Tips on how to control anxiety attacks step-by-step

To the sufferer an anxiety attack can really be something that is extremely crippling and will undoubtedly have a major impact on the quality of life that they lead. It does, therefore, make sense to understand the steps that can be taken in order to control an anxiety attack before it happens in order to lessen the impact it has so that being said the following are eight tips that you should know about.

How to control Anxiety Attacks

Think about why you are having one

This may sound a very basic tip; however, by trying to understand what has triggered the attack you can actually start to control it. There will always be some reason behind it no matter if it is worrying about going somewhere, money problems, or relationship issues so being able to put your finger on the reason why will then allow you to start to work to overcome it.

Always remember that you are actually in control

It has to be said that for some people this will be extremely difficult to do during an attack as the body and mind appears to be racing and there is a feeling that everything is spiralling out of control. However, it does actually make a difference if you are able to repeat to yourself that you are actually in control and by doing this the feelings that you have inside will start to subside.

Drink some water

Drinking some water is widely accepted as being a fantastic way to control an anxiety attack and you should look at drinking some whilst telling yourself you are in control. A number of attacks are due to the body being dehydrated, which then leads to more stress so the water will help you in a number of ways as it also takes your mind off what is happening.

Get some fresh air into your lungs

If you are indoors when you have one, then you are advised to get some fresh air even if this is just standing next to an open window. One common feeling amongst people is that the world is closing in and there is a certain stuffy feeling, but by breathing in some nice clean air it does start to help calm the body down. This then takes away the idea that you cannot breathe, which is often one of the main problems people have during an attack.

Focus on your breathing

At some point depending upon your personal preference you should look at trying to focus on your breathing and work at taking long and steady breaths. Look at breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth and do try to hold it in for around four seconds in between. This will help to calm you down and it does also allow you to take your mind off other things by making you focus on one of the most basic things we do in our lives.

Visualize yourself in a better situation

By playing this form of a mind trick on yourself it will help to slow down the body as you start to visualize a situation that is a lot calmer and more peaceful for you. Look at trying to build up this image with it gradually getting nicer rather than suddenly transporting your mind to the end result as you will then benefit from it over a longer period of time.

Move

At some point you are going to need to move, but doing so in a controlled manner. This sometimes leads to people trying to dance or do some kind of exercise as it will also burn off some of the excess energy that you now have coursing through your veins and if you allow that to continually build, then the anxiety attack can often last a lot longer.

Have something that you know relaxes you

The final tip is to have an activity or some interest that you know relaxes you no matter if it is listening to a certain group of songs or reading a book. The idea behind this is that it will help you to remain calm in the aftermath of an attack and make it less likely that it will then come back straight away. Look at setting aside even just thirty minutes once you feel calm to do this before resuming whatever you were doing before. Those are eight tips on what to do when faced with having an anxiety attack and they do follow certain steps; however, people often have their own individual ways of dealing with an anxiety attack depending upon which order works best for them. The key is to know about them in advance and plan what you will do so when the next attack hits you instantly know how to deal with it and prevent it from being too bad.