Pitipat Usanakornkul/Shutterstock We may have developed anxiety and panic attacks as a response to danger somewhere in our evolution. But often when we experience them now, there may be no reason for them at all. One way to manage a panic attack when it's happening is to "lean in." This means you observe what's happening objectively, noting as many details of your surroundings and experience as possible. By approaching it like a scientist, the intense fear may begin to lose its hold on you. Anxiety is a strange feeling.