If you have ever had an anxiety attack or panic attack, you know how frustrating and difficult that can be.  There are close to 7 million Americans affected by panic disorder and panic attacks and it can wreak havoc on your daily life and affect the people closest to you as well.  Anxiety attacks can come on for seemingly no apparent reason and can severely affect your life, particularly when they occur while driving your car or if you are out in a public place.  They can be incredibly frustrating and it is very important to find out how to deal with them and how to be able to overcome and attack when it first comes on.

Some of these tips may be very helpful to you and if you apply some of these suggestions and techniques, I am sure you will find some relief.

One of the first things to think about is to carefully monitor your diet.  The very food that you eat during the day and snack on in between meals can have a powerful effect on your overall health and well being.  What you are eating on a regular basis may have a huge effect on your mental and emotional state as well as your anxiety level.  Some foods can have a detrimental effect upon the body as well as the nervous system and brain function.  Avoid foods such as sodas, candies and sugary foods in addition to high carbohydrate foods.  On the other side of things, there are certain kinds of food that can have a calming effect on your body too.

Acidic aliments or drinks like alcohol, salt, sugar, dairy products can highly increase the levels of anxiety, while alkaline rich foods like fresh raw fruits and vegetables make you a lot more stable and they even help you reduce your anxiety. A healthy diet will directly affect your mental state, so you have to be more selective with your dietary choices. In short, a healthy diet can go a long way towards helping you to reduce the anxiety panic attacks.

Another strong recommendation I have is to make sure you exercise often. Making regular exercises a part of your daily schedule will make you strong, and reduce your anxiety tenfold.  At least get a workout of some kind 3 or 4 days a week even for just 15 to 20 minutes a day.  Stress levels are increased when you are having a panic attack or are experiencing anxiety, so you need to do all you can to avoid getting stressed.  Exercising, especially aerobically, will have an overall calming effect on your body and nervous system and you will notice that you will sleep better at night and be more rested during the day.  In the long run, this will make you more stable, relaxed and less anxious.

If you feel yourself becoming anxious or sensing that you have an attack coming on, try to disconnect from the thoughts of stress or worry.  Take a few deep breaths and try to slow down your inhale and exhale, while focusing on one single thought that is not a source of worry or stress for you.  It helps to keep a mental note of something that you can always try to remember or think about that is a situation or a time and place where you felt completely safe and at peace.  If you feel like you are getting anxious or starting to have a panic attack, go to that place in your mind and feel yourself starting to move your thoughts away from the panic and worry thoughts.

Filed under: Anxiety Attacks

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!