Well, this blew my cover, but I have panic attacks and anxiety.
Looking back now, these started when I was in high school. I honestly don’t remember the first one but you never forget the feeling from then on and how badly you want them to go away.
Sometimes your mind brings it on, sometimes it is situational, and sometimes it is just freaking random. These techniques have helped me calm down while on the plane, in class, or while I’m home alone. Hopefully, they will help you as much as they do for me.
1. Escape route
My first way to attempt to stop my attacks are getting away from where I am. I try my best to leave the area and go outside calmly. This allows me to focus on getting from point A to point B and I know I can handle that.
It also necessary for me to make it outside because the fresh air restarts my system and changes the scenery. If my symptoms persist I go, to my next plan.
Since I have a competitive streak, I try to do something that I can win. I have been doing Cyclebar which is a cycling studio, and they have a leaderboard where you race against the people in your class. It gives me a chance to not focus on my attack and lets me try to use my energy constructively. And as Elle Woods says, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”
Another way I try to deal with my episodes is something that my roommates benefit from. If my attacks happen at night and I have a lot of energy and can’t go to Cyclebar, I start cleaning. It takes my mind off of what is going on around me, and I can physically see myself doing something good for myself and others. I’m notorious for doing laundry at 2 AM or deep cleaning the stove.
I wish I could do these things when I am out, but I'm sometimes not home when these happen, and I can’t just leave. These things aren’t as helpful, to be honest. They take longer for me to calm down and get under control, but they make me as comfortable as possible.
2. Calm in chaos
Controlled breathing is one of the most helpful to me, especially Dragon’s Breath.
I press my back against a chair and make a "U" shape with my thumb and index finger. You start by closing your left nostril with your index and inhale deeply through the right nostril. At the end of that breath, you close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale completely through the left. May sound stupid because I thought so to, but it has helped me in several situations.
I am Christian so talking to God can be very comforting. It grounds me and reminds me how much bigger my problems can be. I repeat the ABC’s of becoming the Christians to myself slowly.
I realize not everyone is a Christian, but even looking at Gandhi’s 11 vows or Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules of Living are great ways to refocus your negative energy off of you and use positive energy to making yourself an overall better person.
One of my favorite ways is to write and get my thoughts out of my head. I ramble about what is making me upset, sad, or mad.
I can say whatever I want and usually what stems from that is what I write about on the Odyssey or my blog.
It allows me to clear out all the crap that’s in my head and write something with actual substance.
