4 Tips to Calm a Panic Attack

If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you know how scary it is. The sudden anxiety you feel is intense, and you can think of little else. It’s hard to breathe, and your heart beats really fast. You might start shaking or feel nauseous. You might even feel a little dizzy.

Panic attacks aren’t dangerous, but they’re terrifying, especially if it’s the first time you have one. It feels so intense you think you’ll never calm down again. But it is possible to calm a panic attack. As unlikely as it sounds, it’s true.

Everyone is different. That means that what helps you calm a panic attack might not help someone else. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re able to find a few techniques that work for you. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1) Find Your Breath

This can be frustrating, especially when a key aspect of panic attacks is the inability to breathe, but it’s the most effective way to calm them down. During panic attacks, your breathing is shallow. In order to calm down, what you need is to breathe deeply.

You can manage this in several ways. There are many breathing exercises you can learn to get you through a panic attack. Some say your exhales should be longer than your inhales. Others say you should breathe from your abdomen and count to four every time you breathe in and out.

There are many more breathing techniques out there. You just have to find one that works for you. You can alternate, if you can’t find it in you to choose. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you manage to push past your panic attack and focus on breathing deeply.

2) Walk Around

If you can leave the place you’re in, then do so. Walking around can help calm down from a panic attack, as can any light exercise you can think of. The movement helps you regulate your breathing, but it also helps you blow off some steam.

Whatever exercise you choose to do, it doesn’t have to be intense. It just needs to get you moving. Going for a short walk helps much more than you think. On a regular basis, it helps you relax and improve your mood. The more you do it, the easier it is to manage your anxiety. But if you’re not there yet, that’s okay. It helps calm a panic attack, and that’s all that matters.

3) Go for the Cold

When nothing else helps, splash your face with cold water or reach for anything from the freezer. The shock from the cold will distract you from your panic for long enough to realize you’re okay.

Alternatively, you can pour yourself a glass of cold water and drink it slowly. The drinking will force you to get your breathing under control, and the cold will, once again, distract you from the anxiety and dread that come with panic attacks. It’s easier to cope with it after that.

4) Reach Out for Help

If there are people around you when you’re having a panic attack, don’t hesitate to ask for help. If you tell someone what you’re going through and how they can help, they’ll gladly assist you and you won’t have to do this alone. It can be greatly reassuring to have someone by your side as you deal with the worst of it.

Of course, you’ll want something in the long run too. These are great during panic attacks, but the idea is to avoid them altogether. In that case, you might want to try counseling. A therapist can help you get to the root of your panic attacks and can address that instead of only helping you calm down in the middle of one. So, go ahead and ask for help, schedule an appointment.