You’re going about your day, a day just like any other—sitting in traffic, cooking dinner for the family, or lying in bed—and all of a sudden, your chest tightens, your breathing becomes shallow, and a sense of dread floods your body. And before you know it, you’re in the midst of a full-blown anxiety attack. You feel like you can’t think or breathe.
I’ve been there. I know. Anxiety attacks, sometimes also referred to as panic attacks, can occur without warning—interrupting, overwhelming, and making you feel helpless to the whims of your nervous system.
But as a mental health counselor and man of faith, as well as someone who has dealt with my own anxiety, I want you to know: You are not alone, your anxiety attacks are not a sign of failure, and there are ways to calm the storm within.
God’s peace is accessible to us, even in moments when we feel anything but peaceful. And by combining actionable steps with faith-based tools, you can be equipped to work through your anxiety and find calm in the chaos.
What Is an Anxiety Attack?
An anxiety attack is usually a sudden onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches its height within minutes. Symptoms include:
- Chest pain or quickened heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Sweating or chills
- A sense of doom or foreboding that is not connected to reality
While anxiety attacks are very rarely life-threatening, they are terrifying and debilitating. Your body reacts as if it is in intense danger, even though there is no immediate threat. This “flight, fight, or freeze” mode wears on our nervous system and leaves us feeling depleted, tired, and often afraid of repeated episodes.
But feeling anxious does not mean that your faith has failed. Instead, it means that you are human. And each and every one of us needs both coping skills and grace when these moments come.
Strategies to Use During an Anxiety Attack
When you feel an anxiety attack coming, or even when you find yourself in the midst of one, it can be hard to think about what you need. However, if you remind yourself regularly that you have the tools to regulate your nervous system and anchor yourself in the present moment, you may find it easier to take care of yourself when the need arises.
Try a Grounding Exercise
Having this tool in your toolkit for when you are feeling particularly anxious is crucial. It is easy, can be done anywhere, and works amazingly well at calming anxious energy.
All you have to do is take a deep breath, look around you, and name:
- Five things you can see
- Four things you can touch
- Three things you can hear
- Two things you can smell
- One thing you can taste
Name each item slowly and don’t put pressure on yourself if you can’t find something. Breathe in the grace that God offers you even here.
Implement Box Breathing
This breathing technique has been used by the Navy SEALs and was popularized by therapists around the globe for its calming effects. It goes like this:
- Inhale for four seconds
- Hold for four seconds
- Exhale for four seconds
- Hold for four seconds
Repeat this cycle four to six times while reminding yourself that you are safe.
Incorporate Your Faith
There are many faith-filled practices that help to calm our anxiety. These include:
- Praying the breath prayer, or pairing your breathing with Scripture. This could look something like:
- Inhale: “Peace I leave with you. … ”
- Exhale: “ … Do not let your heart be troubled” (John 14:27).
- Memorize a verse that you find calming and repeat it out loud when you start to feel anxious.
- Recenter yourself through prayer: A simple prayer such as “God, calm me” or “Give me peace” can do wonders to reorient your mind and heart to the loving God we know.
Try a Physical Reset
Sometimes, a physical reset is the best course of action when you find yourself starting to spiral. My clients have seen success with:
- Splashing cold water on your face
- Clenching an ice cube in your hand
- Taking off your shoes and feeling the dirt or grass under your toes
- Closing your eyes and listening for birdsong
- Eating an extremely sour candy
Other Strategies to Consider
Seek Professional Help. If you experience frequent anxiety attacks that interrupt your daily life, reaching out to a mental health professional who can get to know you and your specific needs can be incredibly helpful and healing.
Prepare Ahead of Time. Think through how you’ll tackle an anxiety attack before it starts. This way, you will have a strategy ready to deploy, and you will be less easily overwhelmed by the situation.
Steward Your Body Well. Anxiety attacks can be triggered by poor sleep, lack of nutrition, or being overworked. To the best of your ability, seek to be an emotionally regulated person by caring for your body well, which includes getting enough sleep, hydration, and physical activity.
Through it all, remember: You are not weak for struggling with anxiety. You are not broken, you are not unfixable, and God is not disappointed in you. Anxiety does not and will never define you, either. Instead, you are defined as a child of God, set apart and loved and cherished by your creator. Even in the toughest moments, he is always there with you, whispering, “Peace, be still.” And now, you have tools to empower you and the truth that your anxiety attack will not last forever. This is a temporary discomfort in the grand scheme of a beautiful life.
A Prayer for the Anxious Heart
Dear Lord,
In the middle of this storm, I come to you just as I am: tired, anxious, and in need of your regulating presence. My heart is racing, my thoughts are spiraling, and the ground beneath me feels unsteady.
God, I ask that you would calm my anxiety even in this moment. Speak your peace into the storm inside me. Remind me that you are not distant or disinterested—you are right here with me, ready to provide me with peace. Your peace is deeper and greater than I could ever fathom. Please love me through this anxious moment and breathe your calm into my heart even now.
Lord, grant me a calm spirit and a clear mind.
Amen
