shifting your attention to what is real and steady around you.
Panic can pull your mind into a rush of fear that feels overwhelming and hard to control. In those moments, grounding techniques can help you reconnect to what is actually happening right now.
The goal is to engage your senses.
Step 1: Look around and name three things you can see. It might be something simple—a tree outside your window, a picture on the wall, or the way light fills the room.
Step 2: Listen carefully. What are three things you can hear? Maybe it’s the hum of something nearby or your own breathing.
Step 3: Touch something near you. Feel the texture—the fabric of your shirt, a table, your hair, or even the steering wheel if you are driving.
Step 4: Speak out loud. Say what you see. Say what you hear. Say what you feel. Using your voice helps anchor you in a deeper way.
This may feel simple, but it is powerful.
When panic rises, your brain shifts into a protective alarm state. Your body releases stress signals, your thoughts race, and everything feels urgent. But when you begin naming what you see, hear, and feel, you activate a different part of your mind—the part that observes and understands what is real.
This gently signals to your body that you are safe right now.
It doesn’t make everything disappear instantly, but it softens the intensity and interrupts the cycle.
And if you can, reach for someone you trust. A steady voice or quiet presence can help guide you back when your thoughts feel scattered. You don’t have to carry it alone.
By drawing your attention back to what is right in front of you, you give your mind something steady to hold onto.
You are not a burden. You are not too much.
You deserve to feel safe, understood, and supported.
Think On These Things
Panic does not mean something is wrong with your faith. It means your body is responding to something it remembers.
Even in those moments, you can choose what you focus on. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
The presence of fear does not mean the absence of your faith. It means you are human, and God is still holding you.
Prayer
Jesus, You see every moment, even the ones that feel overwhelming. When fear rises, remind me that I am not alone. Bring my mind back to what is true and steady. Help me feel Your presence, even in the middle of what I don’t understand.
Calm my thoughts. Steady my breathing. Let Your peace settle over my heart. Remind me that I am safe in You, and that this moment will pass.
Give me the courage to reach for someone when I need it, and the understanding that I am never a burden.
Amen.
Shannon
