a guide to panic attacks: how to recognise and support panic attacks at work.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, mum teamed up with Kelly’s Cause to host, 'Reducing the Stigma: Brewing Strength in Hospitality’, gathering with 50 Hospitality leaders and managers to learn about mental health in the workplace.
After an opening keynote from Paul Spencer (check out his recent interview on mental health in hospitality) followed three insightful workshops. In this blog post we’re sharing key takeaways from ‘Panic Attacks: Helping Yourself and Others’, an invaluable session run by Kelly’s Cause founder Tobie-Anna Durk and co-founder and director of Seas the Mind Emma Ross, who are both mental health first aid trainers.
what is a panic attack?
A panic attack is a short episode (usually around 8-10 minutes) of intense anxiety, which comes on suddenly either out of the blue, due to an anxiety-inducing situation, or after exposure to phobia. It happens when our nervous system’s ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response is triggered, flooding our body with adrenaline and cortisol.
Panic attacks are all too common – especially in hospitality, where we work in busy, fast-paced, and intense environments. Panic attacks can be debilitating for those who experience them, challenging for the people around them, and the anxiety of a panic attack occurring can cause daily disruption to someone’s life.
what are the symptoms of a panic attack?
Though symptoms can vary from individual to individual, they may include a range of physical, cognitive and emotional responses including:
Rapid heart rate
Dizziness
Mind going blank
Chest pain
Racing thoughts
Sweating/hot flushes
Difficulty breathing
Intense feeling of dread
Hypervigilance
Feeling of detachment
Muscle tension
All these symptoms combined can be very overwhelming and even frightening for the person experiencing them.
what are panic attack triggers?
Each person’s mental health and life experiences are unique and what may trigger a panic attack in one person may not affect another person at all. Some potential panic attack triggers include:
Experiences of a traumatic event, bullying or harassment
Chronic stress (raised cortisol and adrenaline levels) – Though humans are well-designed to deal with short periods of intense stress, we’re not built to be under stress for extended periods
Exposure to phobias
Too much caffeine
Intense exercise – Exercise can mimic the symptoms of a panic attack, which can lead to actually having one
Busy, loud, intense environments, e.g. hospitality venues!
Working in hospitality can mean being on your feet for hours at a time, being shouted at by other team members or customers, being unable to maintain healthy eating and sleeping patterns, and even being unable to go to the toilet when you need it! As much as we love working in hospitality, it’s undeniably stressful at times – and all these factors can contribute to panic attacks.
what to do when someone’s having a panic attack.
Ask – A panic attack can have similar symptoms to a heart attack, so it’s important to rule this out first; if they’ve had a panic attack before they may recognise the symptoms, but if they haven’t knowingly had a panic attack before or don’t recognise the symptoms, ask them to describe how they’re feeling and always call an ambulance if you’re not sure
Safe space – Help them out of the environment or situation that may have contributed to the panic attack and take them somewhere they can feel safe; make sure they have a solid surface behind and underneath them, and if they feel dizzy ask them to get low to avoid injury from falling over
Communicate – Explain who you are (especially if they don’t know you) and that you’re there to help
Focus technique – Guide them through the focus technique (more on this below)
Follow up – Once the initial phase of a panic attack is over, the physiological effects can continue with feelings of exhaustion, overwhelm, and vulnerability; give the person time to process what’s happened then find out what they need in the aftermath, keep checking in with them, and let them go home if possible
how can you help someone having a panic attack?
Focus techniques can help a panic attack pass more quickly, or make it easier to bear. These techniques might be most helpful if you can lead by doing, and then invite the person experiencing a panic attack to join or follow you. Remember: go slow and repeat yourself often to help them absorb what you’re saying.
Breathing – Slow the breath by breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, and repeating (known as the box breath)
Senses – Name four things you can see, three things you can hear, two things you can feel, one thing you can smell
Touch – Find something nearby to hold on to and grip tightly for five seconds, release and repeat
Visualise – Imagine a calming and peaceful scene in which you feel safe
how can you prevent panic attacks?
It’s important to acknowledge that we can’t always do something to improve our mental health – panic attacks aren’t always avoidable and can still happen despite practising self-care and seeking support.
Nonetheless, strategic self-care means:
Having a strategy in place for supporting our own mental health and wellbeing
Being proactive rather than reactive
Having a plan in place for if/when things do go wrong
Working in hospitality means we can often forget the basics of looking after ourselves because we’re too busy focusing on looking after our guests. But Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows us we have to get the basics right before we’re fully capable of doing anything else. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup!
Remember SWEEBS:
Sleep – This can be difficult when you work shifts, but try to prioritise your sleep wherever you can
Water – How many times a day do you fill guests’ water glasses compared to your own? Aim to drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day (water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count)
Exercise – This needn’t be intense HIIT class; even a nice walk, gardening, or gentle stretching for 20-30 minutes a day is really good for your body and mind
Eating – This can be a challenge when you work in hospitality, but try to sit down for three meals per day
Breathing – Are you holding your breath without even realising it? Remember to check in with your breathing regularly
Seeking professional or other help when needed – If someone is experiencing severe depression or chronic panic attacks they need professional help; equally, if you're doing everything else and it's not working, think about getting help
what can workplaces do to help people at risk of panic attacks?
Businesses have a responsibility to create a safe and mentally healthy environment. We know it’s not easy (especially in hospitality), but here are a few changes you can make that will have a positive impact on your people:
Offer reasonable shift patterns and an advanced rota – This needs a bit more planning, but the positive impact on your team is more than worth it
Provide a safe space – Somewhere people can go if they need a moment’s time-out in your building if possible, or it could even mean drawing a map of the nearest green space so you can signpost people there when needed
Have a Mental Health Policy – it’s important not only to have one, but also to promote and make it accessible for everyone in your business, so they know where to look for support
Accommodate flexible working requests where possible – Effective as of 6 April 2024, the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 removed the requirement for an employee to be continuously employed for at least 26 weeks to make a flexible working application; make sure you understand this and communicate it within your teams
Have your teams’ backs – Remember: the customer isn’t always right! While we can’t guarantee no difficult customers, you can put a plan in place to support your team if and when they do cause an issue
Give everyone the right to disconnect – Make sure people have the opportunity to relax and restore, so they can come back to work fully functioning (that means no checking emails or Whatsapp!)
Want to learn more about how you can help support yourself, your colleagues and your team with mental health at work? Kelly’s Cause provides Mental Health First Aid training and mental health services to the hospitality industry – find out more here.