Helpful Tips For an Anxiety Attack
If you struggle with anxiety, you probably know what the dreaded panic attack feels like. Whether they occur spontaneously or you know the cause, a panic attack can leave you feeling terrified with unpleasant symptoms that often accompany an attach like a racing mind, heavy breathing, digestive issues, heart palpitations, etc.
What’s happening when I have a panic attack?
A panic attack happens when our amygdala sends a distress signal to our hypothalamus which controls our involuntary bodily functions. This alert to our hypothalamus fires messages all over our bodies to increase adrenaline and cortisol to protect us. As well, our pupils, breathing, metabolism and blood flow changes during this time.
While waiting for the symptoms of a panic attack to lessen, there are a few things we can do to manage these panic attacks. I recommend trying these four things to conquer a panic attack naturally:
Recognize that it is a panic attack and not a medical crisis. Remembering that an average panic attack will subside within 10-15 minutes helps refocus our suffering. Remembering that a panic attack is not physically harmful. If you have had a panic attack before, remember that you were able to get through it.
Breathing. Try deep breathing for a few minutes to regain control of your breath and lower your heart rate. Controlling breathing can help prevent the panic attack from getting worse. Try inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for four seconds. Repeat several times until breathing returns to normal.
Grounding. Using a grounding technique like the 5-4-3-2-1 method can be helpful. Acknowledge five things you see around you. Acknowledge four things you feel around you. Acknowledge three things you hear around you. Acknowledge two things you smell around you. Acknowledge one thing you can taste. This exercise can increase mindfulness by focusing your attention on the present.
Use muscle relaxation techniques. To reduce tension and promote relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation may help in these moments. The goal of muscle relaxation is to take control over each muscle and tense them, before relaxing each muscle slowly.
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