Panic! (When Panic Attacks)

Let’s talk about panic – because it’s real, it’s messy, and it doesn’t care how prepared your learner thinks they are.

One moment they’re fine. The next they’re gripping the wheel like it’s trying to escape, forgetting how feet work, and giving you that wide-eyed look that says, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

And sometimes? That’s true.

Panic isn’t a lack of knowledge. It’s the brain going into survival mode. Fight, flight, or freeze – but usually without the luxury of running away.

So what do you do? You stay calm. You shrink the task. You find one thing they can do.

“Let’s just roll forward. That’s it. You’re not in danger, you’re in control. We’ll figure it out together.”

Panic passes. But the memory of how you handled it won’t.

Whether you’re a parent or instructor, how you respond to panic teaches more than any perfectly executed manoeuvre ever could.

This is one of the CPD topics covered in my instructor coaching sessions.
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