Psychologists have recently revealed some special strategies to get rid of panic attacks caused by exam anxiety, workplace stress, relationship problems or future uncertainty. If you’re experiencing symptoms like chest palpitations, cold hands and feet, difficulty breathing, and endless thoughts in your head, here are five magical ways to get the situation under control in three minutes.
According to psychiatrists, breathing exercises are the most effective way to deal with emergency situations. This includes ‘box breathing’, which involves inhaling for a count of four, holding for four seconds and exhaling again for a count of four. Repeat the process a few times to focus on the breathing movement and the mind gradually calms down. Similarly, the ‘4-7-8 breathing exercise’ can help control anxiety by counting to four, holding seven breaths and then slowly exhaling to eight.
On the other hand, another effective technique called the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique can be used to bring the mind back to the present moment during times of intense anxiety. In this method, the brain gets a signal to come back to reality by trying to experience five things you can see around you, four things you can touch, three sounds you can hear, two smells and a taste. Also, splashing fresh water on the face creates a kind of surprise in the nervous system and instantly relieves anxiety. Also, paying close attention to the color, size and shape of any ordinary object in front of you, such as a pen or book, can help alleviate anxiety, experts say.
Mental health care has become a very important issue in today’s busy lifestyle. These psychological techniques help to immediately control anxiety and provide relief to the patient, but they are not permanent cures for mental problems. Therefore, it is advisable to seek expert advice for long-term treatment rather than relying entirely on these emergency measures.