Tips For Managing Anxiety From A Mind Body Perspective
Sometimes anxiety can feel like a mystery and the more I study it, the more I see that its often a perfect storm of many factors. As a sensitive person, Ive found myself in anxiety until I started addressing it through a mind, body perspective. Its also how I work in 1:1 sessions with success as well.
First, theres a difference between stress and anxiety. Stress, for me, is when youre having a reaction to a situation. For example, youre stressed before a test, you take the test, and then you dont feel stress after. Youre dreading having a hard conversation, you have it, and you feel relief after. The stress goes away when the situation resolves itself.
Anxiety is a little bit different. It can be excessive worry especially when theres no stressor involved. I know that a lot of my anxiety comes from worrying about things that will probably never happen and then I get in what I call an anxiety loop where I keep looping the same fear fantasy in my head over and over again. Anxiety is really common and sometimes we get in a loop because it feels really protective. Worry can feel like we are being productive in managing and protecting ourselves.
Here are my 10 tips!
- Am I dehydrated?
- Stop, drop, and feel your feelings
Having someone hold space for you is very healing and allows you to be supported. Sharing whats up for you with someone safe, comforting, and kind can help you process uncomfortable feelings.
Stop Anxiety Attacks Before They Start
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Ann Louise Gittleman nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
Focus On Your Five Senses
“Focus on your external reality, rather than the symptoms,” advises Bruha. “Use the five senses to ground yourself in the moment.” Be curious about your environment. What can you see, hear, touch, smell or taste?
This is where you can add tactile items to your kit: a fidget spinner, stress ball or a squishy toy.
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Before A Panic Attack
Panic attacks can occur for a number of reasons, including:
- Unrelated to any specific trigger and unexpected:These types of panic attacks can even occur when you are relaxed or asleep and are the most common type of panic attack.
- Situational-induced:These occur as a response to something specific and expected, such as being in an enclosed space. They happen in anticipation of the trigger or immediately after exposure to it.
- Situational predisposed: With these types of attacks, a trigger often causes a panic attack, but not always. For example, having a fear of spiders and seeing a spider might bring on a panic attack, but sometimes an attack won’t happen at all or one might occur after the trigger is no longer present.
- Emotionally induced:These types of panic attacks are brought on by a special highly emotional circumstance. These types of attacks are common at night.
- Situational: These types of panic attacks are common with specific types of phobias, like social phobias. They are also common in panic disorders.
Knowing the situations and triggers that may cause panic attacks can help you prepare for them. Having tools ready to use when needed offers some control over the situation and can lessen the intensity of symptoms.
Useful Ways To Stop An Anxiety Attack
Shannon,
Director of Therapy
10 Minute Read
If you struggle with anxiety and panic attacks, you know the discomfort all too well. Panic attacks, which are sometimes colloquially referred to as anxiety attacks, can cause a variety of symptoms and may manifest differently for different people.
Anxiety itself can be very hard to manage and get control over, and when panic attacks come into the picture, too, things can feel that much more overwhelming and draining. That said, there are several ways that you can try to manage a panic attack, and practicing certain coping techniques can help.
Certain methods of anxiety and stress reduction may also help prevent panic attacks from happening in the first place, or at least reduce the frequency and intensity. This is your ultimate guide to stopping panic attacks.
Want to speak 1:1 with a licensed expert about anxiety or panic? Start with a free assessment.
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Sensory Grounding With Ice Or Cold Water
If you have a washcloth and a water bottle, you have a good start to a panic attack survival kit. Sometimes panic attacks make people feel uncomfortably hot. A damp washcloth around the neck or face can ease this feeling and give you a sensation to think about.
3 ways water can calm a panic attack:
- Hold an ice cube in your hand and focus on the sensation
- Place a cold, wet washcloth on the back of your neck
- Dunk your head into a bowl of ice water
How To Handle A Panic Attack
Professor Paul Salkovskis, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Applied Science at the University of Bath, says it’s important not to let your fear of panic attacks control you.
“Panic attacks always pass and the symptoms are not a sign of anything harmful happening,” he says. “Tell yourself that the symptoms you’re experiencing are caused by anxiety.”
He says don’t look for distractions. “Ride out the attack. Try to keep doing things. If possible, it’s important to try to remain in the situation until the anxiety has subsided.”
“Confront your fear. If you don’t run away from it, you’re giving yourself a chance to discover that nothing’s going to happen.”
As the anxiety begins to pass, start to focus on your surroundings and continue to do what you were doing before.
