Just recently started working my first professional job in Tokyo.
Not my first experience with crowded trains in the mornings but today my heart rate suddenly shot up in the train and felt like I was going to faint.
Experienced it again on rush hour back home. Its just on trains where im squished tight.
Has anybody else experienced this before? If so, what can I do to get over it?
32 comments
Take trains outside rush hours, or find remote work.
My grandson has panic attacks on the train. He has said that meditation helps some, but mostly he just soldiers through it. His University is a 2 hour train ride one-way, so he does it morning and evening. It’s rough.
All the time, if you have anxiety you can try therapy, noise canceling headphones or leaving earlier and taking slower less crowded trains. I’m sorry bud. If it’s a job you like maybe look into apartments within biking or walking distance.
I had similar experiences when i first started riding the trains eventually i got used to it, but it was not easy.
Xanax
I rode the crush hour Tokyo soba line for ten years with no issues. Then one day when the train was unbearably crowded the alarm went off and the train jerked to a halt. The train didn’t move for a very very long time and the siren was deafening. For the first time in my life I had a panic attack like OP.
When it comes to trains, I never recovered. I now always get panic attacks if the train is super packed and there is any hint of an unexpected stop. My solution was to get to work very early and leave very late.
I suffered from General anxiety and panic disorder. I over came that with Meditation and gaining the knowledge about the Symptoms, why they are there etc. Also breathwork can help to, just simple Box breathing is easy to Do on train.
Also dont avoid rush hour trains or trains in general, because of panic Attacks. Its super uncomfy, but it wont kill you, but if you start to avoid Things, your comfortzone will get very small and that kinda fast.
If you want to know more Details about overcoming anxiety and panic Attacks, then Hit me up i will help as good as i can with my experience
Dude sometimes i just get the fuck off the train and breathe.
If you have panic attacks, you’ll probably develop claustrophobia by association because your panic attacks will help your body associate tight spaces like trains to induce panic, and fear.
I seldom use public transportation. It’s a scourge of modernity. The only advantage would be playing a game on the train, but the tradeoff is missing your stop because you got too immersed.
I’ve had this before, it’s always crept up out of nowhere so I’ve not been prepared for it, just like how you described really. I heard a rumour it might be lack of oxygen/elevated CO2 on packed trains, but idk, I also have some undiagnosed anxiety issues so you might be suffering the same. The thing is, it’s hard to overcome it because once you know the trigger, it’s like your body is expecting it and it will happen again. If it does, try seeing a doctor/therapist. Good luck OP.
Eta: one thing that helps me is controlling my breathing and taking deep breaths (ones that push your belly out, not just your chest). Also finding whatever else to focus on, like reading something, even an ad on the train.
It can often be the case the entire train is packed, but sometimes it is biased towards one end of the train depending on exits. It is worth checking the other end of the carriages and see if they are a little better.
I would say find something to do for a bit after work. When I was working at an Eikaiwa, I had a client that would come take a lesson right after work to avoid getting on the busy trains.
Go have a drink, get something to eat, find a park to chill and read for a bit, net cafe, etc.
Happened to me during my 1st year in Japan.
U can walk to a different station with a less crowded train, take the slower train or use the cart with less people on it.
Music doesn’t help me, breathing helps up until a point… but these might be good solutions for you.
Panic attacks on trains are totally understandable doesn’t stop it from feeling embarrassing when it comes on but have compassion with yourself and always remember ppl wont remember u nor your panic attack tomorrow, they cant even remember what they had for breakfast.
Rarely catch the train for a commute, but if I do I leave an hour earlier than I need to and the trains are empty.
Use a bicycle to go to work, you’ll never come back to the train – if the distance makes it a realistic alternative
Happens to me too, saikyo line sucks especially with all the delays but here are some tips that helps me deal with it. It’s gotten better over time (been a year of commuting).
I try to stay hydrated and sleep well. Personally, my anxiety gets worse when my body is in a bad condition or when I’m sleep deprived. Pocari sweats from the vending machines near the tracks are a life saver for me.
I try to go to the train number 1 or 2 or the last trains, in my case the furthest trains from the middle gets less crowded faster after people get off so I only deal with super crowded positions for 2-3 stations.
