How do i stop having anxiety attacks?

Anxiety is a nuisance that can ruin your day in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, you’re hit with waves of dread and panic out of seemingly nowhere. Your heart races, your palms sweat, your mind starts going a million miles a minute. Before you know it, you’re caught up in an anxiety attack that makes everything else in life seem insignificant.

But fear not! There are ways to combat these feelings and ease their effects on us. In this guide, we’ll break down what causes anxiety attacks and give actionable steps for putting them behind us once and for all.

What is an Anxiety Attack?

For those who have never experienced them before (lucky ducks), anxiety attacks are often described as sudden surges of overwhelming fear or panic. These episodes usually last between 10-30 minutes but can feel like an eternity while they’re happening.

During these moments of intense distress, individuals may experience one or more physical symptoms such as:

  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Shortness of breath or feeling smothered
  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Nausea/digestive issues
  • Lightheadedness/feeling faint

These physical reactions stem from our fight-or-flight response system getting triggered by perceived danger – even if no immediate threat exists. Feeling powerless during this process only adds fuel to the fire.

It’s important to note that anxiety disorders affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the US alone according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). With numbers like those, it’s safe to say that anyone reading through could benefit from knowing how best handle themselves when faced with unwanted worries.

Causes Of Anxiety That Might Surprise You

Anxiety doesn’t always come from obvious sources … sometimes it just loves catching us off guard.
Here are some unexpected causes of anxiety:

Dehydration

Dehydration can disrupt the body’s overall balance, causing irritability or trouble concentrating. Drinking adequate water (at least eight glasses a day!) helps keep us hydrated and functioning smoothly.

Genetics

Certain genes appear to increase the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder – but this is far from everything that goes into it!

Food Allergies

This one might make you double-take: food allergies can play a huge role in how we feel emotionally. For example, gluten intolerance/allergy has been connected to feelings like depression and lethargy.

With so many factors at play when it comes to our mental health, understanding what may specifically trigger your own anxiety could assist with curbing future attacks!

Tips To Stop Anxiety In Its Tracks

So let’s say you’re experiencing an oncoming anxiety attack right now … what should you do?

Try out these tips that have been known to effectively treat/manage symptoms ASAP:

Breathing Exercises

It sounds simple, but listening in on your breath does wonders for resetting nerves during high-stress moments! By focusing on inhaling slowly through your nose for 4 seconds, holding yourself still for 7 seconds afterward, then breathing out deeply through open lips over 8 seconds total counts; you give yourself space/time between negative thoughts.

Visualizations

Visualizing possible outcomes if our fears become a reality decreases worries’ intensity: visualize feeling calm OR saying things such as “I’m capable of controlling myself”. Speaking these affirmations internally help reframe beliefs into something more positive/reinforcing rather than fear-inducing.

Another tool that explicitly guides minds toward peace/pathways away from overwhelming emotions would be this technique called:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
The idea behind progressive muscle relaxation is quite simple- tense muscles slowly deliberately while briefly before releasing them.

But why tense first?, It’s because it allows for relaxation and any feeling of release is then more tangible. All you have to do? Take a few deep breaths first, start with the toes working your way upwards before reaching your crown one muscle at a time!

Make Physical Movement Part Of Your Routine

It’s been said that “motion creates emotion” which backs up why exercise does wonders for not only our bodies but also mental well-being due to endorphin production.

Between walking around the block/ participating in some form of physical movement daily, even if it starts off small through stretching or yoga allows us to feel like we’re taking intentional steps forward.

Making Changes Long-Term

Sometimes overcoming anxiety takes longer full-time action than what those last tips offer- change can either seem overwhelming or unrealistic. But being mindful by making small improvements will create meaningful results too! Here are three long-term ways that improve health & happiness:

Quality Sleep

Getting enough sleep isn’t just good for warding off tiredness; it affects how well we control emotions and stress levels throughout each day.
Some helpful habits participants in studies directed toward better sleeping quality include:
– Implementing A Virtual Shut down Hours Prior To Bedtime: Sadly mobile devices throw out blue light known for inhibiting Melatonin (which makes drowsy). So putting phones away an hour before bedtime helps winding down.
– Establish A Bedtime Ritual: E.g Picking Relaxing Music/Sipping On Warm Milk.

Mindful Breathing During Low-Stress Situations

Breathing exercises aren’t just specifically limited to panic attack moments – they work as general tools against overwhelmment! Simply regularly doing short breathing relaxing practices reaps future emotional benefits.

Meditation

Meditation has been linked positively towards reducing anxiety apart from improving other facets aligned with our brain function such as memory retention among many others. By practicing quiet mindfulness quite frequently (Key point Quite frequently), could lead individuals into becoming less reactive to everyday challenges.

Saying The Goodbyes

Rather than letting anxiety take control, there are steps we can utilize to live life less worried & happier!
Acknowledging triggers that cause feelings of fear/overwhelmment & harnessing tools like breathing/meditation in momentsof distress are just a few ways to feel more confident alongside improving wellbeing!

Conclusion

As we come to the close of this comical guide (hopefully having some laughs among the lessons-yet learnt), it is never wise underestimating how much power individuals have when taking action towards anxiety. By implementing small changes gradually and being persistent with these habits put in place could quite unexpectedly lead anyone who reads this down roads far-flung from panic attacks!

We hope you’ve found helpful tips throughout our article, and recommend considering what advice resonates personally towards each individual’s journey- remember even amidst anxious moments, they do not define us!

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