Procrastinate Your Panic
- vanessabruni71
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
As we were wrapping up our session, Sarah shared that she felt a bit panicked about the coming week. Her gym was undergoing renovations, which meant she would miss her early-morning workout class — something that had become a lifeline for her.
In the final five minutes of our call, we scrambled to come up with some helpful thoughts and habits she could hold on to to protect herself from anxious spirals.
That’s when the phrase “Procrastinate Your Panic” was born.
We both laughed at our exciting new phrase, but beneath the humour was a surprisingly powerful strategy.
If you tend to feel overwhelmed or easily derailed by circumstances, this skill can help you build emotional resilience. And the phrase itself may even make you laugh, which already helps interrupt panic.
The 3 Steps to “Procrastinate Your Panic”
1. Notice the feeling of panic
Pause long enough to recognise what is happening emotionally and physically in your body. Naming the feeling creates a little space between you and the panic.
2. Describe the main challenge you are facing
What exactly is triggering your anxiety? Try to describe the situation clearly and specifically, rather than letting your mind spiral into worst-case scenarios.
3. Ask yourself: Can I realistically think through my circumstances right now?
If the answer is no, then you are going to procrastinate your panic until you are calmer and have eaten. Make an appointment with yourself for later when you can think clearly.
When you meet with yourself to assess your panic, here are a few steps you can take.
Write down what the challenge is in general terms, almost like a summary title.
Break the challenge into 5–10 smaller, manageable parts.
Divide the smaller parts into two circles: ones that you could do something about and one that you have no control over.
Look at the circle where you can do something and write 1-3 small steps that you can take in the next day or two.
Sometimes emotional resilience is not about eliminating panic instantly. It is about delaying the anxiety long enough until you can think clearly again.
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