We all go through the panic zone at some point in our lives. We enter the panic zone when we push our limits too far. When we are dealing with something that seems dangerous to us, both physically and emotionally. When we feel compelled to do something that we perceive as alien and with which we do not identify.
Of course, each person has their own fear zone. What for some is acceptable and even common for others may be unacceptable and strange. That’s why there are countless examples of the panic zone that vary from person to person. While someone may feel in their comfort zone by practicing extreme sports or constantly changing partners, for another person the mere prospect of these situations can generate a real panic attack.
What is the panic zone?
The panic zone is an unfamiliar territory in which we feel uncomfortable because we have lost the reference points that normally help us navigate the world. Usually things happen in this area that confuse us, collide with our values and expectations, or are very difficult to accept. In this area the psychological tools we use on a regular basis are no longer needed, so we tend to feel especially helpless, disoriented and helpless.
The sensations generated by the panic zone
When we enter the panic zone, we experience unpleasant sensations. We may feel like we are losing control because the mental frameworks we used to understand the world and make sense of it no longer explain what is happening.
Running out of cardinal points generates a strong anxiety that sometimes borders on panic. It’s not strange, because the uncertainty that this area usually brings with it can make us fear the worst, generating that widespread feeling of apprehension that accompanies anxiety.
Another common feeling in the panic zone is vulnerability. We feel particularly fragile because the knowledge and skills we have acquired and in which we trust to move forward, are no longer so effective in solving the new challenges that are presented to us.
We realize that we do not have the necessary tools or that these cannot guarantee us good results. This makes us insecure. Therefore, in the panic zone we have the sensation of walking on glass that can break at any moment and harm us.
The hidden possibilities behind what scares us
In an ideal world, we would move from our comfort zone to the growth zone or magic zone, avoiding the panic zone entirely. But we don’t live in an ideal world and things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes, due to our wrong decision or by chance, we find ourselves immersed in the panic zone.
Most psychologists warn that terrible things can happen in the panic zone, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. In this area we can also learn. In fact, the panic zone can become a kind of “accelerated learning zone”. As can be seen in the figure below, high-performing experiences also occur in the panic zone that can be comparable – to some extent – with those occurring in the learning zone.
It’s true that the panic zone puts us on edge, but extreme circumstances can bring out our best version. Cal Newport, a professor at Georgetown University , found that many of his students got better after having children. It’s ironic, because kids take up a lot of time, so it must have been harder for the new parents to succeed academically.
However, many times the difficulties that new challenges bring with them force us to take some things more seriously and do our best by making the most of our efforts. So what might initially be an example of a panic zone becomes a magical or learning zone.
This area also teaches us more about ourselves. When all is well and life is flowing as usual, we usually don’t do much introspection. But when things go wrong, we are forced to look within. We wonder where we went wrong or what we need to change.
The panic zone, therefore, confronts us with our weak points. It shows us our limits and teaches us that we are vulnerable and fragile. That teaching is extremely valuable because it is vulnerability that makes us more human, sensitive and empathetic.
How to get out of the panic zone?
Living in a state of panic and anxiety is neither pleasant nor recommendable. Therefore, we must make sure that we move as soon as possible to the magical zone, the one where learning and growth take place. To get out of the panic zone, the most valuable tool at our disposal is radical acceptance .
Rather than denying the problems or our difficulties, we need to acknowledge that we have reached a point where we feel overwhelmed. When we fight against something, we usually generate an opposing force that hits us with greater intensity. When we learn to flow, we use that strength in our favor.
In the panic zone it is normal for us to feel demotivated or even paralyzed. We need to harness the sudden bursts of energy that fuel anxiety, as psychologist Robert Kriegel explains. In those moments we need to take action to get out of the panic zone, whether it’s ending a toxic relationship, stepping away from an unhealthy environment for a while, or pausing a project that has outgrown us to develop a new perspective.
The panic zone, like everything in life, is a phase we go through. It is neither good nor bad in itself. It all depends on how long we stay there and on the attitude with which we approach this phase.