When I’m about to get on, I make sure I’m the first to get on/ first in queue, if there’s a ton of people in front of me I just wait until people get on and wait for the next train and stay in the queue.
After I get on the train, I try to get in the middle (away from doors).
I also use grounding techniques like looking for 5 objects with the color red, and repeat it with different colors etc., I count from 100 backwards and move each of my fingers as I’m counting. I also try slowing my breathing and taking deep breaths. (Don’t do deep breaths fast or you’ll hyperventilate, I learned it the hard way 🫠)
When you’re like super super squished, make sure to protect your chest, put something in between like your bag or arms or it gets hard to breathe.
Watch the train go by and look for the less crowded cars.
Find another route to work.
Find alternate transportation (buses/bike? Maybe to a different/less crowded line if its too far to simply ride either of them).
Move?
Travel at different times. Go in earlier, leave later. You don’t necessarily have to be working the whole time. Go in early, but go to a gym or go swimming near work first. Or do something after work and take a later train. Try to avoid peak travel times.
I don’t often take during very big rush hour so maybe my idea doesn’t apply but I also don’t like the super crowded train, I find at least for yamanote one will be super packed and next one one minute later will have more space so if one looks totally insane I wait for next one. I also try to hover behind vs standing at front of the queue so I can look for a car that seems less packed as it does vary per car … often last and first are not so packed.
You can also experiment with walking to a closer or further station to see if it makes a difference with how crowded it is as some stations more ppl get on/off
Good luck, those rush hour trains are no joke!
Mine isn’t exactly anxiety in the same way that you experienced, but I have this thing where if I stand for too long I sometimes pass out and sometimes I work myself up getting anxious about “what if it happens right now” when I’m stuck somewhere where I need to stand for a long time, including morning trains. (It has happened on trains a couple times which really doesn’t help because then you just get more nervous that it’ll happen again there lol)
Anyway, for me what helps is just going in to work a little earlier or later than the main rush if I can, and waiting for the next train so I can be the first to get on it and stand in the aisle area rather than the area by the doors where people get shoved together the most. Apart from that I just try to listen to something engaging with my headphones to take my mind off it.
Also, if you do have a panic attack or pass out on a train, decent sized stations should have an area where you can lie down and rest for a bit. Don’t be afraid to get help from the station workers because they’ve been very helpful in my experience.
Yup, same here. I almost passed out two times while riding a train that wasn’t even *that* packed. My doc told me it was because of the “heat” (both incidents coincidentally happened around summer), but I later found out it’s probably syncope (most likely caused by low blood pressure) so I became intentionally aware of my surroundings. Whenever I feel like I’m about to pass out, I try to slow down, focus on my breathing, play my favourite music, etc. Also, believe it or not, not holding the pole (or what it’s called) on the train helps a lot too bcs your blood doesn’t need to go up above your head.
Like others said – try not to commute during rush hours, but I don’t think “going to/from work early/late” is necessarily a sustainable option. Everyone shits on eikaiwa, but thank god for my afternoon/evening shifts when the train is barely packed.
sit. Usually it helps not to faint/get over it faster. Try to stay in that door corner so you can sit fast on the floor or run out on a closest st.
I empathize so hard with you. I had a very similar situation and from then onwards even the thought of getting on a crowded train would trigger massive anxiety for me. I tried anti-anxiety meds and meditation techniques which helped a bit but the best thing I did was get my motor bike license and ride to work every day – even in the rain. Complete game changer.
Try box breathing, it really helped me in the past.
I have panic attacks on trains a fair bit. I leave home a lot earlier in the morning so the trains aren’t as crowded yet, and go to the car second from the back to make sure I can get a seat (also take the emptier local instead of the express), which gives a little extra mental breathing room.
During summer I find sometimes it’s because I’m overheating too, so I’ll have some icey cold Aquarius to drink before getting on.
And if I do have an attack I just get off and breathe for a bit.
That happened to me once in my first year riding the train. I got really lightheaded one time so I got off and took a break in a middle station, then got back on again. Eventually I got used to it by taking the train every day and finding my own routine. Now I work remotely a lot so unfortunately I lost my stamina for rush hour trains again…
Also I try to avoid the 弱冷房車 trains especially during rush hour.
