Avoid Panic Attacks with Senses Activity

In today's world, there are numerous things that are either distractions or tasks we need to complete. How do we differentiate between what needs to be done right away and what can be put off later? Your task list may be difficult to prioritize. However, it is possible. Although this is not a theme of today's post, I wanted to empower you to be mindful of the way you schedule your activities so that you refrain from overwhelming yourself. Now that that is out-of-the-way let's get into it!

In previous posts, I discussed ways to manage your stress and your anxiety over the holiday season. Now that the holidays are over you may still experience stress. There may be stressors where you work, stressors in your home life, stressors at church, or stress caused by realizing you have not reached the milestones you'd hoped to accomplish at this stage in your life. Stop there! What has led you to believe that you have not met these milestones? Society standards of where you should be in life? Your parents' views of where you should be in life? Looking around and seeing that all of your friends are married with children and you aren't even dating?!

Sometimes even the thought of these things can lead to a racing heart. Perhaps you have a deadline at work, and there are several projects that you are managing at the same time. These projects can weigh heavily on you and just when you thought you were getting a handle on it, you were tasked with an additional two projects. Suddenly, you feel like your head is about to explode! Your heart may flutter, and your palms may sweat. You may even be shaking. If you experience heart palpitations regularly without being under stress, this may be a different medical condition, and you will need to seek care from your primary care physician. However, heart palpitations that are typically caused by stress, followed by other anxiety symptoms like crying uncontrollably or the inability to breathe, may be indicative that you were having a panic attack. At this point, you cannot undo the stressors that have already been presented. What you can do is remove yourself from the stressors but what more can you do? I've created my version of the five sensors anxiety activity that helps with reducing anxious feelings and be used to prevent panic attacks.

Here is how you can use this infographic. First, you should review the various steps so you have an idea of what you will need to do. The following situations are where you would use this step by step process to reduce anxiety:

1.     A stressor has been introduced or re-introduced to your physical space or your mental space.*

2.    You may be exposed to trauma through a tv show/movie

3.    Someone shares a traumatic story with you

4.    You experience trauma ( Example: Car accident, home burning, a child is injured/kidnapped, a loved one passes away)

5.    You are new to a job environment, school and/or living environment and experience difficulty adjusting

The moment you identify that any of the above has occurred, follow the steps indicated above. Do not wait until you are in a preferred place. What you need is a safe space. For example, you are driving and in heavy traffic when you feel an anxiety attack or panic attack coming on. What you can do is pull over to your nearest exit and pull into the nearest parking lot and park. Once you feel that the place where you have arrived is safe, begin working through the steps. The alternative would be to remain in heavy traffic for another 15 to 20 minutes until you get home and not in your parking lot. However, because a panic attack can come while you are driving, it can make driving a very unsafe activity.

In addition to using the steps, it is important to develop appropriate coping skills that will help with the prevention of panic attacks. Work with a state licensed therapist who can help you with learning appropriate and effective coping skills and also help you unpack a lot of the stressors that are leading to the onset of these panic attacks. If you are uncertain about whether you need medications or not, you can always have an assessment conducted by a state licensed therapist to determine if drug therapy is the right fit for you. Alternatively, you can visit your primary care physician and assess if drug therapy is the appropriate treatment for you. There are various alternatives that are appropriate and have proven to help with reducing anxiety; however, it is important to have a licensed provider assess your symptoms and make appropriate recommendations. Your mental health is very important. Do not put off taking care of your mental health.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to drop a line below and I'll get back to you. If you would prefer to send me a private message, email me directly or complete the contact form available on my website here. Follow me at @LWCounsels