How to Relieve a Panic Attack in 1 Minute

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If you’ve ever experienced an unexpected panic attack and felt completely powerless, this article provides effective tips to face those moments of anxiety. By the end of this guide, you’ll have powerful self-help tools to manage panic attacks. 🚀❤️

How to Identify a Panic Attack

Panic attacks often go unnoticed in many people, as they can be mistaken for ordinary anxiety. Here are 4 simple ways to recognize them:

  1. You experience a sense of restlessness, ranging from mild to intense. This can be hard to describe but often feels like nervousness or even repetitive movements, such as shaking your legs or arms.
  2. You feel desperate or frustrated without knowing why. This can manifest as an overwhelming urge to escape or do anything to stop feeling that way, such as self-harm.
  3. You feel an unexplained fear. You may have a sense that something bad is going to happen, even if everything around you seems fine.
  4. Your heart races or your breathing quickens. You may also sweat, or experience severe headaches or stomach pain.

5 Tips to Calm Panic Attacks

Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, with distress lasting 15 to 20 minutes. Here are 5 tips to help you calm down in just 1 minute, especially during the onset of a panic attack:

  1. Don’t resist it. The more you resist the panic attack, the stronger it will feel. Instead, once you recognize it, let it flow, not as a passive observer but as an active agent with the power to help yourself.
  2. Sit or lie down. You may feel unsteady during a panic attack, so ensure your safety by sitting or lying down to prevent falls or injuries.
  3. Clear your airways and avoid breathing through your mouth. Mouth breathing doesn’t properly filter the air. Instead, breathe in and out through your nose as slowly as possible.
  4. Count your breaths. Shift your focus away from catastrophic thoughts by counting your breaths. This also helps you slow your breathing. Start by inhaling for 3 counts and exhaling for 3 counts, then gradually increase to 4 counts, and so on.
  5. Repeat affirming statements. Silently repeat phrases like:
    • “I am in a safe place; my body is a safe space”.
    • “This will pass; it’s only a moment”.
    • “I will be okay; I can help myself”.

I hope you find these tips helpful in calming panic attacks. Bonus Tip: Challenge your catastrophic thoughts. Panic attacks are often accompanied by a sense of certainty about catastrophic outcomes. By doubting these thoughts, you increase your chances of regaining control and helping yourself recover.

If you’d like to learn more about panic attacks and how to prevent them, visit our website. We’ve created an emergency action plan you can activate during a crisis.