Had a panic attack the first time I rode the crowded trains in Tokyo. My boyfriend said to focus on breathing out of my mouth only, and it worked like a charm for some reason.
This same thing started creeping up on me my first job here where i was commuting pretty far every day. I did my best to remind myself to keep breathing and zen out. The long term solution was find a better, more relaxed job where now I either wfh or commute at off hours! No more crowded morning train!
I definitely had those when I used to commute. Sometimes, I had to let a few trains go because my feet would refuse to move to step into the train.
I also sometimes had to get off because I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I got diagnosed with anxiety and started taking medication for it. It definitely helped! I still avoid crowded trains as much as I can though because it still makes me uneasy.
Are you a morning person? Try catching a really early train to avoid the crowd. Go to bed super early. Take a book, or gaming console or something and hang out at a cafe before you start work.
Possibly the only way to avoid the peak
I’m used to it, but when one of my american friends was visiting we took a morning rush hour train to get to Yokohama. Huge mistake… The train was packed to the brim (as usual), but as we’re leaving and I’m chatting with my friend, he starts turning pale, speech started slurring and profusely sweating. He knocked out completely within a matter of seconds. I caught him, tried to wake him up and I dragged him off the train at the next station.
From that point, we just took the trains that weren’t so packed (before or after rush hour) and it wasn’t an issue for the rest of his trip.
Sorry this is happening. It’s quite common and I recommend you avoid subways, rather than medicate.
Can you take a less crowded bus, ride a bike, or walk?
I used to walk an hour to work and back. Really not a waste of time at all – provided exercise without the expense of a gym, time to meditate and be alone with thoughts or listen to a podcast if I chose, and it gave me much needed stress relief during a period of very hard work.
It looks like you have identified the trigger, being “squished tight”. I simply avoid rush hour as much as possible when I’m in Tokyo because even as someone without this issue I find it acutely uncomfortable. Your feelings are entirely natural and normal, and all that’s happening here is that you’re more sensitive to this than most people.
Let’s talk immediate solutions. People who are recommending meditation and other techniques are probably well-meaning, but these techniques take time to master and you need to get to work tomorrow.
Tokyo rush hour is infamous for over-crowding in the subways, and it’s actually not as efficient as many people think. For example, to walk from Chuo city to Shibuya will take about an hour and a half. The train takes about half that time (about 50 minutes counting the time to get into the station, and assuming you’re lucky enough to get on the first train – it might be a longer if you have to wait for the 2nd or even 3rd train before you manage to get on ).
So tomorrow? Just wake up early and walk it. Slip on some comfortable shoes and take it in easy stages. Skip breakfast at home and instead allow some time maybe mid-way to stop for breakfast at a cafe for a breather. If necessary take a taxi part of the way if you’ve miscalculated and you’re running late.
On a bicycle you can make the ride in about 40 minutes. Yup, bike beats train. Of course that’s in theory. In rush hour it’s probably going to be a bit slower, but it has a lot of other advantages like being a healthy morning workout, and being cheaper in the long-run.
You could also go for a hybrid solution, somewhere between walking and a bike (which might be difficult to store at your office), like a small electric scooter that’ll mean that you don’t arrive at work sweaty. Those things can hit 20km/hr (which will be faster than the traffic in Tokyo during rush hour!) and have a range of about 20km, which is more than enough to get to most places in Tokyo and you can charge it at work. You may need to check their current legal status, but as far as I know they won’t need a driver’s license from July this year ([https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14818632](https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14818632)). You could even get a non-electric variety and just scoot along and then fold it up when you get to work – all you’re aiming to do is get a total travel time that’s roughly equivalent to the train.
You can order one of these online from Amazon and it’ll be there tomorrow. Or a bicycle. Or just a really good pair of walking shoes if the walk suits you.
In the long-term look into meditation, therapy, and even medication (beta-blockers can help a lot to control that racing heart which often sets off the other feelings of panic, although consult with your doctor).
The key point here is that Tokyo is a lot smaller than most people imagine, and getting most places on foot or by bike or electric scooter is quite practical, and might even be faster than the train, as well as allowing you a pleasant morning walk or bicycle ride that will be good for your health. Maybe look at it as a decision to choose a different means of commuting that boosts your health and saves you money in the long-run?