Create Space, Don't Fight Anxiety
One technique I regularly teach my clients is something I call Safe Zone. I’ve found it particularly helpful for panic attacks, acute anxiety and moments when people feel overwhelmed. It’s simple, it doesn’t require any equipment, and with a bit of practice it can completely change your relationship with anxiety.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with panic is giving it their full attention. That attention is usually involuntary because panic feels (though isn’t actually) dangerous.
When something feels frightening, it’s natural to monitor it. You notice your heartbeat. You wonder whether your chest feels tighter than it did a minute ago. You check whether you’re breathing “properly”. Before long, all of your attention is locked onto what your body is doing.
The trouble is, whatever we repeatedly focus on tends to feel bigger.
Think about a mosquito bite. If you keep scratching it, checking it and thinking about it, it becomes more irritated. It FEELS bigger and more painful. Leave it alone and get on with your day, and eventually it settles. Anxiety often works in much the same way. The more you monitor it, analyse it or try to force it away, the more intense it can seem.
This is one reason why simply focusing on your breathing isn’t always the answer. If your breathing becomes another thing you’re constantly monitoring or trying to control, your attention remains fixed on the anxiety rather than allowing it to fade into the background.
Try creating a safe zone
This is a technique I call Safe Zone, and it’s one that I regularly teach my clients, create space don't fight anxiety. I’ve found it particularly helpful for panic attacks, acute anxiety and those moments when it feels as though anxiety is taking over.
At first, it might seem a little unusual because it uses your imagination. But bear with me.
If you’re panicking, we already know your imagination is working incredibly well. Your brain is imagining danger, catastrophe or the worst-case scenario, even when there isn’t any real threat. So rather than trying to switch your imagination off, let’s put it to work in a more helpful way.
The reality is that if you’re having a panic attack, you’re probably safe. If you were in genuine danger, your panic response would be doing exactly what it’s designed to do: getting you out of that situation as quickly as possible. It’s an incredibly effective survival system.
The problem is that sometimes the alarm goes off when there isn’t actually any danger.
Make room to breathe
So instead of feeling trapped inside the panic, I’d like you to give it ‘room to breathe’.
Imagine a bubble or a personal space around you. Some people find it helpful to picture it as a sphere that surrounds their whole body. It doesn’t matter if there are people, furniture or other objects within that space. This isn’t about being physically alone. It’s about giving yourself somewhere to mentally relax into.
Imagine there’s more room around your head, your shoulders, your chest, your back, your abdomen, your hips, your legs and your feet. Don’t forget the space behind, above and below you as well. Many people only focus on what’s in front of them, but imagining space all around you, including behind your back, often makes the exercise feel much more effective.
Rather than feeling trapped inside the anxiety, imagine yourself relaxing outwards into that space. If you’re holding tension in your shoulders, let it soften outwards. If your jaw is tight, allow that tension to dissolve into the space around you. Whatever tension you’re carrying, allow it to spread outwards rather than trying to squeeze it inwards or force it away.
You don't need to get rid of the anxiety
You don’t need to squash it, compress it or force it away. In fact, trying to do that usually has the opposite effect because it keeps your attention fixed on the very thing you’re trying to escape.
If you’re aware of your breathing, don’t worry about making it perfect. Rather than concentrating on the sensations in your throat, chest or lungs, simply imagine breathing out into the space around you. Imagine there’s more room to breathe, more room to move and more room to relax. As you breathe out, allow your shoulders to drop, your posture to soften and your body to settle naturally into that Safe Zone.
The aim isn’t to get rid of the feelings. That’s the trap that keeps panic going. If you’re constantly asking, “Has it gone yet?”, your attention is still fixed on the anxiety. Instead, remind yourself:
“I’m creating more space around myself. The anxiety can be here, but it doesn’t have to fill my whole world.”
Paradoxically, when you stop trying to eliminate anxiety, your nervous system often stops treating it like an emergency. You’re not trying to win a battle against anxiety. You’re simply refusing to let it occupy your entire world
Ready To take back control?
I provide professional CBT therapy and coaching services for adults in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, as well as remotely, supporting people experiencing anxiety, burnout, stress, high-functioning ADHD and other life challenges.
Using evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), I provide practical, personalised support to help you better understand your thoughts and behaviours, develop effective coping strategies, build confidence and create positive, lasting change.
