Have you ever felt a sudden panic? You know something is wrong with your body but you can’t pinpoint what it is? Your heart rate speeds up and your breath gets shallower? Yep, that’s anxiety.
- Other symptoms of anxiety include:
- Sweating
- Nausea or an upset stomach
- Tight and painful chest
- Numbness/tingling in your hands and legs
- Dizziness
- Problems sleeping
- Dry mouth
Just remember that everyone experiences anxiety at one point or another, it is adaptive, and it is not dangerous. Anxiety can occur for any reason and the timeline of a panic attack includes the pre-attack, the attack, and the post-attack.
Short-term remedies
1. Accept it and take deep breaths
- First thing’s first – why are you feeling anxious? If you try to rationalize your way of thinking, you’ll realize that the problem isn’t as dire as it seems
- Figure out if the problem can be fixed or not. If it can, then think of ways to do so; if not, then there’s no sense in worrying about it
- Control your breathing – hyperventilating makes you inhale too much oxygen and exhale too much carbon dioxide, creating an imbalance. To counteract this, breathe in through your nose for 6-7 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and breathe out through pursed lips for 7-9 seconds and repeat until you feel calmer
2. Create a playlist
- Music is a great escape to almost every daily problem. Try to compile a playlist of songs that lasts about 20-30 minutes (the typical panic attack lasts this long). These songs don’t necessarily have to be of the calm and soothing variety, but can just be songs you enjoy listening and singing along to
3. Distraction – simple task or get a friend to help
- Redirect your thoughts – by focusing your attention and energy on one task (e.g. organizing your closet) you’ll be able to distract yourself from the problem at hand and get a task you needed to do anyway crossed off your list!
- If that fails, call a friend and let them tell you about their day, or something funny that happened to them
4. Go for a walk/run
Walking improves your blood flow and allows your carbon dioxide levels to go back to normal, reducing the severity of your anxiety
Long-term remedies
5. Alter your diet
- Reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake (this was definitely the hardest one for me)
- Try to cut out excess and late-night snacks and these normally include high amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats – stick to fruit and water to tide you over until your next meal
6. Exercise, exercise, exercise!
- As a girl whose #1 enemy is a treadmill, trust me when I say this one works. Exercise releases endorphins and increases your body temperature, creating a calming effect on the body
- Exercise doesn’t strictly mean going to the gym and using machines. Get some friends together and play a sport (basketball, soccer, etc.), or try yoga! It calms you down while still allowing for a great workout
7. Get organized
- Simply clearing some clutter from your life can reduce anxiety immensely
- Some ways to get organized include
- Making a to-do list
- Cleaning your room every week
- Using a calendar to keep track of group meetings, due dates and quizzes/examinations
- Keeping subjects together. By this I mean keep your textbook, notes, and other miscellaneous items for each subject in one spot. This makes finding information much easier when you’re in a rush or doing any last-minute studying before an exam
8. Plan ahead!
- Pick out an outfit and pack your bag the night before class so that your morning routine runs smoothly
- Set out a weekly study schedule and alter as needed to accommodate any upcoming quizzes. Make sure to leave space for any group meetings!
If you’ve tried various methods of reducing anxiety and it still prevails, you may want to consult your doctor. Depending on your severity, they may prescribe medication or provide alternative methods for you to try out
Don’t ever avoid something because you think it may be a trigger. That’s one of the biggest injustices you can ever do to yourself. When you start to feel anxious, just breathe deeply and remember that everything will be okay in the end.