7-minute guided self-compassion practice for panic — before an appointment

About this practice

For the times before an appointment when panic takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, self-compassion. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: panic

A panic surge is a false alarm firing at full volume. The body floods with adrenaline for about ten minutes, and then the chemistry drains on its own whether or not you do anything.

It tends to show up as:

• Heart pounding out of nowhere
• Feeling you must leave immediately
• Tingling hands or a tight throat

Knowing the surge is time-limited matters more than stopping it. A steady, unhurried voice in the background gives the body something to pace itself against.

Doing this in a waiting room

• You can do this with your eyes open and your hands where they are
• Nothing here needs to look like a meditation
• Aim for steadiness rather than calm

Waiting feeds the dread it is meant to relieve. Having something specific to do with the time is the useful part.

How self-compassion works

Self-compassion practice changes the tone of the inner voice rather than the content of the thoughts. It uses the same warmth and steadiness you would offer a friend, applied without requiring you to have earned it.

• Use the words you would actually say to someone you love
• Ask what you need, not what you deserve
• A hand on the chest or belly gives warmth and pressure a place to land

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Notice where your body touches the chair. That contact is doing more for you than it looks.
2. 0:15Notice the tone you are using on yourself. If it would wound a friend, it is not the truth.
3. 0:31There's no correct speed. Slower isn't better. Steadier is the only aim.
4. 0:44Nothing here needs to be pleasant. Neutral is fine. Dull is fine.
5. 0:57Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
6. 1:11Notice your breathing getting quieter on its own, without you deciding anything.
7. 1:24Let the whole of your left foot be heavy.
8. 1:35Feel your palms. Warm or cool, either is fine.
9. 1:46Feel your tongue sitting in the bottom of your mouth.
10. 1:58Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the fear that this will not pass is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
11. 2:18Notice how the sudden surge of panic changes shape when you stop resisting it. Usually it gets smaller, not bigger.
12. 2:35Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
13. 2:47Stay here a little longer.
14. 2:56Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
15. 3:09If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
16. 3:22Let me stop talking. Follow the breath instead.
17. 3:33The question is not what you deserve. It is what you need, right now, in this moment.
18. 3:48If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather.
19. 3:59Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
20. 4:10Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
21. 4:22You do not have to win against the wave rising in your chest. You only have to breathe until the next moment arrives.
22. 4:40There is no correct amount of the fear that this will not pass to be feeling right now. Whatever is here is the honest amount.
23. 4:59Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
24. 5:12Notice any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
25. 5:25Notice if your attention is in the future. Bring it back to the room.
26. 5:39Let's rest here in silence. It's short.
27. 5:49Put a hand where the feeling is strongest. Warmth and pressure are the oldest kind of reassurance.
28. 6:04Let your shoulders come back up to their usual place, if they want to.
29. 6:18Take one breath that's a little fuller than the others, and let it out through your mouth.
30. 6:33No need to open your eyes yet.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.