Panic attack: find relief in 3 minutes

Understanding what's happening in your body

A panic attack is a survival response gone haywire. Your brain detects a non-existent threat and floods your system with adrenaline: rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling, nausea.

Your body cannot maintain this state for more than 20 minutes. The attack will pass. Your goal is not to fight it but to ride it out.

If your attacks are frequent, anxiety meditation and breathing exercises can reduce them long-term.

The 3 steps to regain calm

Step 1: Slow your breathing - 4-7-8 technique: inhale 4s, hold 7s, exhale 8s. Repeat 4 times. The long exhale activates the vagus nerve and calms the nervous system.

Step 2: Ground yourself in the present - 5-4-3-2-1 technique: name 5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. This disconnects panic mode.

Step 3: Verbalise - Say out loud: "This is a panic attack. It will pass. I am not in danger." Verbalising activates the prefrontal cortex and calms the amygdala.

Nala's free guided SOS

During a panic attack, you can't remember the steps. Nala does it for you: a calm voice guides breathing and grounding until you regain composure. The SOS is 100% free, no subscription, no limits.

For even harder moments - grief, anger, dark thoughts - Noam offers specific support with the Grief (14 sessions) and Anger (10 sessions) programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions