WoW Life Coach - Don't Panic

I have been noticing that a lot of people on twitter, blogs and the like have been mentioning 'Don't Panic" these days, so I thought that it would be a good topic for us to discuss

In the series, Don't Panic is a phrase written on the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.^[29] The novel explains that this was partly because the device "looked insanely complicated" to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from panicking - Source Wikipedia
 

 'Don't Panic" it sounds so simple, but too many of us forget this while on out WoW adventures. I am one who is guilty of forgetting this simple advice all the time.

For me the symptoms of when I am in panic mode while playing is that my fingers will twitch and I will find it hard to make the right choices of spells and cooldowns to use. Oftentimes, the result of my panic is that my toon dies, more than likely in a place surrounded by mobs that is difficult for me to recover from.

Now, what can I or you, do differently in these situations?

• Build muscle memory - one of the things that can help is knowing where the spells are and not having to hunt and peck for the right one on your action bars
• Use macros to build a 'Panic Button" - you can macro some of you spells to a button that you have on your action bar for those moments when you know that your mind might not be able to remember the proper rotations
• Watch boss strategy videos, which can help you to anticipate what the boss might be throwing out at you and what to use
• Research on class/spec for the proper glyphs and talents and don't be afraid to swap them out on a case by case basis
• Bring a friend or guildie along with you, sometimes its better to do things as a group rather than solo all the time

After a particularly difficult situation, take a breather, perhaps some pet battles (when you have completed the raid/scenario/dungeon), get a drink, step away from the computer for a few moments. Allow yourself some time to calm down, and refresh yourself. When we go into panic mode, our bodies will naturally tense up, and we need time to release those tensions.

Another thing that can help to ensure that we face these panic situations in game is to be sure that out bodies are ready for game play. Have you had enough rest? Have you eaten a meal? When our bodies are not nourished properly before we try to tackle difficult content, we may not get the results that we desire.

After you have faced a situation where you normally would panic and were able to overcome it without panicking your mental mood will be positive and you will be better prepared to face the next situation.  I can assure you that you will feel FABULOUS! And that my friends is one of feelings that I want you to continue to feel while playing WoW!