In the middle of a panic attack, its hard to rationalize, and even harder to stay calm. But maybe if you already know some coping skills, getting through a panic attack won't feel as scary.
1. Distraction. Take your mind off of the trigger. Music works well as a distraction. Plug in some headphones and drown out the world.
Read a book. Sometimes, escaping into another world is a lot easier than dealing with what’s at hand.
2. Confront the problem. If it’s a crowd that is causing anxiety, analyze those around you. Look at as many people as you can see, and analyze what they’re doing. You will find that most likely, they are paying no attention to you at all. This will help you feel less overwhelmed, or less insecure.
3. Ground yourself. There are many different grounding techniques you can do just about anywhere, but the easiest of all is this: out loud, count ten things that you can see, smell, touch, hear, or taste. This will help you not only to feel less detached, but it will also help you get a sense of the space around you.
4. Positive self-talk. It sounds crazy, because you are basically talking to yourself. But, if you give it a try, it might be as crazy as it seems. Researchers say if you tell yourself something (or if you are told something) so many times, you will eventually believe it, no matter how crazy it may be.
5. Sleep. Often you will hear a psychologist refer to coping skills on a scale from healthy to unhealthy, rather than good or bad. While sleeping too much can affect your body in a negative way, for a quick fix, it can help.
6. Call a friend. Sometimes, it takes help from the outside of our bodies and outside our minds, to calm us down. And that’s okay.
7. Lastly, remember that this does not make you weak. It makes you human.