Hello Peaceful Warrior,

Congratulations for taking positive steps in dealing with your anxiety levels through yoga and meditation and changing your thoughts.  As long as you continue with your yoga and meditation practices, it is unlikely that panic will set in so easily.

Every time you have a tea break or lunch break, give yourself space for a mini meditation, focus on your breathing and watch as it rises and falls.  Five minutes of this mindfulness breathing should be enough to allay any fears of panic.  Anticipate peace and calm.

Good Luck in your new job.

Peggy

Dear Peaceful warrior:

“I’ve always had anxiety”- and you survived it, you are alive, here to tell about it.

“this simmer I began having panic attacks.. multiple attacks daily”- and you survived all of them, here alive, to type this post.

“I recently got  a new job.. what  if I have a panic attack at work”-

First identify the real danger if you do have a panic attack at work. For example, if you operate heavy machinery at work, you may get hurt or hurt someone else if an attack happens while operating heavy machinery. Or if your work involves directing planes to land safely, a panic attack may mean that  a plane will crash.

If there is no such real danger, then what you fear is your subjective emotional experience, meaning you fear the fear itself. Fear feels very badly, unpleasant, distressing.. but it is not dangerous. We survive it.

Remind this to yourself: I survived it before, I will survive it again.. millions of people all over the world suffer extreme fear and survive it. It feels dangerous but it is not dangerous.

Also, make a plan. If you do suffer a panic attack at work, what will you actually do? Is there a place  for you to  go within the workplace for some privacy? Plan on such refuge-spot. Hopefully it will be a small room where you can lie down with  your back on the floor, placing your legs up on the wall as you  take slow, deep breaths. You can even practice this before (and if) getting a panic attack at work.

anita