Danny Trejo Says He Has Anxiety Attacks: 'I Blow into a Bag' to Handle Them

Mar. 15, 2025

Danny Trejo in Machete.Photo:Twentieth Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Twentieth Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Danny Trejoshared that he struggles withanxiety attacks— but relies on an old-school way to handle hyperventilating.“I have anxiety attacks, you know, a lot, but I blow into a bag. That always helps me,” Trejo, 80, told hostMichael Rosenbaumon the Nov. 5 episode of his podcast,Inside of You.But Trejo said that he tries to stay in a grateful state of mind, which he says can help prevent those episodes of anxiety. “There’s an attitude of gratitude that we have to keep. You know what I mean? It’s like, man, I don’t know how to say it.”“I’m so grateful,” he continued. “I’m so grateful that I’m on the green side of the grass.”Danny Trejo in London in 2024.Shane Anthony Sinclair/GettyTheSpy Kidsalum and cookbook author, who releasedTrejo’s Cantinalast year, mentioned a good friend who passed away at age 56, saying he was “a beautiful guy” — and it was his passing that inspired him to make sure he does something positive every day.“It’s like, wait a minute, man. He’s got me here for some reason. I know it’s not to do bad, so I gotta do good every day. Gotta help somebody every — I don’t care what it is. I don’t care if you go to a neighbor. Just knock on the door. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ ‘Yeah. I’m fine, Dan. Could you help me take out the trash?’ ““Sure. I’m okay. And help them take out the trash or whatever.”“I 100% agree,” Rosenbaum chimed in. “Just a kind gesture. Just do something for another human being, not yourself.”The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“It’s funny because I got dogs.I love dogs. And there’s this one lady who — I guess she had hurt her leg — we always would see her walking her dog. And so, Mario, my assistant, I see knocks on her doors. ‘Hey. Would you like me to walk your dog? I’ve noticed you haven’t walked [your dog].’ ““ ‘Oh, yeah. Oh, thank you. Thank you.’ And the soon as she grabs the leash, the dog is jumping up and down walking,” Trejo explained, adding that the kind gesture took “ten minutes.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“You know what I mean? What is that out of your life? And yet—”“It means something to someone else’s life,” Rosenbaum interjected.“That’s the way I wanna live my life,” Trejo said. “And I think that’s one of the reasons I got to be 80.”

Danny Trejoshared that he struggles withanxiety attacks— but relies on an old-school way to handle hyperventilating.

“I have anxiety attacks, you know, a lot, but I blow into a bag. That always helps me,” Trejo, 80, told hostMichael Rosenbaumon the Nov. 5 episode of his podcast,Inside of You.

But Trejo said that he tries to stay in a grateful state of mind, which he says can help prevent those episodes of anxiety. “There’s an attitude of gratitude that we have to keep. You know what I mean? It’s like, man, I don’t know how to say it.”

“I’m so grateful,” he continued. “I’m so grateful that I’m on the green side of the grass.”

Danny Trejo in London in 2024.Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty

Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty

TheSpy Kidsalum and cookbook author, who releasedTrejo’s Cantinalast year, mentioned a good friend who passed away at age 56, saying he was “a beautiful guy” — and it was his passing that inspired him to make sure he does something positive every day.

“It’s like, wait a minute, man. He’s got me here for some reason. I know it’s not to do bad, so I gotta do good every day. Gotta help somebody every — I don’t care what it is. I don’t care if you go to a neighbor. Just knock on the door. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ ‘Yeah. I’m fine, Dan. Could you help me take out the trash?’ “

“Sure. I’m okay. And help them take out the trash or whatever.”

“I 100% agree,” Rosenbaum chimed in. “Just a kind gesture. Just do something for another human being, not yourself.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“It’s funny because I got dogs.I love dogs. And there’s this one lady who — I guess she had hurt her leg — we always would see her walking her dog. And so, Mario, my assistant, I see knocks on her doors. ‘Hey. Would you like me to walk your dog? I’ve noticed you haven’t walked [your dog].’ “

“ ‘Oh, yeah. Oh, thank you. Thank you.’ And the soon as she grabs the leash, the dog is jumping up and down walking,” Trejo explained, adding that the kind gesture took “ten minutes.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“You know what I mean? What is that out of your life? And yet—”

“It means something to someone else’s life,” Rosenbaum interjected.

“That’s the way I wanna live my life,” Trejo said. “And I think that’s one of the reasons I got to be 80.”

source: people.com