Panic

One word: Don’t. From the zany science fiction universe of Douglas Adams to the experience that has the potential to unsettle us at any turn, we can all find reasons, rational or irrational to engage in this intensely unpleasant feeling. 

The new job has caused me to enter into brief moments of panic, but it’s all adjusting. It’s what we have to do. No matter if it’s adjusting to a mode of thought or a practice that we have to get acclimated to, from what I’ve seen, any uncertainty in an environment where certainty is required can trigger this feeling that your heart is thumping in your throat and your brain is firing senseless thoughts. 

No need to lose it. Pull it together. Get your bearings. Joke with others. Keep it comical. It will keep the stress from permanently eating away at your sanity. 

I’m finally getting the hang of crime reporting. The basics of what to include. Which reports to hold and which ones to move forward. I’ve gotta be honest here. It’s not my favorite realm of news, but it must be done. 

The panic that resulted from my first experience with reporting crime was part of the reason for the aversion to it. Now, it’s just a part of the job. The tight grip on your thudding heart will lessen. Face the unknown. Do what you’re unsure of. Burn out that uncertainty by facing it. If you don’t master it, at least you’re all the better and more sensitized to whatever you’re facing. 

And I think this can apply broadly. Take, for example someone who may be different than you are. Maybe you are the type that sticks to your own herd, in the workplace or at the backyard BBQ. Change this. Strike up a conversation with the guy or girl in the cubicle next to you. 

And it’s not just branching out, it’s how we respond in given environments. What factors affect your behavior in certain environments? Notice your trigger points and isolate those. Again, face them head on. 

And remember, don’t panic.