Holiday shopping can be a bit stressful especially in this time of recession, where we should be saving money instead of spending it. For those of us that love to shop and get really into it during the holidays, we know how stressful it can get when we can’t find the right present/gift for a person.
Some of us might experience anxiety attacks during the holidays and these anxiety attacks can develop into panic attacks.
Some of us might experience anxiety attacks during the holidays and these anxiety attacks can develop into panic attacks.
What is an anxiety attack?
In simplest terms, as anyone who has experienced an anxiety attack or panic attack can tell you, during an attack their breathing is rapid, shallow and it feels like they can’t get enough air.
What happens when you can’t get enough air?
People breathing this way lower the amount of carbon dioxide in their blood. This causes them to feel lightheaded and to have tingling in their hands and feet. These additional symptoms aggravate the anxiety attack and the sense of panic.
*For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, people with anxiety attacks (also called panic attacks) have a physical response as if their very lives are in danger even though nothing really threatens them.
What can you do when an anxiety attack occurs?
The best way to avoid anxiety attack breathing is to avoid the anxiety attack in the first place. If the attack has happened, the next best thing you can do is breathing techniques.
Here are 10 things you can do:
1) Practice the following breathing when you DON’T need it so it will be easier to do when an attack begins.
2) To begin, most people breath using their chests. This doesn’t fill your lungs completely. Instead, try breathing with your diaphragm. This fills the lungs completely and the body associates this breathing with relaxation. Breathing like this as a panic attack occurs lets your body know that all is well.
3) Practice diaphragm breathing by lying down and putting your hand on your stomach.
4) Now breath in, in a way that forces your stomach to expand and your hand to rise. To do that you will have to use your diaphragm.
5) Once you discover what that feels like, practice it for several slow, deep breaths. Then practice it while you’re sitting or standing. You want this to become second nature for you.
6) A good idea is to take 10 deep diaphragmatic breaths several times every day. It is also good for your health.
7) Once you’ve developed this skill, use it to consciously control your breath at the earliest stages of an anxiety attack.
8) Another advantage is that focusing on your breathing distracts you from focusing on your anxiety. This will also help blunt the attack.
9) In order to stop a panic attack one needs to learn how to remove all negative thoughts from one’s mind. As soon as you stop having negative thoughts you now need to start replacing them with more positive ones.
10) As soon as you begin to feel a panic attack happening move away from the source immediately which has triggered the attack in the first place.
*For more information on panic or anxiety attacks visit: How to control anxiety or Anxiety Attacks – breathing
*Tips Tuesdays*
2 replies on “Anxious About the Holidays?!”
I am fully convinced that anxiety disorder and panic attacks absolutely be cured. This is a great help to those who are suffering disorder specially during holiday's. A very insightful and useful post to the readers. More Power!
Thank you Tom and thanks for stopping by!