Sunday 23 July 2017

5 Ways to Curb a Panic Attack

A lot of us have been there. You're not quite panicking yet, but you can feel your airways narrow, tears gather in your eyes and your eyes widen with fear. You might break out in a sweat, your mind begin to race, and your whole body shudder with the feeling of impending doom. So, when you're aware that you're about to descend into panic, why let it continue? A lot of blog posts I've seen tell you how to deal with a panic attack, how to recover. Today, I'm going to impart wisdom on how to stop it escalating before it has kicked off properly.

1. cold drink


A little story; I had a not so nice experience with a member of the public a few weeks ago. I felt so distressed that I was worried that I might have a panic attack. I felt my heartbeat quicken, and my throat tighten. I wanted to cry. I decided to treat myself with a drink and get home ASAP. I selected a thick coconut milk smoothie by Innocent, and weirdly, drinking it helped me a lot. The coolness of the drink helped me de-tense, and the overall taste experience was really good, and gave me a small thing to be happy about. It felt comforting somehow. Water will do, anything really. But I did like the fact that the smoothie was so thick!

2. focus on something 



So there has been a craze lately, which I'm sure you've all heard of; fidget spinners. I personally have never used one, and I believe they can be quite distracting. Usually, I'd consider this to be a bad thing, but when your breathing is all over the place and your mind is racing, distraction is key. Focusing on a fidget spinner, optical illusion (like one of those pictures that isn't moving but looks like it is) or this gif will most likely be very helpful to you in having something to occupy your mind, and help you get a sense of calm back.

3. air. air. air.


The obvious thing to do when you're about to panic is to slow down, breathe into a paper bag, and pretend there's nothing wrong. That isn't always so easy because of how dramatic it seems and how you probably don't have a brown paper bag handy. The easiest thing of all to do is go outside. The fresh air always feels better than staying inside. It can also feel kind of symbolic - like you're going outdoors, getting away from whatever made you stress.

4. sing something, or try to recite a poem



I'm aware that this may sound completely bizarre. However, if you're one who tends to get stuck in a loop in a panic attack, repeating "I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry" over and over, this might help you. Naturally, repetition is something we all enjoy to some extent, so instead of allowing it to escalate into unknown territory, try to focus on something you like instead. Recite the poem you learned in secondary school, or lyrics to your favourite song to change the course of the inevitable loop.

5. get somewhere comfy


provided you're not feeling too warm or uncomfortable, or even once you've completed the 'air' step, get comfy. Your mind is either going through a lot, will go through a lot, or has gone through a lot. Either way, know that you deserve a break. Get out of your work clothes and put on some sweats, snuggle up with netflix in bed, wear fluffy socks in school, draw a bath- the options are endless. YOU deserve to be comfortable and happy. Treating yourself in any way- big or small should help you to feel more at ease.

Let's help each other out! Please share your advice in the comments below.

disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional. These methods have worked for me, or have occurred to me as things which would help with anxiety and anxiety attacks.

Rabbit photos taken with Nikon Coolpix L110, gif from here, other photos taken with Nikon D3200 as usual

30 comments

  1. I usually push walls whenever I'm anxious (or whenever I'm about to do public speaking), haha! xD
    It feels like transferring the pressure to the other medium and it always worked for me. :)

    Love,
    Novreica | http://www.novreica.blog

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  2. These are some good tips with curbing a panic attack. Breathing is definitely important in calming yourself down. It helps lower your heart rate and calms your nerves. As for me, getting comfort helps big time! Thanks for sharing.

    https://exquisitely.me

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  3. Ooh interesting, I'm glad to hear that it helps!

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  4. I need these tips, I have only had two panic attacks in my life, and I didn't know what they were at the time. One was in a car and it was so bad, I thought about jumping out. Now I just breathe my way through it and close my eyes for a couple minutes.

