7 things to help calm you down when having a panic attack

1) take complete breaths

Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale slowly for 4 seconds through your nose and exhale for 7 seconds through your mouth. Deep breaths will allow your body to produce more endorphins, and regulate even blood flow, which will automatically make you feel better and help calm you down.

2)ground yourself

If you are standing, find a chair or sit cross-legged on the floor with your shoulders relaxed and straight posture. If you are sitting or laying down, stand up. Plant your feet on the ground, hip-width apart. Grounding yourself will help instil the feeling of stability, which is lacking when you are having a panic attack.

3) hydrate

Take small sips of water at a time. Don't chug a whole bottle of water down in one gulp, your body is already feeling overwhelmed and chaotic. You want to help calm it down. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Hydration is essential for the regulating and cooling of your body...and sometimes we can forget the healing [super] power of water.

4)sensory

Look at your surroundings and acknowledge 3 things you can see, 2 things you can touch, and 1 thing you can hear.

5) acknowledge and accept your feelings in that moment

Accepting your feelings is very important. Minimizing this experience usually serves to perpetuate it. Start by identifying what emotion you are feeling. Most panic attacks are caused by the emotion of fear or some variation of fear.

Identify the emotion you are feeling and find the reason that you feel it. Validate that feeling and the reason for it.

Fear is a positive emotion that reminds you to take care of yourself. Listen to your feelings, take good care of yourself, and keep your emotions in proportion to the situation by keeping an appropriate perspective

6) use coping statements

A coping statement is a positive statement that is at least as strong as the catastrophic statement that you have been scaring yourself with. Replace the negative thought with a positive one. Choose a statement that addresses the negative thought.

Don't speak negatively towards yourself saying things like:

"I'm a mess!!"

"i hate myself!"

"why am i like this!!!"

"oh my god, I'm having a heart attack, i'm gonna die!!!" (a common fear when having a panic attack)

"make it stop, make it stop!!"

"i can't do this"

etc.

Your body will feel better once you begin to treat it with love and care. In this moment, skip the hurtful statements, and instead say things like:

"I am only having a panic attack. This will be over in 4 minutes if I remain calm"

"In this moment, I feel overwhelmed and frightened — and that is OK"

"My fear is making my heart pound harder. My heart is fine."

"My lungs are OK. I am going to concentrate on breathing air slowly in through my nose, and out from my mouth"

"I got this"

"I can do this"

"I believe in myself"

"I have survived this situation many times before, and I can get through it again"

"I will be OK"

etc.

It is important that we reassure our body— especially in times like this.

7) look up

In the midst of chaos, you can feel overwhelmed with feelings and emotions. Once you have come to acknowledge your feelings, realize that this was one bad day, and this does not mean that all your days will be like this. Chin up, my friend.