for the panic moment
How to ease a panic attack, right now.
You do not need to download anything, and you never hold your breath. Tap the orb, and let the exhale go long.
In danger right now, or thinking of harming yourself? Please call your local emergency number or a crisis line in your country. Breathing can steady this moment. Tonari is a companion, not a cure.
ease panic
One tap, then a soft landing.
When breathing on your own is hard, the Safe Anchor opens in one tap: a calm, hold free breath made for panic, with a crisis line always in reach, and a Ground me instead option if you would rather feel your feet. When the wave passes, it lands you softly, asking only how it is now, never rushing you off.
Breathe however you can. The screen waits for you.
Why the long exhale calms you
A panic attack is your body's alarm firing when there is no real danger. Your heart races, your breath goes fast and high in the chest, and your mind reads all of that as proof that something is wrong.
Letting the exhale run a little longer than the inhale gently tells the calming branch of your nervous system that you are safe now, and the alarm begins to quiet. Slow, steady breathing, somewhere near six breaths a minute, has been studied for settling the body. The breath itself is simple: in softly through the nose, whatever comes easily, then out through soft lips a little longer than the breath in, and again. There is no breath holding here, on purpose, because holding can make the air hunger feeling worse.
It comes on fast, it peaks, and it passes. Most panic attacks crest within about ten minutes and fade on their own, even though in the moment they feel like they never will. You are not in danger. You are having a hard, frightening moment, and it will pass.
beside you for other moments
Whatever you are carrying.
Anxious, not panicking
A steady breath for a busy mind and a body that will not settle. See anxiety relief.
How to help someone
What to say, what not to say, the breath to do beside them.
Can a panic attack kill you?
Honest reassurance, and the line to see a doctor.
A free panic app that never holds
Free, offline, and it never asks you to hold.
Cannot sleep
Quiet a racing mind and drift, with a long slow breath for the night.
Scattered
Settle in before deep work with a short, even breath. See breathing for focus.
questions
If you are wondering.
How long does a panic attack last?
Most panic attacks peak within about ten minutes and pass on their own, even when they feel endless in the moment. Slow breathing can help the peak come down sooner.
Is a panic attack dangerous?
A panic attack feels frightening but is not physically dangerous in itself. It is your body's alarm firing when there is no real threat. If your symptoms are new or you are unsure, please speak with a doctor.
Can breathing really stop a panic attack?
Slowing your breath, especially a longer exhale, gently signals the calming branch of your nervous system and can bring the intensity down. It is one of the few tools you always have with you.
Can I use Tonari during a panic attack?
Yes. Tonari opens straight into a one tap Safe Anchor made for the panic moment. It is hold free, never asks you to hold your breath, and keeps a crisis line in reach. It is free and private.
Keep it in your pocket, for next time.
A one tap Safe Anchor, private and calm, on iPhone.
Free on iOS 17 and later · no account · works offline