Simple Grounding Tools for Women in Stressful or Demanding Jobs
Feeling Panic at Work? Ground Yourself with These 3 Simple Tools
For ambitious women, the workplace is often the stage where drive and determination shine. But it can also be where stress hits hardest. Whether it’s an overwhelming meeting, a demanding boss, or the sheer pressure of your own expectations, panic can show up suddenly and leave you spinning.
I hear this often in my therapy work with driven women: “I know I’m good at what I do, but when panic hits, it’s like my body forgets. I feel hijacked, and all I want is to hide.”
If that resonates with you, please know you’re not alone. Panic at work doesn’t mean you’re weak or broken. It means your nervous system is sounding an alarm it doesn’t know how to turn off. And while healing the deeper roots of panic takes focused work, there are practical steps you can take right now to steady yourself.
Here are three simple tools that can help you ground when anxiety rises at work.
Why Panic at Work Feels So Intense
At its core, panic is your body’s survival system flipped “on” at the wrong time. Your breath gets shallow, your chest tightens, and your brain races ahead to worst-case scenarios: What if I mess this up? What if everyone sees?
For many high-achieving women, this is especially frustrating. You’re used to having control, to being the one people can count on. So when panic shows up, it feels like betrayal—from your own body.
3 Simple Tools to Calm Anxiety Fast
These aren’t tricks to “make it all go away.” They’re ways of giving your body a new message: You’re safe enough to calm down.
1. Deep Belly Breathing
When panic hits, your nervous system is convinced you need to be ready to fight or run. That’s why your breath moves up into your chest.
By slowing down and breathing deep into your belly, you interrupt that pattern. Try this: inhale slowly, letting your stomach rise. Hold for a beat. Exhale even more slowly. Repeat 2–3 times.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about reminding your body, I’m not in danger right now.
2. Grounding + Sipping
Anxiety often drags us into imagined futures: What if this goes wrong? What if I can’t handle it? Grounding brings you back to now.
Plant your feet firmly on the floor, wiggle your toes, or shift slightly in your chair. Pair that with taking a sip of water or coffee.
That small act of drinking cues your body that you’re safe enough to “rest and digest” instead of being run away with the “fight, flight, freeze, faint” of a stress response. It’s a gentle reminder that not everything is urgent.
3. Ice Cubes for Intense Panic
Sometimes panic is too big for gentle grounding. That’s when I suggest something stronger.
Hold an ice cube in each hand and squeeze as hard as you can. As you do, notice the cold bite of sensation. It may feel uncomfortable, but that’s the point. Ice interrupts the panic spiral and gives your nervous system something immediate and real to focus on.
Why Coping Isn’t the Same as Healing
These tools are powerful for the moment—but they don’t get to the roots of panic. If your nervous system keeps hitting the alarm, it’s often because past experiences or trauma are still unprocessed.
Coping says, I can get through this moment.
Healing says, I don’t have to live like this anymore.
That deeper shift is what EMDR and IFS therapy intensives are designed for. They give you the focused space to process what’s underneath the panic so you can move from survival mode into genuine freedom.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If panic is holding you back at work and beyond, there is hope. With the right support, you can find calm in your body, clarity in your mind, and space to go after the life you want.
Curious if an intensive could be right for you? Read this article to learn more about intensives or schedule a free consultation. I’d love to support you in finding not just relief, but lasting change.
