| These are some of the best ways to deal with | | | | nearby park. Set aside a special "me time" of the day |
| anxiety and panic attacks. | | | | to relax. |
| 1. Medication | | | | 6. Physical Exercise or Yoga |
| People often turn to our medical system and expect | | | | Most of us don't get as much exercise as we should. |
| a "magic bullet" to reduce or eliminate their anxiety | | | | Set aside some time each day or week for physical |
| attacks. Today's drugs get quite close to that ideal, | | | | exercise of some sort. This doesn't have to be a |
| although some people can experience side effects. | | | | gym session. It could include brisk walking, taking a |
| Various types of benzodiazepines are often | | | | swim or maybe joining a local yoga class. While you're |
| prescribed, the best known of which is probably | | | | at it, check your diet as that could be contributing to |
| Valium, although stronger drugs are available if | | | | your anxiety. Cut down on processed foods and read |
| necessary. | | | | the label for sugar content as well as fat. |
| 2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | | | | 7. Stop Being Self-Centered |
| Once your anxiety attacks start to come under | | | | OK, we're all our own most important person. |
| control, therapy may be your next step. Cognitive | | | | However, that can be taken to extremes. Start to |
| Behavioral Therapy aims to help anxiety attack | | | | focus on others as well as yourself. Reach out to |
| victims to cope with their problems. It usually involves | | | | them. Smile at people in shops and restaurants. Thank |
| making you challenge what you believe is the source | | | | them when they serve you - you'll notice this has a |
| of your anxiety attacks and change your way of | | | | profound effect on the quality of service that you |
| thinking and thus dealing with the phobia. | | | | get in return as well as making the world a happier |
| 3. Self-Monitoring | | | | place! |
| This is often one of the best ways of dealing with | | | | 8. Cut Down on the Alcohol, Cigarettes and Caffeine |
| panic and anxiety attacks. After all, no-one knows | | | | Alcohol is a depressant. If you're already anxious, it |
| more about you than you do. Self monitoring starts | | | | will lead you further down. Caffeine and cigarettes |
| by identifying the specific problem that causes the | | | | aren't part of our natural diet either. Don't attempt to |
| anxiety attack. Once this is identified, the next step | | | | go cold turkey - just cut down gradually and you'll |
| is to search for an appropriate solution. Of course, if | | | | almost certainly find that you don't miss the |
| the perceived problem has no solution that you can | | | | cigarettes, coffee, cola and alcohol. |
| directly control then the best solution may be to | | | | 9. Don't Bottle Up Your Feelings |
| disregard it as no matter how much worrying you do, | | | | If you always bottle up your feelings, they'll |
| you will have no effect. | | | | eventually have nowhere in you to go and they'll |
| 4. Meditation | | | | surface as dis-ease. Talk about your feelings with |
| Meditation helps to calm you down. A regular | | | | anyone who will listen. The Samaritans do an |
| meditation, say for 10 minutes when you wake in the | | | | excellent job of anonymous listening if you can't find |
| morning or just before you go to sleep, will help to | | | | anyone you know and trust to talk about your |
| calm you down. If you have a meditation class locally, | | | | anxiety. |
| that would be worth investigating. Otherwise check | | | | 10. Change Your Lifestyle |
| one of the guided meditations on the internet or | | | | Do you really have to have a high stress job with a |
| Amazon. | | | | long commute? Or would you get more pleasure and |
| 5. Relaxation | | | | as much cash from something less demanding? Think |
| Very often we have forgotten how to relax. It's a | | | | about what you can do to change your lifestyle for |
| skill that modern day life doesn't seem to require. | | | | the better. It could be as easy as having some plants |
| Learn how to relax, maybe by listening to some of | | | | or scented candles around your home or it may need |
| your favorite music or taking a gentle stroll through a | | | | something more drastic. |