Breathing through a panic moment

When anxiety rises, the body speeds up: heart rate climbs, breathing gets short. Slowing your breath is the quickest way to tell your body all is well.

4–6 breathing

1. Drop your shoulders and put your feet on the floor.
2. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds; let your belly rise a little.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds, as if blowing out a candle.
4. Repeat 6–10 times.

Making the out-breath longer than the in-breath switches on the body's calming system. Within a few minutes you'll notice your heart rate slowing.

5-4-3-2-1: come back to now

While the mind races ahead with “what if”, use your senses to come back to the present:

• Name 5 things you can see.
• Notice 4 things you can touch: the armrest, your belt, the fabric.
• Find 3 sounds you can hear.
• 2 things you can smell.
• 1 thing you can taste: a sip of water or some gum.

Small things that help

• Cold water: a little on your wrists or the back of your neck.
• Tense and release: make fists for 5 seconds, then let go. Give the tension somewhere to go.
• Think of a wave: panic rises, peaks and falls. It passes within minutes; watching it instead of fighting it makes it shorter.
• Ask for help: you can tell the cabin crew you're not feeling well; they're trained for moments like this.

In SafeSkies

The green Calm down button in the bottom bar opens a guided breathing ring with one tap: breathe in as it grows, out as it shrinks. It works without internet.

If you have panic attacks often, or they affect your daily life, we suggest talking to a professional. This page and the app are not medical advice.