Habits That Help You Deal Better with Stress and Panic Attacks
Finding healthy ways to cope without resorting to withdrawal, drinking, smoking, or other unhealthy mechanisms can be a formidable challenge when grappling with anxious thoughts.
However, numerous constructive habits can be adopted to alleviate anxiety and take control of one's thoughts. Here are ten recommendations for reducing anxiety.
Today’s blog is all about outlining what these techniques and healthy coping habits are. Let’s get right to it.
Ten recommendations for reducing anxiety:
1. Recognize and Identify Triggers:
Specific events or situations often prompt anxiety disorders. By identifying these triggers, one can either avoid them or better prepare to cope with them.
1.1. What are triggers?
Triggers encompass any person, place, thing, or situation that initiates a series of events leading to anxiety.
For some individuals, the mere thought of public speaking or going on a first date can trigger an anxious response. For others, triggers may be more specific, such as a significant date, location, car driving, or something in the news.
1.2. What to do when triggered?
When confronted with a triggering situation, several strategies can be employed:
- Practice deep breathing and focus on your breath.
- Repeat positive mantras or affirmations to oneself.
- Engage in distraction techniques, such as redirecting attention to something else.
1.3. How to identify triggers?
There are several ways to identify triggers:
Maintain a journal to document moments of anxiety or anxiety attacks, noting any potential triggers that come to mind.
Consult with a therapist or counselor regarding anxiety symptoms, who can assist in identifying and addressing triggers.
1.4. What to do after identifying a trigger?
Once triggers have been identified, steps can be taken to avoid or prepare for them.
If a specific situation, such as public speaking, is a trigger, gradually expose oneself to that situation. This process, known as desensitization or exposure therapy, can help reduce anxiety responses.
Distancing oneself from it may be necessary if the trigger is a person, place, or thing. While not always feasible, this can be beneficial.
Over time, the trigger may lose its effect as one works through unprocessed thoughts and emotions with the help of a therapist, journaling, and self-care practices.
2. Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption:
Alcohol and caffeine are common triggers for anxiety, particularly for those with specific or generalized anxiety disorders. Reducing consumption of these substances may be advisable when struggling with anxiety.
2.1. What constitutes excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption?
The answer to this question is hard to pinpoint. Different people react to different amounts of alcohol and caffeine.
As a general rule of thumb, you should limit both as much as possible.
2.2. What are the advantages of reducing alcohol and caffeine intake?
Limiting alcohol and caffeine intake can yield several mental health benefits, including:
- Reduced anxiety.
- Improved sleep quality.
- Increased energy levels.
- Enhanced concentration.
3. Engage in Regular Exercise:
Nothing kills negative thoughts faster than good ole'-fashioned exercise. Learn to fall in love with exercise because it’s how you beat depression, negative thoughts, and a slew of other problems.
4. Challenge Negative Thoughts:
Anxiety disorders frequently cause negative and intrusive thoughts, increasing anxiety and leading to negative thought patterns.
Positive ideas may be overcome by asking oneself questions like, "Is this thought based on fact or opinion?"
- How likely is it that something will happen?
- What results does this concept have?
- Is there another perspective you might take on this?
- What counsel would I provide a buddy in this circumstance?
Asking oneself these questions can help one gain a more realistic perspective on their thoughts and challenge any irrational or negative thinking whenever it creeps up.
It is important to note that attempting to rationalize with oneself should be done once the intensity of a panic attack has subsided and grounding techniques have been employed to regulate breathing and heart rate.
Another helpful approach is to write down the negative thoughts and then work through the questioning process, followed by writing the truth in a different color that induces relaxation.
Repeating the negative thought followed by the truth to oneself multiple times can gradually help one accept the facts and reduce anxiety.
5. Practice Relaxation Techniques:
You can attempt many approaches, such as:
5.1. Steadily relaxing the muscles:
Concentrate on one area of your body while releasing any muscle tension there.
5.2. Relaxation Technique:
Moving from one region to the next while taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling can help you achieve complete body relaxation.
5.3. Deep breathing:
Deep breathing has a quick-acting, soothing impact on anxiety. Inhaling for 8 seconds, holding the breath for 8 seconds, exhaling for 8 seconds, and then holding the breath for 8 seconds again is a breathing method known as “square breathing.”
Square breathing may be done everywhere, from yoga classes to high-stress environments, and it takes just one minute to complete two complete cycles.
6. Mindfulness Practice:
Engaging in mindfulness practice is a relaxation technique that involves approaching one's anxiety from an objective standpoint.
When encountering anxious emotions, closing your eyes and cultivating curiosity about the experience is recommended.
Reflect on your body's physical sensations of stress and anxiety and attempt to observe them from a top-down perspective, detached from the most intense symptoms.
While incorporating mindfulness practice into your routine may require some effort, research has shown that it is worthwhile for improving overall well-being, reducing anxiety, enhancing emotional regulation, and coping with excessive worry.
As a physical activity, consistent participation in yoga can decrease cortisol levels and excessive worry and yield significant improvements in overall physical and mental health.
These four techniques mentioned are just a few of the strategies available for managing anxiety. Yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation can all reduce heart rates, calm the mind, and enhance coping mechanisms for anxiety and depression.
7. Connect with Others:
Isolation can exacerbate chronic anxiety. When feeling worried, it may be tempting to isolate oneself and turn to one's thoughts for comfort, but it just worsens the worry.
Instead, put in the effort to engage in conversation with others, even if only briefly. This might give a sense of support and serve to divert attention from fear.
8. Journaling:
Keeping a journal is a valuable tool for managing anxiety. It can help track symptoms, identify triggers, and recognize daily life patterns, facilitating a deeper understanding of anxiety or other health conditions and effective management strategies.
In addition to tracking anxiety, journaling can also serve as a means of self-expression and releasing negative thoughts and feelings. Writing can be therapeutic, promoting a sense of calm and empowerment.
9. Prioritize Restful Sleep:
Getting enough sleep is tricky for most people, so it’s best to stick with a schedule as much as possible.
Avoid exposure to blue light of any sort, and don’t overeat before bed.
Prioritizing sufficient sleep is essential for managing anxiety and depression. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night and consider establishing a bedtime routine, limiting screen time before bed, avoiding caffeine in the evening, maintaining a consistent sleep/wake schedule, and incorporating daytime exercise if experiencing difficulty sleeping.
10. Take Care of Your Well-being:
Effective anxiety management and prevention techniques involve choosing healthy stress and anxiety coping strategies such as journaling, seeking support from friends or therapists, and engaging in enjoyable activities.
Proactive prioritization of self-care is vital to successfully managing anxiety and promoting overall well-being.
Final thoughts:
This article has provided you with habits, techniques, and resources to better deal with stress and panic attacks of various types.
Do note that what we discussed here is not exhaustive since each individual faces different challenges regarding stress management.
But you can get started and hopefully benefit from what was discussed here, whether it’s a one-time issue or something more serious.
Put your health at the forefront, always.