5 Things to Do When Having an Anxiety Attack Besides Taking Slow, Deep Breaths (2020)

There are many reasons that can trigger anxiety attacks. Anxiety and stress are correlated. Stressing about minor happenings can cause anxiety. Issues related to exams, work places, relationships, or health can trigger anxiety attacks. Nowadays, anxiety is a common problem faced by most people due to the stressful environment, rat-race competitions about everything, and lifestyle patterns.

Symptoms of anxiety include stress, worry, fear, nervousness, restlessness, losing concentrating power, sleep issues, irritation, sadness, and pressure. There can be physical symptoms, too, such as muscle pain, headache, nausea, change in heart rate, dry mouth, sweating, and shaking.

Anxiety attacks can be terrifying and scary. Difficulty breathing, heart beat increasing at an unusual rate, body trembling, and chest pain are the symptoms a person shows while having an anxiety attack. Anxiety attack feels terrible, a person might think that he is going to die or lose his mind. To overcome anxiety attacks, one should learn all there is about anxiety and practice the ways that can help to control such attacks.

Here are 5 things that can help you to control and survive an anxiety attack.

During an attack you find it difficult to breathe and to hold your breath which can worsen the anxiety attack. If you are able to control your breathing, then it can help to reduce the symptoms and intensity of the attack. Fast and rapid breathing while having an attack reduces the oxygen level in your body, which can trigger the feeling of more fear and panic. Slow breathing increases the blood flow to the brain, which helps in controlling the attack.

Belly breathing is a useful technique. It helps to regulate your breathing. Inhale deeply and feel your belly rising along with it, then take a pause and exhale slowly and watch you belly falling. Practicing this technique a few times can really help to overcome an anxiety attack.

While having an attack, you can feel like you are going to faint, and everything feels out of control, so it is very important to realize that it is just an anxiety attack. Recognize the symptoms and tell yourself that it is an attack, and you are going to get through it soon. Talk to yourself out loud. Mind your thoughts. Do not let your mind be controlled by negative thoughts. Try and think of something happy and positive.

Realising that it is only an anxiety attack triggered out of fear and worry can help you calm down a little bit, and then you can focus on other techniques to control the attack. Try staying in the moment and give yourself some time to control your thoughts.

An anxiety attack can be terrifying and difficult. It seems like everything is falling apart, and you will not be able to make your way out of it. But you need to try hard to focus and concentrate on things. Focusing on an object is one of the best techniques to reduce the symptoms of an anxiety attack and control it.

While having an anxiety attack, look around and find an object to focus upon. It can be any object such as a painting, table, door, switchboard or anything that is in your sight. Then concentrate fully on that object, notice every feature, every detail of that object such as its colour, design, texture, material, shape and size. This technique will help you to shift your focus from those triggering feelings of fear and worry, and you will be able to concentrate and control your thoughts.

While you are having an anxiety attack, you may have noticed that some parts of your body start contracting or tightening. It feels like those parts are not in your control, and you begin to panic even more. In such a situation, you need to relax. Try to relax those tight muscles. Start from your fingers or toes, move them slightly, and then your hands, shoulders, and other parts. This will help you to regain control and consciousness. Once you are aware of what's happening with your body, try to control your movements. You can walk a few steps and try to focus on your movements. It will help you to understand that you are not going to faint and soon you will be fine. You should focus on physical sensations to relax.

Dealing with anxiety on our own can be overwhelming. It is okay to ask for help. Understanding anxiety is necessary to tackle it. You should know what triggers your anxiety. So you should consult a therapist. Therapy is the most effective way to tackle and overcome anxiety. Therapy can help you uncover the main causes of your fear and worry. Therapy can also help you to look at things in a different way and develop skills that can help you to cope with anxiety.

Therapy makes you understand your own behavioural pattern. It makes you reflect on your thoughts, and you can try to think positively. If your mind is free of negative thoughts, then you will be able to control the feelings that trigger anxiety attacks.

Nowadays, with our hectic and on-the-go lifestyles it seems that most of us suffer from constant fear and worry. Anxiety may seem normal at first but at some point it affects a person's life deeply. Anxiety interferes with your professional as well as personal life choices. Ignoring the symptoms of anxiety can be harmful. The feeling of constant worry and fear can trouble a person to great extent. It makes you insecure, breaks your confidence, and a feeling of self-doubt starts to bother you all the time. In such times it is really important to talk to our loved ones.

People are often scared and hesitant to share their mental health issues with anyone. All of us have the fear of being judged and misunderstood. But it is really necessary to open up to your loved ones. The people that care about you and love you are also affected by your life choices, so they need to know if you are in trouble. Talking to someone whom you trust can help you cope with your anxiety much efficiently. You need to trust the people you love. Talking out loud about your problems helps your mind to relax and reflect upon them.

There are so many people who understand and care about you. You are not alone. Start opening up to your loved ones and have confidence in them. This way, you will be able to overcome your anxiety. So start talking about your mental health and also give others the confidence to do the same.