5 Signs That Mean You are Beginning to Panic & What You Can Do About It

Panic: “A sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.” (www.dictionary.com)

1. It sneaks up on you. Like an outbreak of some disease, for instance.

You begin to become overly attuned to the news, or to the event that starts it all. Everyone is talking about it.

Your awareness slowly develops into a general sense of disquiet and anxiety, but just every now and then. Nothing major.

2. You become glued to TV Breaking News accounts, and constantly monitor rapidly changing developments.

You watch the same stories over and over again.

And then you turn to social media where you pore over credible news, articles and posts, but you also come across fake news and conspiracy theories and outright lies.

You can’t help it. You read it all.

Now your occasional anxiety is more of a constant state of being.

3. Your increasing anxiety and fear keeps rising to the point where it affects your ability to concentrate.

You are distracted and sleep is becoming a restless event.

Journalists ratchet up that feeling because they communicate their own fears across the airwaves, affecting viewers like you.

4. You are consumed by the matter, and your heightened anxiety and fear lead you to behave irrationally.

You’re in full Panic Mode.

Hoarding, aggression, selfishness, and isolation are some of the behaviors that you start noticing yourself doing.

But you don’t care.

5. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, so they say.

You feel as though it will never end.

So what’s the point? Discouragement and depression begin to creep into the picture.

You start to feel hopeless.

But Wait.

It doesn’t have to be like this. You don’t have to feel this way.

Here’s what you do.

• Stop everything and just breathe.
• Educate yourself on whatever is causing you to panic. Stick to credible sources only.
• Turn off, or don’t read anything else. Knowledge is power. The power to control where your thoughts take you.
• Once you’ve educated yourself, do not spend too much time revisiting the same thing.
• Continue on with your normal routine.
• Be prepared. Listen to the experts. Learn what you need to do to protect yourself. Nothing more, nothing less.
• Remember, you are not alone.
• Draw on the calming strength within you. It’s there.

By Following These Steps

You will be better prepared to confidently deal with whatever comes.

You will be more knowledgeable.

You will be less afraid.

You will get through it.

You will remain calm.