How I Avoided a Full-On Panic Attack
I've been searching for the answer to this within myself and others. A few people have even come to me asking for advice and there are some really classic answers. Things I've tried in the past include:
Yoga
Distraction
Rationalizing
ASMR Videos
Talking to people
The problem is...I would always wait until my panic was in gear before trying these things. I knew that I was getting freaked out by little things and the more I think the more worked up I get. The times that I've tried distracting myself - my mind was already going a mile a minute. I couldn't concentrate on the one simple task I was trying to use to distract myself with.
I recently started working with a therapist - and although things didn't work out long-term he did leave me with some helpful advice. I was supposed to be practicing my relaxation. I was told that I should be taking deep, "belly breaths", 50 times, counting down instead of up. So I tried to make time for this every day or almost everyday but one night I was lying in my bed feeling that familiar gnawing sensation in my stomach. I could tell I was on the edge and that I was getting worked up. And I was so not in the mood. I was so sick of ending my nights in tears and waking up with red swollen eyes and too exhausted to enjoy the day. So I closed my eyes. and started counting as I breathed. I started counting each pair from 50, tracking it on my hands. I focused on taking in as much air as I could and not breathing in again until I was empty. It was a slow process but after that, I rolled over and went to sleep. Maybe it was easier because I had been practicing before, or maybe it was just my background as a singer being forced to take meaningful breaths since I was 8.
I know it doesn't seem like much, but I think having something so specific ("50 deep breaths, counting down") instead of something vague ("Breath through it"), is easier to work with when you're freaking the heck out! Some people like using visuals to track their breaths - there are GIFS you can use for this. I have a whole post about it over here . All I know is that was the first time I started to feel myself panicking and it didn't end up happening.
It's pretty simple, but it's specific and I like having exact instructions.
Maybe it will work for you too.
Happy Breathing and much love.