Again, it's obvious that these are paradoxical instructions, because they seem somewhat crazy to say to yourself. ("Here I am with shaky legs, feeling dizzy, like I'm about to faint. And now I'm supposed to try to make this worse!?") So it does take courage and a little faith. If you will practice during times of low-level anxiety, you will have another valuable skill on hand when a real worry sets in.

Help your body relax

Remember that you don't have to be run by your discomfort. Take charge of your comfort by taking action. If you have only a minute or two, simply take a single Calming Breath or do the Calming Counts, and release your tensions in the process. Practicing your breathing skills, using the Ten-Second Grip, paradoxically trying to increase your symptoms -- these are all ways to reduce physical symptoms of tension.

There other ways to manage your discomfort as well. For a summary of them, refer to the chart "Responding to Physical Symptoms" at the end of Step 7 of the Panic Attack Self-Help Program. Use the formal relaxation skills of Step 5 of the Panic Attack Self-Help Program to help train your body and mind to slow down and experience comfort. Practice them daily for several weeks.

Get involved!

Keep in mind, too, that you don't have to be totally relaxed to be in control. Sometimes you may need to try out your skills, let them help you reduce your tensions as much as possible, then accept that you may still have some leftover tension. Don't worry about that. The best thing to do at that point is to get involved with your surroundings. You may be surprised to discover that after you focus on that interesting person next to you, in a few minutes your tension isn't so bothersome.

I'm not suggesting that you become so frightened of your discomfort that you try to block it out. Too many people read the same paragraph in a novel over and over in an effort to distract themselves. That's not too helpful.

Instead, pay attention to your physical discomfort, and choose some direct actions to increase your comfort. You might say, "It's okay that I'm feeling some tension now. This is my first transcontinental flight in eight years. I've reassured myself and practiced the skills. Now I'm going to get involved a while with my novel. I'll check my symptoms in ten minutes."