A panic attack can be a dreadful experience. It can cause you to feel breathless and make you think that you are going to suffocate. A panic attack can also make you think that you are not in control of your life.
You can overcome a panic attack through positivity. What we mean here are positive thoughts. A panic attack stems from anxiety, which in turn often stems from stress and negativity. The key is to be positive and eliminate the fear and stress found in your life. Here are tips to help you get through the next panic attack you may suffer.
1. Reflect and Write Down Your Thoughts Instead Of Focusing On Them.
Reflections can help you overcome panic attacks. John Tsilimparis of the Anxiety and Panic Disorder Center of Los Angeles suggests that you write down your negative thoughts in a journal. By doing this, you help create distance between your negative thoughts and the reality of your situation. Don’t let your racing and negative thoughts and emotions overwhelm you. Write them down on paper instead.
It is easy to see how irrational your thoughts are when they are written down on paper. No, you are not going to die or fall breathless to the ground as you may imagine. So, try writing down how you feel the next time you feel a panic attack setting in. It may just calm you down.
2. Avoid Shallow Breathing. Try A Deep Breathing Technique To Calm Yourself Down Instead.
Deep breathing is another technique you can use to overcome panic attack. People often have rapid, shallow breathing during a panic attack. This often makes anxiety worse and can add to the feeling of breathlessness. Breathe slowly and deeply. Mara Wilson has a great video on how you can use deep breathing to help calm yourself down. Give it a try and watch your anxiety dissipate slowly.
3. Do Not Suppress Your Thoughts; Let Them Flow Naturally.
If you are suffering from a panic attack, you should try not to suppress your thoughts. Suppressing your thoughts only makes the panic attacks and anxiety worse. Clinical research has shown that when you try to suppress a thought, you end up thinking about that thought much more frequently. It may seem counterproductive, but try to let the thought or emotion flow. The feeling or thought may subside by itself. At the very least, it will bother you less than if you tried to repress it.
4. Don’t Add Additional Stress; Remove Negative People From Your Life.
Stress is another contributing factor to panic and anxiety. It can serve as a trigger for a panic attack. You should try to remove as much stress from your life as possible. The less stress you have in your life, the better off you will be.
Not only can stress cause a panic attack, but it can make a panic attack worse. Limit or avoid stress when you are feeling anxious or panicky. You do not want to add any more stress or worry into your life when you are trying to overcome panic attack.
To help with this, you should try and eliminate negative people from your life. They often add stress, anxiety, and worry to your life. This can cause a panic attack outbreak or make an existing one even worse. Try to surround yourself with positive people who support you and will cheer you up. Keeping good company will help you overcome panic attack.
5. Don’t Validate Your Fears. Face Them Head-On Instead.
Validating your fears is another no-no when you are suffering from panic attacks. What we mean here is trying to add validation to your fear by finding material that may support the fear and anxiety. For example, let us say you are deathly afraid of going to public squares. To add validation to your fear, you seek out news articles on public square kidnappings and muggings. This only reinforces your fear and does not make you feel any less anxious when you have to go to a public square.
Don’t reinforce your fear. Instead, try to face it head-on. That way, you will see that your concerns are unfounded. Validating your worries makes you more scared and anxious. Stop feeding your fears. Instead, take that scary but powerful first step in confronting your fear and anxiety.
6. Don’t Binge Out, Deprive Yourself Of Sleep, Or Isolate Yourself From People
Anxiety and panic attacks often go hand-in-hand with insomnia, inactivity and a poor diet. Exercise can help you overcome anxiety and achieve a good night’s sleep. A healthy diet will help you feel more energetic and strong. When you are healthy physically, you tend to feel better mentally as well. There are strong links between good mental health and nutrition and exercise.
Don’t deprive yourself of sleep or eat junk food when facing a panic attack. Often, this can make symptoms such as indigestion and fatigue even worse. Try to eat healthy foods and get some much-needed rest. It will be good for your body and your mind. Do not isolate yourself or lock yourself up in a room either. While you may need some time alone, it is a bad idea to withdraw from others completely.
Don’t Let Anxiety And Panic Get The Better Of You.
There is much you can do to overcome those dreaded moments of panic and anxiety. Write your thoughts down, breathe deeply, get some exercise, and avoid new sources of stress. At the same time, you want to avoid suppressing your thoughts, adding new stress, isolating yourself, or giving into sleep deprivation and negative people and thoughts. By incorporating these things into your life, you will be well on your way to managing and preventing future panic attacks.
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