Have you ever woken in the middle of the night to find that you can’t breathe, or that your mind is racing? Learning how to calm panic attacks is critical, giving you the opportunity to get back to feeling normal again.
What is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is your body’s response to stress, fear or “danger.” It’s how your body would react if faced with a dangerous situation – the “fight or flight” response. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t know the difference between perceived danger and actual panic or stress.
When our sympathetic nervous system reacts with physical sensations, it’s important to have tools to calm this reaction and engage the parasympathetic nervous system – the calm response we get after we realize we are safe.
Immediate Relief Strategies
- Get out of bed if that’s where you are
- Have a hot shower, or alternate between cold and hot water
- Place ice cubes along your jawline, forehead and face
- Do vigorous movement like 5 burpees or 10 jumping jacks
- Try yoga – a sun salutation done 3 to 5 times
- Have a cold glass of water or a warm cup of herbal tea
- Try square breathing: breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4
Professional Support
If these symptoms happen frequently, see your doctor. Therapy is also highly recommended as a preventative method – therapists provide coping strategies to manage stress and anxiety which can cause panic attacks.