The grounding techniques that help most during a panic attack are simple ones that anchor you in the present without fighting the sensations: tell yourself it is panic, press your feet into the floor, breathe slowly and gently, describe what your body is doing like a neutral observer, and stay where you are if you safely can. A panic attack usually builds to its peak within minutes and then passes.
Two honest caveats come first. Chest pain and shortness of breath can also be a medical emergency, and the section below explains when to call 911 instead of grounding. And grounding is a bridge, not the treatment: the therapy with the strongest research base for panic, cognitive behavioral therapy, works partly by teaching you that you do not need to escape or control the sensations at all.
This list covers in-the-moment grounding. For how panic develops and how CBT and interoceptive exposure treat it, see CBT for phobias and panic attacks.
1. Say the word "panic"
Tell yourself, out loud if you can: "This is a panic attack. It is uncomfortable and it will pass." Panic feeds on catastrophic misreadings of body sensations, such as a racing heart read as a heart attack or dizziness read as fainting. Labeling the experience accurately is the first thing CBT for panic teaches, and it is useful in the moment too. (If you have never had a panic attack before, see the medical section below first.)
2. Plant your feet and press
Put both feet flat on the floor and press down for a slow count of five, then release. Notice the pressure through your heels, the chair under you, your back against the seat. Physical pressure is a quick, private anchor you can use in a meeting, a classroom or the driver's seat of a parked car.
3. Breathe low and slow, without forcing it
Breathe in gently through your nose, let the out-breath be a little longer, and avoid big gulping breaths. Over-breathing can cause tingling and dizziness that then feel frightening. The research here is more mixed than most breathing advice suggests: in a randomized trial (Kim, Wollburg and Roth, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2012), two opposite breathing trainings, one raising and one lowering carbon dioxide levels, both reduced panic severity. The lesson is to breathe calmly, not to perform breathing perfectly.
4. Describe the sensations like a weather report
Narrate what is happening without judging it: "Heart is fast. Hands are tingling. Chest feels tight. Level is about an 8." Describing sensations rather than fighting them turns you from a victim of the attack into an observer of it. Many people notice the numbers begin to drop once they stop trying to force them down.
5. Ride the wave instead of fighting it
Fighting panic tends to add a second layer of fear. Picture the attack as a wave that rises, peaks and falls. Let your shoulders drop and say, "Okay, bring it on, I can feel this." It sounds backwards, but willingness to feel the sensations is closer to what panic treatment builds than any technique for making them stop.
6. Label the thought as a thought
Add "I'm having the thought that..." in front of the scary thought: "I'm having the thought that I'm going to pass out." It creates a little distance between you and the prediction. You do not have to argue with the thought, just see it as a thought.
7. Orient to where and when you are
Name, out loud or silently, where you are, what day and time it is, and three objects you can see by color and shape: "Tuesday afternoon, my kitchen, the blue mug, the gray fridge, the wooden chair." Unlike the 5-4-3-2-1 senses exercise many people already know, this version is quick and works well when you feel far away or unreal.
8. Give your mind a concrete task
Count backward from 100 by sevens, name a food for every letter of the alphabet, or list every team in a league you follow. A demanding mental task pulls attention into the present. Use it to get through the peak, not as a habit you must always do to survive an attack.
9. Use temperature or texture
Hold something cold, run cool water over your wrists, or rub a textured object between your fingers and describe it in detail. Sensory input is hard to ignore and gives your attention a place to land. If you have a heart condition, ask your doctor before using cold-water techniques on your face.
10. Stay put if you are safe
If you are in a safe place, try to stay a few more minutes after the peak rather than leaving. Escaping at the height of panic teaches your brain that leaving is what saved you. Staying, even imperfectly, lets you learn that the attack ends on its own.
When chest pain or other symptoms need medical attention
Panic attacks and heart attacks share symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, sweating, nausea and dizziness. MedlinePlus (from the U.S. National Library of Medicine) states that a heart attack is a medical emergency, that you should call 911 right away if you have symptoms, and that you should not drive yourself to the hospital. It also notes that heart attack chest pain can spread to the arms, shoulder, neck, jaw, belly or back, often lasts longer than 20 minutes, and that older adults, people with diabetes and women may have little or no chest pain.
Do not assume it is panic, and call 911 or get emergency care, if:
- This is your first attack like this, or the symptoms feel different from your usual panic
- Chest pain or pressure spreads to your arm, jaw, neck or back, or lasts longer than about 20 minutes
- Symptoms started during physical exertion, or you fainted
- You have a known heart condition, diabetes, or other cardiac risk factors
- You are not sure. Getting checked is always reasonable.
Grounding is a bridge, not the treatment
NIMH describes CBT as the "gold standard" psychotherapy for panic disorder, and recommends a physical exam to rule out unrelated medical causes. CBT for panic includes interoceptive exposure: deliberately bringing on feared sensations, such as a fast heart or dizziness, so you learn they are not dangerous.
That creates a tension worth being honest about. Grounding, breathing and distraction can turn into safety behaviors, things you believe you must do to survive an attack. A review by Blakey and Abramowitz (Clinical Psychology Review, 2016) describes how safety behaviors are implicated in keeping anxiety going and why exposure-based treatments traditionally phase them out. Researchers still debate whether a "judicious" temporary use of them during exposure harms outcomes; trials such as Deacon and colleagues (2010) found no clear drawback. The practical takeaway: use grounding to get through an attack while you get proper treatment, and expect a good therapist to eventually help you need it less.
Mountainside treats panic disorder with CBT. To compare local options, see our guide to anxiety therapists in Denver.
If panic comes with thoughts of self-harm
Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a panic attack last?
Panic attacks typically build to a peak within minutes and then subside. Symptoms that keep going, or chest pain lasting longer than about 20 minutes, need medical evaluation.
How can I tell a panic attack from a heart attack?
You often cannot tell on your own, especially the first time. If you have chest pain, are unsure, or have heart risk factors, call 911.
Does grounding cure panic disorder?
No. Grounding can help you get through an attack, but NIMH calls CBT the "gold standard" psychotherapy for panic disorder, and CBT for panic typically includes interoceptive exposure. See CBT for phobias and panic attacks.
Is deep breathing bad for panic?
Not bad, but not magic. Calm, gentle breathing can help; big gulping breaths can make lightheadedness worse, and relying on breathing as the only way to survive an attack can keep the fear going.
Related reading
- Panic Disorder Treatment in Denver
- CBT for Phobias and Panic Attacks in Denver
- Anxiety Treatment in Denver
- CBT Therapy in Denver
- Best Anxiety Therapists in Denver (2026)
Talk to someone
Mountainside Behavioral Health offers DBT and CBT for adolescents, adults, couples and families in Greenwood Village and by telehealth across Colorado. Consultations are free, and we will tell you if another provider is a better fit. Call (720) 762-4619 or request a consultation.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line (free, confidential, 24/7). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources (6)
- NIMH: Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms
- MedlinePlus: Heart attack
- Blakey & Abramowitz (2016). The effects of safety behaviors during exposure therapy for anxiety. Clinical Psychology Review
- Deacon et al. (2010). Does the judicious use of safety behaviors improve the efficacy and acceptability of exposure therapy for claustrophobic fear? J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry
- Kim, Wollburg & Roth (2012). Opposing breathing therapies for panic disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
- Craske et al. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: an inhibitory learning approach Behav Res Ther (PMC)