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Tips for Relief from an Anxiety Attack

Rohini Mohan
Anxiety attacks are becoming more and more prevalent among people of all age groups. If lately, you have been feeling more stressed than usual, then you must pick up some effective attack relief tips to suppress the next attack.
Anxiety attacks or panic attacks do not come with a warning sign and just hit you when you least expect it. There can be absolutely no reason for it to occur or there could be several factors playing simultaneous roles which result in such an upheaval. This condition is not restricted to adults alone and is common among children as young as 10 years onward.
Many people suffer from anxiety attacks when they are feeling tired and feel like their glucose levels are plummeting. This condition is medically known as hypoglycemia, wherein one feels giddy, fatigued, and craves for something sweet. However many, including me, relate this phenomenon to an increase in adrenaline levels as well, apart from the exhaustion.
There are many individuals who have been suffering from panic attacks through most of their adult life. Here are some effective ways to distract your mind and mood so as to help you feel better and more relaxed.

Try to Walk Around

As soon as you feel your heart palpitating, the fear creeping in and find it increasingly difficult to breathe, remember only one thing. You have to get up and move from your place.
Try walking and moving around a bit. If you're stuck in a train, walk in the passage, or pace around near your seat. If you're in a plane and don't have a choice, sit down and try to move your arms, legs and upper body as much as you can. This will help your mind get distracted from what it's going through.
Do not worry about how you look, while you're doing these exercises. The point is to help yourself get better as soon as possible. The second advantage is that, it will help expend some of the excess adrenaline which has built up in your system. Working out will help for sure!

Ignore IT!

One of the most difficult but not impossible tasks to perform is to pretend everything is normal and that you are OK! When you know you are getting a panic attack, continue doing whatever you were doing a minute ago.
Just relax and let the palpitation subside, which will take approximately less than 10 minutes unless it's a bad one. If it's really bad, it may leave its aftereffects even 15 minutes later. Do this when you get panic attacks. Just breathe normally, not to hard or too slow. Don't let your mind feel like something is wrong.
Simple: remain calm, rest your head on your chair, like you do when you are tired. Do not bend forward, as this may constrict your air supply and make you feel stuffy and cramped. Trust me, you will feel great, knowing that you did not let the panic attack get the best of you.

Fight IT!

This strategy works great as well. Especially when you are angry that these attacks, dare to trouble you without any reason.
If you are the kind to fight it off, try going for brisk walk, or run up and down the stairs, so as to kick out all the excessive adrenaline from your body. Fight it off, by doing exercises which will make you move and sweat.
Skipping ropes is a great exercise for this, or simply standing in one place and jumping about 50 times works wonders as well. The advantages of exercising is that it helps release endorphin, which are feel good neurochemicals. They will help you not fear your condition.

Hum a Song

Here is a seemingly funny relief method, which has somehow always helped me and many others. All you need to do is to either hum a song, while you close your ears. Or you could sing it a bit louder, if you are in a private setting.
While you do this, try to open your mouth every few seconds and let the sound echo out in a louder tone. This exercise helps distract all your senses and works well in letting the attack pass by quicker. If you do not like this idea, you may try reading a book aloud, or doodling on a piece of paper. Anything which will help you calm yourself down.

Breathing Exercises

If you are the calm sorts, certain anxiety attack relief exercises involving deep breathing would do you good. Women, can take inspiration from the prenatal classes they went through while they were expecting.
All you need to do is to breathe a lot of air in through your mouth or nose and breathe it all out again in equal force. If you do it slow, breathe through your nose and exhale slowly as well.
This exercise will help you calm down and relax. It will slow down your heart rate and stop the palpitation to a large extent. You may try the age-old brown bag therapy as well, and gradually breathe into a brown bag, while you see it flare in and out.

No to Caffeine and Sugar

It is advised that you stay away from caffeine and sugar, because they increase dehydration and energy levels. Instead drink plenty of cold water and take small sips. This will make you feel so much better.

Laugh It Off

If you have been feeling anxious or are on the brink of a panic attack, you may try reading a few really hilarious jokes, or watching a funny video online, or simply cracking a joke with a friend etc.
Laughter is a great therapy for anxiety and helps you alleviate your stress and sends out happy signals to your brain, which helps it calm down. Trust me, you will feel so much better and relaxed after your bout of laughter.
The entire idea is to calm down, which means you keep your adrenaline levels at a normal and indulge in exercises on a regular basis so that you learn how to control your adrenaline.