How to Work Through an Anxiety Attack

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. But when Anxiety attacks get in the way of every day life, there are steps you can take to get yourself under control.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Determination.

1. The first step, is to recognize when you are having an anxiety attack. Don't worry you can work through it. Anxiety is a normal part of life, do not feel ashamed, this will only add to your anxiety. There are many ways to work through anxiety. Some are more common than others. The best way is to work through the process until you feel the anxiety lessoning. Don't give up.

2. Focus on your breathing, slow it down, inhaling deeply, then fully exhaling. Repeat as needed. This will help calm down anxiety symptoms, of a racing heart beat and tense muscles. Do not hold your breath.

3. Put a small amount of fragrance on your wrist. If I know I am going to be in a stressful situation, I bring a small tube of essential oil to use when anxiety strikes. Lavender, rosemary, and pine scents works well. This will help with anxiety symptoms of tight muscles and stress headaches.

4. When anxiety is overcoming you due to feeling under pressure, try self acupressure. Massage the webbed area on you left hand between the thumb and index finger. Tighten your grip on it, you are not doing it right unless you are feeling a good sized pitch. Do this for five minutes. This can easily be done when in a meeting with your boss. Just put your hands under the table and keep focused on the meeting. After a few minutes you will notice the pain and tension due to anxiety is going away.

5. When you get home and are still feeling a bit anxious, take a nice warm bath. Add some bubbles and take a long soak. Play calming music and light a few scented candles. Don't focus on your day, but instead focus on a dream or goal you have. Think about relaxing on the beach looking into a clear sky.

Tips & Warnings

• Anxiety is a natural human reaction that involves mind and body. It serves an important basic survival function: Anxiety is an alarm system that is activated whenever a person perceives danger or threat.
• It is normal to worry when you feel rushed and overwhelmed. However if this feels like it is taking over your life there is help.
• When preparing for a potential high stress situation in your home, put out small bowls of apple-cinnamon potpourri. This helps give the home a no stress atmosphere.
• Regular exercise, good nutrition, and a full nights sleep will provide your body and brain with the right fuel to help coupe with anxiety.
• Difficulty sleeping due to obsessive thoughts and spending large amounts of time worrying about small things or previous events may be symptoms of a anxiety problem or disorder. At this point it would be wise to contact your family doctor.
• Don't reach for high sugar based food, fried food, sodas, white flour based products, or potato chips. These types of food tends increase blood sugar in the blood stream and causes anxiety to increase.

Resources

• http://www.adaa.org/
• How to relieve stress in less then a minute.
• How to deal with stress.
• How to reduce morning stress.
• How to manage your time to increase your health.
• How to meditate.

[Walkaboutangel]

on 3/4/2009 Great advice... thanks for the tips... Angel

[LaraCroft]

on 12/31/2008 Realise and "know" that the situation making you anxious is just normal and nothing to be threatened from.

[chenderson00]

on 12/31/2008 I haven't had one in awhile but it's the worst feeling ever. 5*s and thanks for the tips

[hlthychoclitnut]

on 12/28/2008 my son has panic attacks I tell him to give the "pinching" a try. it could be used as distraction.

[BarryWaite]

on 11/14/2008 I use Emotional Freedom Technique...works well.