If you’ve ever had a panic attack you know that it can be a very scary experience. It may feel like you’re losing all control over your body and there’s nothing you can do about it. At times, they can be severe enough where you feel like you may be dying. Immediately after a panic attack it may be difficult to resume your normal routine again, so here are some things you can do to help yourself adjust at your own pace.
1. When possible, start to take deep breaths to lower your heart rate and calm yourself down.
2. Go easy on yourself. If you need a couple of hours or days to recover you should be able to give yourself that without feeling guilty.
3. Talk to yourself positively. Tell yourself that you’re going to be okay and that you will get through whatever may have triggered your panic attack.
4. Talk to someone you trust about what you’re going through and discuss changes that you can make in your life to make sure that you don’t have another panic attack.
5. Distract your mind with something else. Find something that takes all of your attention that you enjoy doing to distract from negative thoughts.
6. If you can’t find something else to distract your attention, you may want to consider sleeping because it will allow your mind to be shut off for a while. After you wake up, you’ll feel refreshed, and naturally a little happier.
7. Eat. Eating releases endorphins (happy hormones), and it will also give you more energy. Being well-fed and feeling healthy will naturally put you into a better mindset.
What to do following a panic attack
