Stay in the now

I had my first panic (anxiety) attack when I was in my teens. It happened at school and my stepmom picked me up and we went to the emergency room. I was given oxygen.

The word that was used a lot while I was trying to catch my breath was to "breathe". Seems simple enough, but the fear of not being able to breath overrides any sensibilities in the moment. 

My next anxiety attack happened in my 30's and I had another one in my 50's. The difference between these two and the one in my teens was that I understood the necessity of remaining calm and to just breathe.

I taught my son early on in his childhood to just breathe when he was upset. He would do the motions of "smell the flower" and "blow out the candle". Things he and I still do in our adulthood.

Just breathing brings you into the present moment. It allows you to focus on the now. It's important to stay in the now, because now is all there ever is. There is no past and there is no future. There is only ever now. Just breathe. <3