“If youre having a short, sudden panic attack, it can be helpful to have someone with you, reassuring you that it will pass and the symptoms are nothing to worry about,” says Professor Salkovskis.
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Anticipatory Anxiety And Panic Disorder
Anticipatory anxiety happens when people experience increased anxiety and stress when they think about an event that will happen in the future. While this is not a distinct mental condition, anticipatory anxiety is a common symptom of other conditions including panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder .
Anticipatory anxiety may occur in response to large events such as giving a presentation at work. But it can also precede minor, everyday activities such as driving to work, parking your car, or having conversations with co-workers.
If you have panic disorder, you may find yourself anticipating many life events. Going into a store, attending a social gathering, and other activities may be a daily focus of your anticipation. Before you had panic attacks, you probably didnt give much thought to any of these common events. But now anticipation may cause you to feel anxious and interfere with your ability to fully function in your everyday life.
People often feel anticipatory anxiety because they fear that they will have a panic attack when they are in these situations.
Learn To Recognize The Physical Symptoms
Panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks, strokes, or other serious medical conditions, given their sudden onset and intense physical symptoms. These can include:
- Racing heart or heart palpitations
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chills or hot flashes
Panic attacks may be characterized by one or more of these symptoms, but all of them do not need to be present during an episode.
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Ways To Stop Anxiety Before It Starts
Heres a tough truth about anxiety:
Theres no magic coping skill or secret mantra that will eliminate anxiety.
Thats because some degree of anxiety is an inevitable and normal part of life.
And in fact, the belief that you should be able to totally control or eliminate your anxiety is probably one of the biggest reasons you continue to feel as anxious as you do.
That said, it is possible to significantly reduce the overall amount of anxiety you feel on a regular basis. And the trick is to deal with it before it even startsor at least very early in the process.
But how can I deal with my anxiety before it starts?
In a word: Habits
Just like an athlete develops habits in training that help them deal with game-time stressors and uncertainties, you can cultivate healthy mental and emotional habits that help you deal with the inevitable stressors of life before they snowball into overwhelming amounts of worry and anxiety.
Here are seven of my favorite anxiety-buffering habits
Calming Step : Focus On Breathing
Your breath affects your mental state, so breathing is a crucial part of stopping a panic attack.
During a panic attack, your breathing speeds up, a signal that your body is in fight-or-flight mode, Dr. Josell says. Rapid breathing sends a clear signal that youre in danger, but slow, deep breathing helps to turn off the fight-or-flight response.
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What Is A Panic Attack
Panic attacks are sudden, intense surges of fear, panic, or anxiety. They are overwhelming, and they have physical as well as emotional symptoms.
If you have a panic attack, you might find you have difficulty breathing, you sweat profusely and tremble, and you may feel your heart pounding.
Some people will also experience chest pain and a feeling of detachment from reality or themselves during a panic attack, so they may think theyre having a heart attack. Others have reported feeling like they are having a stroke.
Why Is It So Hard To Stop Worrying
Constant worrying can take a heavy toll. It can keep you up at night and make you tense and edgy during the day. And even though you hate feeling like a nervous wreck, it can still be so difficult to stop. For most chronic worriers, the anxious thoughts are fueled by the beliefsboth negative and positivethat you hold about worrying:
Negative beliefs about worry. You may believe that your constant worrying is harmful, that its going to drive you crazy or affect your physical health. Or you may worry that youre going to lose all control over your worryingthat it will take over and never stop. While negative beliefs, or worrying about worrying, adds to your anxiety and keeps worry going, positive beliefs about worrying can be just as damaging.
Positive beliefs about worry. You may believe that your worrying helps you avoid bad things, prevents problems, prepares you for the worst, or leads to solutions. Maybe you tell yourself that if you keep worrying about a problem long enough, youll eventually be able to figure it out? Or perhaps youre convinced that worrying is a responsible thing to do or the only way to ensure you dont overlook something? Its tough to break the worry habit if you believe that your worrying serves a positive purpose. Once you realize that worrying is the problem, not the solution, you can regain control of your worried mind.
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Carry Essential Oils A Plush Fabric And Other Multisensorial Objects
One of the worst symptoms of panic attacks in my experience is that sense of unreality like Im somehow outside my body. Dr. Rodriguez recommends carrying items with you that can help engage your senses to help ground you.
Things like essential oils can help bring you back into your body, she says, adding to carry a soft, fuzzy piece of fabric or even feel your own shirt. Feel it, think about it, listen to it.
