Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Quando sinto esse pânico, foco-me na respiração, inspirando e expirando lentamente. - When I feel that panic, I focus on my breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

Putting the pronoun before the verb (me foco) is much more typical of Brazilian Portuguese, and in Portugal it sounds either Brazilian or quite informal / non‑standard in this sentence.

Here, after the comma, a new main clause starts (foco-me na respiração), with no word that would attract the pronoun to the front, so European Portuguese grammar strongly prefers foco-me, not me foco.

What does -me in foco-me actually do? Why is the verb reflexive?

The -me is the reflexive pronoun for eu (I):

eu foco = I focus (something)
eu foco-me = I focus myself (on something)

In practice, focar-se em + thing means:

focar-se na respiração = to focus on one’s breathing.

Portuguese often uses reflexive verbs where English doesn’t say myself:

Eu concentro-me. = I concentrate.
Eu sento-me. = I sit (myself) down.
Eu foco-me na respiração. = I focus on my breathing.

So -me here doesn’t add a special “meaning” beyond what English already expresses with focus on X; it’s just the way the verb is normally structured in Portuguese.

Why is it foco-me na respiração and not foco-me a respiração or something else?

The verb focar-se in this sense normally uses the preposition em:

focar-se em algo = to focus on something.

Then:

em + a respiração (the breathing)
contracts to
na respiração.

So:

foco-me na respiração = I focus on (the) breathing.

Using a without em (focar a respiração) would sound like you are literally focusing a camera or a lens on the breathing, not “turning your attention to it” in the mental sense.

Pattern to remember (European Portuguese):

focar-se em + [noun]
- foco-me no trabalho
- focamo-nos no que é importante
- foco-me na respiração

Why is it Quando sinto esse pânico and not Quando sentir esse pânico?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things.

Quando sinto esse pânico
Uses the present indicative. It describes something that happens whenever that situation occurs, in a more general or habitual way.
→ “When(ever) I feel this panic, I focus on my breathing.”
Quando sentir esse pânico
Uses the future subjunctive. It’s more like giving instructions about a future situation that may happen:
→ “When you/I feel this panic (in the future), [then do X].”

In your sentence, we’re describing a habitual strategy the speaker already uses, so Quando sinto esse pânico is the natural choice.

What is the difference between esse pânico and este pânico?

Both esse and este mean roughly this/that, but there are nuances:

Traditional spatial distinction:

este – close to the speaker (this here).
esse – close to the listener or just mentioned (that near you / that one we just talked about).
aquele – far from both (that over there).

In modern European Portuguese, especially in conversational speech, esse is very often used in places where old-school grammar might expect este, especially for abstract things (feelings, ideas, situations we are talking about rather than physically pointing at).

So:

Quando sinto esse pânico
= “When I feel that panic (that we know / are talking about).”

If the panic has just been mentioned in the previous sentence, esse is exactly right.
You could say este pânico, but in many real-life contexts it would sound less natural or a bit over-careful.

Could I just say Quando sinto pânico without esse? What changes?

Yes, you can say:

Quando sinto pânico, foco-me na respiração…

The difference:

Quando sinto pânico
→ more generic: “When I feel panic (in general, any panic).”
Quando sinto esse pânico
→ more specific: “When I feel that panic (the particular kind of panic we are talking about, e.g., anxiety attacks I get in crowds).”

So esse makes the feeling sound more identified / specific in the context.

Why is it sinto esse pânico and not sinto-me em pânico or something like that?

Both structures exist, but they’re slightly different:

sinto esse pânico
- Verb sentir
  - direct object.
- Literally: “I feel this panic.”
- Focus is on the emotion itself.
sinto-me em pânico
- Reflexive sentir-se
  - complement.
- Literally: “I feel myself in panic / I feel in a panic.”
- Focus is more on your own state.

Your sentence chooses the first option, treating pânico as a thing you feel:

Quando sinto esse pânico…
= When I feel this panic (emotion)…

Both are grammatically fine; it’s a stylistic choice.

Why does pânico use esse (masculine) and not essa (feminine)? How do I know the gender?

Pânico is a masculine noun, so any articles and demonstratives must match that gender:

o pânico
um pânico
esse pânico
aquele pânico

There is no completely reliable rule that works for every noun, but some hints:

Many nouns ending in -o are masculine: o medo, o pânico, o carro.
Many ending in -a are feminine: a alegria, a casa, a respiração.

However, there are many exceptions, so you generally learn the gender together with the noun:

o problema (masculine, despite -a)
a foto (feminine, short for a fotografia)

Here, you just have to remember that pânico is masculine → esse pânico.

Why is it na respiração (“in/on the breathing”) and not na minha respiração (“in/on my breathing”)?

Portuguese often uses the definite article where English uses a possessive:

Lavo as mãos. = I wash my hands.
Escovo os dentes. = I brush my teeth.

In this sentence:

foco-me na respiração
literally = “I focus myself on the breathing,”
but naturally understood as “on my breathing.”

Saying na minha respiração is also correct and clear, just a bit more explicit. The version without minha sounds very natural because, in context, it’s obvious you’re focusing on your own breathing.

What is inspirando e expirando grammatically? Could I say a inspirar e a expirar instead?

Inspirando and expirando are gerunds (in Portuguese: gerúndio), formed from the verbs:

inspirar → inspirando (inhaling)
expirar → expirando (exhaling)

Here they describe how you are focusing on your breathing:

foco-me na respiração, inspirando e expirando lentamente
= I focus on my breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

In European Portuguese, an alternative and very common pattern is:

a + infinitive
→ a inspirar e a expirar lentamente

So both are fine:

inspirando e expirando lentamente
a inspirar e a expirar lentamente

The a + infinitive form is often perceived as a bit more “European,” especially in continuous tenses (e.g. estou a respirar).

What does lentamente mean exactly, and could I say devagar instead?

Lentamente is an adverb meaning slowly. It is formed from the adjective lento (slow) + -mente (like English -ly).

You can absolutely say:

inspirando e expirando devagar
= inhaling and exhaling slowly.

Both are correct. Nuance:

devagar is very common in speech, short and informal.
lentamente can sound a bit more formal or neutral, and is slightly more “textbook‑like.”

In your sentence, either sounds natural:

…inspirando e expirando lentamente.
…inspirando e expirando devagar.

How is the sentence structured overall? Where is the main clause?

The sentence has two main parts:

Quando sinto esse pânico,
→ A subordinate time clause introduced by quando (when).
It gives the condition/situation.
foco-me na respiração, inspirando e expirando lentamente.
→ The main clause: what I do in that situation.
Then two gerunds describe how I do it:
- inspirando lentamente
- expirando lentamente

So the skeleton is:

Quando [situation], [action + manner].
Quando sinto esse pânico, foco-me na respiração, inspirando e expirando lentamente.