Six ways to stop a panic attack in its tracks
Is your life impacted by panic attacks? Here are six ways you can stop a panic attack in its tracks.
Panic attacks can feel like the worst feeling in the world for those who have them. Even a one-off panic attack can knock you for six, and if you are unlucky enough to have them on a regular basis, then you will know how difficult it can feel to handle one.
Most people who are used to panic attacks know what’s like when you feel one coming, and it’s in this moment that it’s the easiest time to learn how to stop them from developing.
When you feel the signs of an anxiety attack coming, you need to learn how to slow it right down to a stop. Doing this and learning all about your own panic triggers will help you to work out what you can do to stop panic attacks in their tracks.
Six ways to stop a panic attack in its tracks
Some people choose to see a doctor straight away to help with anxiety, and other people use products from places like Simply CBD to help them reduce the power of their triggers.
The good news about panic attacks is that, while it may not feel like it right now, there are plenty of things that you can do to get rid of the feeling of worry and panic before it takes hold of you. And to help you, here are six strategies you can use to stop your panic attacks.
1) Breathe
Every single tip to help you to relax starts with breathing techniques. You can learn to breathe in a meditative way that will help to dissolve that flight or fight response that signals the need to panic.
Your heart rate needs to come back down for you to think clearly, and the best way to help with that is to breathe slowly. One way to do this is to hold one hand on your belly and breathe deeply into the center of it. You need to breathe slowly and purposefully so that you move the breath from your lungs and into your diaphragm. When you do this, you can concentrate better and feel calmer.
2) A cool wash
Something to know about anxiety attacks is that you put yourself into the future. Your anxiety is showing you all the things that you have to worry about in three weeks, three days – even three hours. It takes you from the present and shows you a myriad of things that MIGHT go wrong.
So, you need to bring yourself back to the present time and make sure that you are able to breathe and calm down. A splash of water across your face can instantly change your perspective. That doesn’t mean you need to waterboard yourself! But you do need to stimulate your parasympathetic system and effectively slap yourself out of the panic before it can really take hold.
3) Epsom salts
Another way you can do to help to curb your anxiety is make use of Epsom salts. These salt baths are pure magnesium, sulfur and oxygen and they can work into your skin to help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.
Magnesium is believed to help calm your nervous system, giving the mineral the reputation of the original chill pill! Soaking in a bath has its benefits anyway, but when you add plenty of Epsom salts to the water, you may find that you can change your outlook massively.
4) Massage
If you are feeling stressed, massage can move a lot of that stress out of your muscles and get rid of it. Indian head massage can really help you to shift your anxiety and bring you away from any tense feelings. Scalp massages are considered to be very beneficial when it comes to reducing your cortisol levels.
5) Dance
Often, the anxiety that builds up in your system starts as a buzz of adrenaline. Think of it like a low hum through your system. If you are feeling the buzz of adrenaline, you need to burn it off, and getting up and dancing will help.
So throw on your best songs and shake your anxiety out of your system. You can move as much or as little as you want, but the point is that you will push the adrenaline that ramps up into panic away from you.
6) Get warm
You should ensure that you have the optimal body temperature to avoid feeling panicky. Believe it or not, warm hands and feet will help you to curb any panic building in your system.
Get a hot drink and hold it in your hands, sip slowly and purposefully, and you will feel the warmth flooding your stomach and down your legs. This can make you feel grounded in an instant.
Don’t panic about panic attacks!
Panic attacks don’t feel very nice, but the worst thing you can do is worry about them, and panic when you feel one coming on – it will just make it worse.
Instead, by understanding how panic attacks work, and knowing that you have strategies you can use to counter the physical and emotional causes and symptoms of a panic attack, you won’t just have the tools to stop them, but you can stop being scared of them and feel more empowered as a result.
By using these strategies and this mindset shift regularly, you can even stop your panic attacks completely.
Photo by Yoann Boyer
