Tips For Calming Yourself Down During A Panic Or Anxiety Attack

It can be normal to experience concern or worry on occasion, but when that worry turns into full-blown fear and panic, it can be disruptive and frightening. Anxiety attacks are not necessarily uncommon, and there may be many well-researched techniques to quickly calm down and reduce their frequency in the future. In the moment, it can be helpful to get yourself to a safe space, seek support, use grounding techniques, practice self-care, and identify your triggers. For long-term relief from anxiety attacks, you may benefit from working with a licensed therapist through an online therapy platform or in your local area.

What is an anxiety attack?

An anxiety attack can be defined as an acute bout of extreme nervousness and fear accompanied by a range of physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. Symptoms of an anxiety attack may include the following:

• Intensely worrisome thoughts, such as a fear of harm or even death
• General feelings of unease and restlessness
• Feeling constantly tearful or irritable
• Intense fatigue
• Hypervigilance and/or sensory sensitivity

These attacks can last from a few hours up to several days or even weeks at a time.

What causes anxiety?

These can be caused by stressful situations in our lives, potentially including things like moving, getting a new job or losing your current job, starting a new relationship or ending a long-standing one, or a major traumatic event, like an accident or natural disaster. 

They can also be brought on by long-term exposure to high-stress situations, such as living in an unstable home environment.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Are these a symptom of another condition?

Often, anxiety attacks are a symptom of a mental health disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder

One of the most common disorders, generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent feelings of fear or dread that can disrupt a person’s daily life and cause physical symptoms, such as irregular sleeping patterns, temporarily increased blood pressure, chronic pain, and digestive issues.

Panic disorder

Though panic attacks are the primary feature of panic disorder, anxiety attacks may also arise out of this condition. A fear of recurrent panic attacks is a symptom of panic disorder. So, if an individual develops sudden, intense feelings due to this fear, they may experience an anxiety attack without ever having symptoms of a panic attack. 

Specific phobia

Marked by fear of a certain experience, object, or other stimulus, specific phobia can cause individuals to feel nervous when confronted with the subject of their fear. For example, someone who has arachnophobia may experience sudden physical and emotional symptoms when they see a spider. 

Treatment for anxiety disorders typically comprises psychotherapy and medication. Through therapy, a healthcare professional can help their client identify the sources of their symptoms, develop healthy coping strategies, and address potential comorbid conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (sometimes styled as cognitive behavioural therapy) is a widely accepted therapeutic modality that has been shown to ease anxiety in participants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and medications from the benzodiazepine drug class are common pharmacological approaches to mental health management. 

The differences between anxiety attacks and panic attacks

The term “anxiety attack” is generally a colloquial reference to long-term episodes of anxiety; it’s not an officially recognized diagnosis in the DSM-V. 

What many people consider to be an anxiety attack can actually be a panic attack, which can be defined as a short-term bout of intense, debilitating fear and dread. A panic attack might include symptoms like intense shaking, disorientation, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, and feelings of impending doom and losing control. 

Learning how to recognize and manage these symptoms, including how to calm down from a panic attack, can help individuals reduce the impact of panic attacks on their daily lives. These episodes tend to be more acute, often lasting between five and thirty minutes. 

Six tips to calm yourself down

Though everyone may function differently, there may be a few steps you can take to calm yourself during and immediately following one of these attacks. 

1. Bring yourself to a safe space

As soon as you recognize that the attack is occurring, try to remove yourself to a safe space. Ideally, this may be a space you are familiar with. This space should generally be quiet, moderately or dimly lit, and away from crowds or foot traffic. The idea is typically to reduce the amount of external stimulation your brain is receiving so that you can begin to control your thoughts and emotions.

2. Seek immediate support

If you are unable to move yourself, it can be ideal to have some way to signal a trusted person you are with or call for help so that they can bring you to a safe space. This person can help you with the following steps and, if necessary, call for professional assistance on your behalf.

3. Find coping techniques that help you ground yourself

Grounding can be a method of controlling your brain’s sensory input through deliberate recognition of external stimuli. One popular grounding technique may be to name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Having materials with unique sensory experiences on hand – such as a fidget toy, scented lotion, or small sour candy – can be helpful if you experience these often.

4. Practice physical, mental, and emotional self-care

After the most intense symptoms of the attack have dissipated, be sure totake the time you need to practice self-care for your mind and body. You might rest, drink water, and get something to eat if you can. Try to engage in a stress-relieving activity, such as a hobby or media piece that you enjoy – read a book, watch a movie, or listen to music. Give your mind and body space to “reset.” 

It can also help to practice relaxation techniques, such as deep-breathing exercises, which can reduce everyday stress and alleviate anxiety attacks fast when they occur. Taking steady, deep breaths can help you manage panic by deepening shallow breathing and slowing a rapid heartbeat. A common deep-breathing exercise is box breathing. To practice this breathing technique, take a deep breath in for a four-count, hold your breath for a four-count, breathe out for a four-count, and hold your breath again for a four-count. Repeat this process three to four times. 

Other coping strategies include muscle relaxation techniques and mindfulness. Progressive muscle relaxation is a common technique that involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. To practice progressive muscle relaxation, sit or lie down in a quiet area and start tensing, then relaxing, the muscle groups of your feet. Then, move on to the muscles of your legs, core, and the rest of your body. 

Mindfulness—a form of meditation centered around increased awareness of the present moment—may help individuals regain control when they’re feeling overwhelmed. In a systematic review of four studies, researchers found that mindfulness training led to significant improvements in anxiety symptoms.  

5. Identify triggers and spirals

Once you have practiced self-care, you may want to note what caused the episode in the first place. Try to identify what about the situation led to it, whether it was a specific fear of one thing or event or a long-term build-up of little things that boiled over. Be mindful of your mental and emotional state as you do this; try not to re-trigger yourself by working through your thought processes slowly. 

6. Seek long-term support

If you want more guidance for managing symptoms, consider seeking out long-term support in the form of professional help. 

Managing symptoms and finding support with online therapy

Online therapy through services like BetterHelp can be an especially valuable option for people with anxiety, as it can happen in the comfort of your own home and on your own schedule, meaning you don’t usually have to worry about waiting in an office or commuting.

Therapy can be an effective method of treating anxiety, whether you attend in-person or online, as it can help you recognize and treat the underlying thought patterns, behaviors, and situations that often contribute to these feelings.