Panic is a physiological state that our bodies use because it helped our ancestors survive when they were being chased by sabretooth tigers, and IB stress tricks your nervous system into thinking that deadlines are that tiger.
Your deadlines are not a sabretooth tiger.
Word counts are not a sabretooth tiger.
Having trouble finding a relevant and plausible counter-claim is not a sabretooth tiger.
Sometimes, you need to take a few moments to remind your body and mind that there is no tiger before you get back to the work.
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1. Breathe Before You Brain
Pause. Exhale slowly. Roll your shoulders. Your essay, IA, or EE can wait for ten deep breaths. And as amazing as your brain is at thinking, you can’t think your way out of a panic.
But you can breathe your way into a state of calm. Try this:
Quick reset: Try 4-7-8 breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
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2. Move Your Body, Reset Your Mind
Your brain and body share the same stress circuit.
When panic hits, stand up. Stretch your arms overhead. Twist your spine gently. Roll your neck and shoulders.
If you can, step outside and literally touch grass, or feel the air on your skin for thirty seconds.
Movement breaks the panic loop. It reminds your body that you’re safe, and your mind follows.
Even two minutes of walking or stretching can reset your focus far better than another hour of staring at the screen.
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3. Talk It Out (Preferably Over a Snack)
Sometimes the fastest way to calm your brain is to say the problem out loud.
Grab a friend, your ToK teacher, or that one classmate who always has snacks.
Halfway through explaining, you’ll probably realize what you need to do next, because articulating a thought turns confusion into structure.
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4. Chunk, Don’t Choke
Big projects trigger overwhelm because your brain sees “1600 words” instead of “four 400-word sections.”
Break the monster down:
- Write a rough intro (100–150 words)
- Claim paragraph (400)
- Counterclaim (400)
- Examples + reflection (600)
Suddenly, you’re not facing Mount Essay, just four smaller hills you can climb one at a time.
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5. Ask for Help (Seriously, It’s Allowed)
The IB loves “independent learners,” but independence doesn’t mean isolation.
Sometimes you need someone who gets it - the structure, the stress, the whole messy thought process.
That’s where I come in.
Book Your Free 15-Minute Call to untangle the chaos, get a plan, and turn that panic into progress.
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Bonus Thought: Panic Means You Care
That anxious energy you feel? It’s proof that you want to do well.
You’re not failing — you’re feeling.
And once you channel that energy into small, calm actions, you’ll remember: you’ve got this!