If you've experienced a panic attack, you understand how intense and unpleasant it can be. You may feel your heart race, sweat on your palms, a sense of impending doom, an urge to escape, stomach pain, disorientation, confusion, restricted vision, and/or restlessness. These feelings are normal, but panic attacks are very common. Here are two strategies to stop a panic attack quickly:
Grounding Exercise: Try the 54321 exercise. Focus on 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, 2 things you can feel, and 1 thing you can taste. This works because it engages your senses to assess your surroundings and signals to your brain that you're safe, thus calming down the panic attack.
Change of Surroundings or Temperature: Interrupt the panic attack by changing your environment or temperature. For example, crunch some ice, step outside into a different temperature, or touch something cold or hot. This interrupts the flight-or-flight response that's fueling the panic attack.
These are just two techniques, try different grounding exercises and coping skills to find the ones that work best for you and can be applied in any situation.
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