Having a plan for dealing with anxiety can help you feel more prepared and less fearful. Visualising positive outcomes can make anxiety less likely to occur.
Negative perceptions and predictions about outcomes can influence your feelings in public. Instead, imagine yourself successfully managing your anxiety and achieving positive results. This can help you feel more prepared to handle symptoms in public. Acknowledge that this is a brief period of intense anxiety that will soon pass.
During a panic attack, you might feel dizzy or sick, and your heart may race, but you are not in actual danger. Your body is in fight or flight mode, trying to protect you. Try not to fear the attack itself.
Worrying about stigma and embarrassment is common. Remember, the symptoms of a panic attack probably won’t even be noticeable to others. Even if someone does notice, they are unlikely to jump to negative conclusions. They may just think you’re not feeling well or having a bad day.
Our Top Tips
- Move your body, release tension and walk a little to burn off adrenaline.
- Find a quiet spot to calm down, perhaps listening to music or our Crisis2Calm message. Picture your happy place (somewhere you feel relaxed, safe & calm).
- Avoid rushing home; calming down where you are can reduce the fear of public panic attacks. Learn grounding techniques to remove the fear.
- Try muscle relaxation techniques, which will help limit an attack. Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing up and relaxing muscles one at a time. Hold the tension for 5 seconds, then let the muscle relax for 10 seconds, before moving onto the next muscle.
- If you know you’re prone to having panic attacks outside the house, keep a ‘calm down kit’ in your bag or car. We can get hot when experiencing a panic attack, so keep a bottle of water with you if possible. Having a drink will keep the body cool and hydrated. Sometimes it helps to have an object to play with – such as a stress ball, keyring, beaded bracelet, or necklace. You may also want to carry essential oils to smell, (lavender is a common traditional remedy known to bring about a sense of calm). Affirmations are also a great resource.
- Regulate your breathing and/or practice mindfulness. Hyperventilating, or suffering from shortness of breath, is one of the most common symptoms of a panic attack. If you feel an attack coming on, start to control your breathing and introduce some calm.
- Mindfulness is useful for paying attention to the here and now, so you can feel the panic while realising you don’t need to fix it. Focus on something IN DETAIL, even if it is something really simple. It will ground you and give you something else to focus on. Read a sign, count cars of the same colour or do the 54321 technique.
- Closing your eyes generally intensifies the panic, as this focuses our attention inwards and allows us to focus on negative thoughts which intensify fears and symptoms. So keep your eyes open and sigh away the panic with our sighing technique
- If you’re alone, it is perfectly ok to ask someone nearby for help. Explain that you are having a panic attack and specify what type of assistance you need (e.g. borrowing a phone or calling a taxi). You may want to write down on a card ahead of time what you will potentially need from a stranger, preparing for any eventuality gives you power.
- Lastly, if panic attacks are happening frequently or are interfering with your everyday life, don’t hesitate to get in touch for more support.