Top 5 Techniques to Manage Panic and Anxiety

Managing panic and anxiety is crucial for our overall wellbeing. First of all, panic attacks feel horrible, and I speak from experience! You feel as if you’re dying. Lots of people, upon first experiencing a panic attack, end up in the ER (A&E). They believe they are dying, having a heart attack, or going crazy.

Just having stress and anxiety is also no fun. It increases our cortisol levels and makes life uncomfortable in general. We are at risk of a major depressive episode (formerly called a “nervous breakdown”) if stress gets too bad.

Technique #1: Deep Breathing

Breathing deeply and VERY slowly is the key to managing a panic attack or a lot of anxiety. I tell my clients “your breath is your salvation.” If you breathe in for 7 counts and out for 11 counts (“7-11 breathing”) your heart rate will slow down automatically as will the secretion of stress hormones.

Tip: Our anxiety toolkit (see the catalogue) contains, among many other things, downloadable breathing exercises you can try. I cut mine out and put a ring through them so I can carry them with me.

Technique #2: Grounding Exercises

Here are a couple of the grounding exercises I suggest in my short e-book “Panic No More:” Pick out 5 things you can see in the room and say them over to yourself. “I see a pen, a chair, a cat…etc.” Secondly, if it’s warm outside take off your socks and shoes and go stand on the grass or bare earth. Literally ground yourself by feeling the earth under your feet.

Technique #3: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Relax all the large muscles from head to toe with the help of a guided imagery recording such as the mp3s in our downloadable anxiety toolkit. Sometimes it helps to tighten the muscles first, then relax them so you can feel the difference.

Technique #4: Visualization with a support animal

If you have a dog or cat, or even another animal you are extremely lucky. Cats will purr and cuddle with you. The sound of the purring is the perfect decibel level for calm, and the soft fur will quiet your soul. Petting a trusty dog who will lay by your side has similar grounding effects. If you don’t have a real animal try holding a stuffed one and envisioning a calming presence with you.

Technique #5: Journaling

Just writing about your day is a great way to calm down. Seeing it all there in print is like unloading it off your shoulders! Any journal will do, of course, but we’re especially proud of the downloadable one in our anxiety toolkit. Take a look in our catalogue at all the great contents of the toolkit.