Other ways of anchoring yourself during an attack include rubbing your hands or bare feet on a surface such as a chair, couch or rug, says Dr. Schaeffer. Put an ice cube in a paper towel and squeeze it as hard as you can in one hand for a minute until you can feel the coldness and discomfort. Switch hands and repeat until you have the same sensations in your other hand.
When we avoid panic or treat it like an enemy, we make it stronger.
Why Does It Happen
Even in the 21st century, experts dont have a great understanding of premenstrual symptoms and conditions.
But most believe that PMS symptoms, including anxiety, arrive in response to changing levels of estrogen and progesterone. Levels of these reproductive hormones rise and fall dramatically during the luteal phase of menstruation.
Basically, your body prepares for pregnancy by increasing hormone production after ovulation. But if an egg doesnt implant, those hormone levels drop and you get your period.
This hormonal rollercoaster can affect neurotransmitters in your brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with mood regulation.
This may partly explain the psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and mood swings, that happen during PMS.
Its unclear why PMS hits some people harder than others. But some people may be
- eating disorders
The difference between PMDD and PME is that those with PME experience symptoms all month long, they just get worse in the weeks before their period.
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Visualize Your Panic As A Wave
When you begin to feel panic sensations, instead of trying to shut them out, visualize each feeling as a wave which you are riding until it comes to rest on the shore, says Dr. Chuck Schaeffer, a strength-focused psychologist. Anticipate the wave passing and becoming less and less intense as it crests. Remind yourself that just because you might feel like you’ll drown beneath the wave, it doesn’t mean you can’t swim. You might also remind yourself that the panic sensations are just passing waves on the constant, powerful ocean that is you.
Dr. Rodriguez seconds this metaphor, adding that the waves will rise and fall, and that typically a panic attack peaks at 10 minutes and then abates.
What To Do To Cope With A Panic Attack
When I had my first panic attack at the age of 19, I believed with absolute certainty that I was in mortal danger. I lie in my dorm room bed for what felt like hours, clutching my pounding heart and gasping for air. Fifteen interminable minutes later, it was as if it had never happened, and I felt relatively normal but that wouldn’t be the last incident. I went on to have many more panic attacks, and have since been diagnosed with a panic disorder . I’m among two to three percent of Americans with PD while 18.1 percent of Americans have anxiety disorders in general the most common mental illness. Since that day, Ive treated my condition both with therapy and medication.
Despite managing my PD, I do still suffer the occasional panic attack, but with professional guidance , Ive learned that there are simple things I can do to stop a panic attack in its tracks. I talked with mental health professionals to discuss why my own techniques work and what more those of us living with panic attacks can do.
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If Feeling Anxious Is Normal When Does It Become A Clinical Disorder
Anxiety is formally diagnosed as generalised anxiety disorder after meeting these specific criteria from the DSM-V:
- The presence of excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. Worry occurs more often than not for at least 6 months and is clearly excessive.
- The worry is experienced as very challenging to control.
- The anxiety and worry is accompanied with at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms :
- Increased muscle aches or soreness
A health practitioner will use standardised assessment tools, the above diagnostic criteria, and their clinical judgement to make a diagnosis of anxiety-related disorder.
Why Do Anxiety Attacks Cause These Physical Symptoms
One of the most common reasons that anxiety attacks are such a frightening experience is because they cause physical symptoms that mimic more serious diseases. This causes many people to become incredibly fearful for their health, believing that there is no way something like anxiety can lead to such a physical response.
But anxiety causes a host of different physical reactions that can explain most of the anxiety symptoms, and the most common cause is hyperventilation.
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How Does A Panic Attack Differ From Anxiety
You will come across quite a few mentions of anxiety attack on the Internet. The term anxiety attack is not a medically recognised term and it can mean different things.
When it comes to your mental wellbeing, being specific helps health professionals such as a general practitioner, cognitive behavioural therapist, or clinical psychologist to diagnosis and manage your symptoms effectively.
Whilst some symptoms can be similar , panic and anxiety are two very different things.
For starters, a panic attack has a very sudden onset and the symptoms are extreme. Within seconds, you may experience chest pain, trembling, and feel disconnected from your reality. Anxiety, however, tends to gradually build up across time. You may find yourself worrying excessively and feel an intensifying amount anxiety across days and weeks. Unlike panic attacks, anxiety symptoms tend to feel less intense but the symptoms may be persistent for longer periods of time .
In summary, a panic attack is different to anxiety in their intensity of symptoms and the length of time that the symptoms present themselves.