Is anxiety holding you back? Anxiety can be triggered by life events, changes in your life, or everyday life. People quite often only become aware of anxiety for the first time when they have physical symptoms.
Physical symptoms:
Shortness of breath – tightness in the chest
Heart palpitations – faster or fluttering heart rate
Trouble sleeping – struggling to get to sleep or waking early
Constant worry – unable to concentrate on things
Restlessness – struggling to settle
All of the above symptoms can lead to Panic attacks. (these symptoms aren’t specific to anxiety – physical symptoms should be checked by a doctor)
Panic attacks are when you become consumed with a particular thought process and struggle to drop it. You then become more aware of the physical symptoms mentioned above. Your body reacts to these physical symptoms and can encourage a ‘flight or fight’ scenario. You begin to ignore the facts and believe there is a danger when none exists. You begin to ‘catastrophise’ the situation and begin to create a list of ‘what if’s’. These ‘what if’s’ encourage more panic as they prevent your ability to see things rationally and reinforce your current irrational thinking. You struggle to calm down and feel that something dreadful is going to happen and you will not survive this situation.
Just having or the fear of having a panic attack can increase your anxiety levels. Is anxiety holding you back from doing the things that you enjoy? What should I do if I have a panic attack?
Tips for dealing with a panic attack
Take deep breaths, be aware of the environment around you. Try to bring yourself back to the current location where you are. Engage your own five senses to try and reduce the anxiety. Here’s how to do this:
Sight – focus on the four things that you can see around you
Touch – find three different things that you can hold/feel
Hearing – focus on three different sounds around you
Taste – get a drink or a snack
Smell – find a smell you like, ie perfume,
Whilst doing this be aware of your breath and take deep breaths to slow your breath down. It is equally as important to exhale your breath as it is to take the breath in.
Once you have calmed yourself down and feel more in control, ask yourself what triggered the anxiety? What is it that I am worried about or fearful of.
If you are struggling to deal with anxiety, call Hilary on 07850 447585 or email hilary@lifebalancecounselling.net
