Step 1: Identify
Tell yourself that "what I am experiencing is just an Anxiety Attack, it will pass, I will feel better"
Try not to stress over your symptoms. Giving attention to and worrying about your Anxiety Attack symptoms, will only make it worse.
Step 2: Breathe
While you probably hear this everywhere, breathing is one of the main ways to lower the intensity of an Anxiety Attack.
Try This:
1) Take a nice deep breath
2) Hold it in for 5 seconds
3) For every second you hold your breathe, count the number of seconds on your fingers. (Count to 5 on your fingers while your holding your breath)
4) Take a deep breath out
5) Repeat Several Times
Step 3: Distract Yourself
Part 1: Counting
Count down in intervals of 3 from 100. (100, 97, 94, 91, 88...)
Do this for as long as you like (you do not need to count down all the way to 0 if this technique is not helping you). If you do not feel this tactic working for you, don't sweat it, move on to Part 2.
Part 2: Narration
Narrate your surroundings in your head. For example if you're in a class, describe the class room in your head. (Eg: I am sitting in a brown desk, the class has 15 students, 10 female, 5 male, the teacher has brown hair, the floor is blue...) Preform this action for your unique surroundings. This is away to distract your anxiety, allowing the Anxiety Attack to pass.
Step 4: Decompress
By now hopefully, your Anxiety Attack has already reached its peak and is starting to dissipate and go away. Keep breathing until you feel your Anxiety Attack fully pass. Do NOT go immediately back into a stressful situation after experiencing an Anxiety Attack. For example if you got your Anxiety Attack while studying for a final, don't go right back into studying the second your Anxiety Attack passes. Practice self care! Perhaps take a warm bath, eat your favorite ice cream flavor, watch half an episode of your favorite T.V. show; Anything that you enjoy which makes you feel relaxed and calm.
