Do anything. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Go visit some friends. Read a book. Take a snooze. For how long? That depends...but as a guideline, I would give yourself a good couple of hours.

Two hours? At this point little voice in your head is saying, "Sure, brilliant idea. We're faced with this impossible set of deadlines and you think I should go watch a movie?"

Yes, I do. The longer you sit in front of screen, deeper panic becomes and, at best, you'll move ahead at a snail's pace for rest of day. Worse still, your work probably won't be of a very good quality.

Far better to make a clean break and walk away. And walk right away. Get out of room. Out of house if you can. Cut yourself off from work completely. Don't compromise and decide to read through client brief again until you get your head straight. Make a clean break.

>> Find way that works best for you.

When it comes to taking that break, many writers have already found out what works best for them.

Some will go running or spend an hour at gym. Some will do some stretching exercises, or yoga, or breathing exercises. And yes, others will just go out for a beer or watch a movie.

All of these activities achieve same end. They change focus of your mind. They prevent that panic from feeding on your insecurities and fears.

If you have been writing for a few years and have faced your fair share of deadlines, you probably already know what works best for you in these circumstances.

If you're relatively new to writing to deadlines, and have faced a panic attack or two, my two messages are:

1. You're not alone. It doesn't mean you're a bad writer or a bad scheduler. It happens to best of us.

2. Step away from computer. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is something completely unrelated to work you are doing.

When you sit back down, with that sense of panic behind you, speed with which you work will more than compensate for time lost when you stepped away.