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  5. I really hope that they're of help to you, Skye. I definitely had no clue what was happening to me when I had my first panic attack. Definitely having other people who can help you, in person or online, is great. No one needs to understand what's going on, just support you. <3

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  6. I haven't had a panic attack before, but I have been really stressed out before and getting some fresh air always helps me quite a bit! Sometimes I'll just walk, but when I'm really stressed I'll go for a jog because I know that it'll help clear my mind. Love the photo of that bunny taking a bath by the way! Really nice shot ;)

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  7. I already experienced panic attacks in the past years but I'm glad I don't get it recently. And these are definitely good advises, space and breathing is so important when having panic attacks. I hope lots will learn from this, and thanks for helping those who undergo this unfortunate attacks.

    Love, Fads
    InstagramTwitter

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  8. Air is so important in those kinds of situations! Thank you :)

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  9. That's great that you haven't had a panic attack in a while. I'm glad you think so. I hope I help people too :)

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  10. I experienced panic attack before and it usually happens when I'm in a very stressful situations. I hope you're okay :)

    bysheene.blogspot.com

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  11. I used to jog and go out whenever I'm having problems. I almost always need my time alone. But so glad I haven't been having panic attacks lately. I focus on breathing whenever I do have one and try not to cry because that usually makes things worse. And same, I know some people call me crazy when I share it to them, but I also sing in my head (sometimes verbally lol) to focus.

    xo, Lou | Caffeine Rush

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  12. When I'm nervous or anxious, I always forget to breath! Great advice!

    Kim | Simply Lovebirds

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  13. Yes, alone time is really great for clearing the mind. I'm so happy for you that you haven't been having them lately. Thank you so much for your comment :)

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  14. I'm absolutely fine, thank you for your concern. I hope by imparting wisdom it will help others :)

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  15. These are amazing advice. I know how i feel to have a panic attack and it's not enjoyable at all. I used to have them in public transportation such as subway or the bus. I tried to focus on something and the only thing that helped me was playing sudoku. Also deep breaths. Take a deep inhale, hold it for 5-7 seconds and then exhale through the mouth. Repeat the process 3 times and heartbeat should slow down and the dizziness go away.

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  16. Thank you, Cristina. Sudoku sounds like a great idea, I'm glad you found something to help you. Thank you for sharing your advice with us all :)

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  17. The GIF for #2! I've seen it on Tumblr, and I've also seen a bunch of other calming GIFs on Tumblr :) I've never had a panic attack before, but there was one time I felt exceptionally anxious like I've never felt before (probably verging on a full on anxiety attack). I tried to focus on my breathing, and when that didn't work as effectively as I wanted it to, I tried to sleep. I'll definitely keep your tips in mind in case this ever happens to me again! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

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  18. Yes tumblr is kind of an amazing resource for all kinds of anxiety and mental health related help! I never think to use it too often, but it is a great place sometimes! I hope you don't need these tips but I'm glad to pass on knowledge on the off chance :)

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  19. YES! These tips are so great and you put together a cute post! (Love the teddy bear!)

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  20. Great advice ;)

    https://marchhappythoughts.blogspot.com/

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  21. i recently had one inside a book store but i was lucky because my bf was there so really, before it escalated, i got hugs. hugs really do calm the nerves and it's based on science so... :P

    anyway, these are cool tips. while learning how to maintain or recover from anxiety is/are equally important, these ones are really useful especially when we're out in public. most of the time crowded places make me wanna freak out because it's so noisy and this is why i almost never leave my house without earphones. when i don't carry earphones with me, that's one reason to freak out and agitate.

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  22. All of these are wonderful tips! I experienced panic attacks quite a lot in the past and things like focusing on something, drinking a glass of water and getting some air helped me a lot. :)

    -Leta | The Nerdy Me

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  23. Thank you! I hope you're doing well now :)

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  24. Aw I'm sorry to hear that. It's really great that you had someone there to support you. Yes, it's very important to know how to deal with it/with the aftermath! I just hope people don't have to go through too much to get things under control. The earphones tip is good- an escape into your own world for a while. I hope you're doing okay! <3

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  25. I try to focus on slowing my breathing down. It can be hard that concentrating on that instead of panicking does help me a lot. Thank you for sharing your tips on what has worked for you. It is very helpful.

    Emily | http://emilytrinh.com

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Thank you for your words x

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