Why Does My Heart Race: Understanding Panic Attacks

Your heart is pounding. You’re not running, you’re not exercising, and yet it feels like your chest is about to explode. You try to take deeper breaths, but nothing seems to shift that tight, panicky feeling rising up. Sound familiar? For many who deal with anxiety or overwhelming stress, panic attacks can turn daily life into a minefield. They can show up without warning, racing through your body before you have a chance to understand what’s happening.

A racing heart is one of the most common symptoms people notice during a panic attack, but it’s often just one piece of a much bigger picture. The sudden wave of fear, the need to escape, sweaty palms, or even feeling like you’re outside of your own body—these can feel confusing, even frightening. For some, panic attacks become so overwhelming that they start avoiding people, social events, or even leaving the house. Knowing what’s going on makes a big difference. With the right support and understanding, things can get better, and fast heartbeats don’t have to be the new normal.

What Are Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are intense bursts of fear or distress that come on suddenly. They’re not always linked to a specific situation, which sometimes makes them even more worrying. Unlike everyday stress where you might feel slightly tense or on edge, panic attacks feel loud and urgent. The brain sends out signals to the body that something is wrong, even if there’s no real danger around.

People experiencing panic attacks often describe them as a physical shock to the body. Here's what many feel during an attack:

- Heart racing or pounding

- Difficulty breathing or a choking feeling

- Chest discomfort

- Sweating or shaking

- Dizziness or feeling faint

- A sense of losing control

- Feeling detached from reality

To the outside world, it may not always be obvious what’s happening. On the inside, though, it can feel like everything is spiralling. These symptoms usually peak within a few minutes, but even once the physical sensations pass, many are left feeling shaky or emotionally exhausted for hours.

Triggers vary from one person to another. Some people find their panic attacks are triggered by past trauma or feelings of being trapped. For others, it might be crowds, loud noises, or even something as simple as a work meeting on a stressful day. One client once described having a panic attack while standing in a supermarket queue, seemingly from nowhere. But with time, they realised that work stress, disrupted sleep, and unaddressed emotional pain had been building up in the background. That moment in the supermarket was just the tip of the iceberg.

Understanding what panic attacks are and what might be setting them off is the first step in learning how to respond differently. The next step is recognising what your racing heart is actually trying to tell you.

Why Does My Heart Race? Understanding The Physical Response

When anxiety hits hard, your body reacts fast. That pounding heart you feel during a panic attack is part of your body’s automatic alarm system. It’s called the fight-or-flight response and it's built to protect you. The system gears you up to either face danger or run from it. Your heart pumps faster to get blood to your muscles, just in case you need to move quickly.

This response made perfect sense for our ancestors dodging wild animals. But the brain hasn’t quite adjusted to modern stress. Now, instead of lions, your brain reacts to things like tight deadlines, unresolved grief, emotional conflict, or trauma from the past. The brain can’t always tell the difference between real and perceived threats. So, it hits the panic button without stopping to double-check.

During a panic attack:

- The brain detects something it sees as dangerous

- The body starts flooding with stress chemicals like adrenaline

- Your heart speeds up to circulate blood faster

- Breathing gets quicker, sometimes leading to dizziness or chest tightness

This reaction is natural, but it can feel terrifying when it happens out of context. You might be at your desk, on public transport, or even lying in bed. Because it’s sudden and out of sync with what’s actually going on around you, it feels like something is seriously wrong, even if there isn’t.

Understanding why your heart races and knowing that it’s not going to damage you long-term can help reduce the fear around panic attacks. It doesn’t fix it completely, but it gives you the power to respond differently when it shows up next time.

Coping Strategies For Managing Panic Attacks

When panic sneaks up on you, it’s easy to feel powerless. That racing heart, tight chest and flood of fear can cause your mind to spiral. But having simple tools ready can help you regain a bit of control, even in the middle of it all. While no single trick will work perfectly every time, building a toolkit of coping strategies can bring some relief while you work on longer-term recovery.

Here are a few things you can try when a panic attack starts:

1. Anchor yourself with grounding: Focus on your senses. Touch something cold like metal or splash water on your face. Look at five objects around you and name them out loud. These physical anchors bring your mind back to the present moment.

2. Control your breathing: Try breathing in slowly through your nose for four counts, holding for four, then breathing out through your mouth for four. Repeat a few times. This calms the nervous system and eases that breathless feeling.

3. Use gentle self-talk: Remind yourself what’s happening. Say things like, “This is a panic attack. It’s uncomfortable, but it won’t last forever. I’ve got through this before.” Speaking to yourself kindly can help shift the panic narrative.

4. Step outside or change your scene: If possible, go somewhere quiet or step outdoors. A change of space can help your body reset and soften the fear.

5. Create a comfort list: Write down a few things that calm you personally. This could be a favourite song, a comforting scent, or a photo of a peaceful place. Keep the list on your phone and use it when needed.

These techniques serve as ways to ride the wave. But they work best when combined with long-term approaches that support emotional resilience. Consistent sleep, supportive relationships, lowered caffeine, and clearer work-life boundaries all contribute to that inner stability.

If panic has started taking up too much space in your life, it’s worth getting proper support. You don’t have to figure this out alone, or keep adding new coping tricks while ignoring deeper emotional wounds that haven’t yet healed.

Seeking Professional Help

It’s one thing to manage symptoms in the moment. It’s another to unpack what’s really behind them. That’s where talking to a depression therapist in Singapore can be a game-changer. It’s about understanding your emotional landscape, not just reacting to the panic once it shows up.

For many adults, panic attacks are linked to long-standing pressures or silent emotional injuries. Working with a therapist allows you to name those root causes and build strategies specifically for you. You won’t have to keep guessing what triggers your reactions or pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.

A common approach used in Singapore is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It helps you recognise and shift thought patterns that might be fuelling your anxiety and panic. Over time, you learn to respond differently to stressors, which naturally reduces the intensity and frequency of attacks.

Another approach is EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. This is especially helpful if your panic ties back to past events that never fully healed. EMDR gently helps your brain process and release the emotional charge of those memories.

The goal isn’t to erase panic, but to help you live with greater ease. A therapist gives you space to explore your own story — without judgement, without rushing. Many people discover unexpected patterns, hidden grief, or hardened beliefs about themselves they didn’t even realise they carried.

If your mind and body are trying to tell you something through panic, it’s worth listening. And you don’t have to do it alone.

When Your Heart Won’t Stop Racing

Panic attacks can knock you flat. They cloud your thoughts, speed up your body, and make the world feel unsafe. But panic isn’t random. It’s your system trying to protect you — just using an outdated alarm system.

When you understand what’s really behind panic attacks, they lose a bit of their grip. You start to see that your racing heart is a signal, not a sentence. That you’re not broken. That there’s a path to feeling steady again.

Simple tools can help you come back to the present. Professional therapy can help you find peace that lasts beyond the moment. There is support in Singapore, and there are people ready to walk alongside you as you move forward. Whether panic strikes at the MRT station, in a quiet room, or during the workday, there’s a way through it. You don’t have to do this alone.

Ready to take control of your panic attacks and seek lasting relief? Connect with a skilled depression therapist at Staying Sane 101. By understanding the root causes of your anxiety and learning practical ways to cope, you can start feeling more balanced and in control. Our therapists are here to support you with care that fits your needs. Don’t wait to take that first step towards feeling better.