Anxiety Attack? How to Calm Yourself Down

I used to suffer from anxiety and it was just awful. It seems I was in good company, and so many people have admitted to suffering from panic attacks and some anxiety.

The symptoms differ from person to person, but may include a racing heart, dizziness, an all-over feeling of "being just not right" and what one friend describes as a "jitteriness." Maybe it's because we live in an era where we're totally connected 24/7 via our cell phones and the Internet and maybe it's because as women we're trying to fit a mold society expects of us while also trying to remain true to ourselves. In any case, anxiety attacks can be very frightening.

To calm yourself down, try this method I learned from a renowned therapist a few years ago.

  

*  First, come up with what the therapist refers to as "a safe place." This is where you will go within your mind (I know it sounds hokey, and a bit New Age-y but bear with me). It should be an actual place you've been that you associate with calmness and peacefulness. It may be you lying on a beach as the surf rolls in and out, or it could be you bundled up in a blanket on a deck overlooking a mountain range. 

*  Sit upright in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground, hands palms down, one on each leg. 

*  Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. 

*  Go to your "safe place" in your head. Imagine you are physically there, feel your body relax.

*  Pat your thighs with your hands in a rhythmic way as if you were the percussive section of an orchestra and it's up to you to keep the beat. You want to do 20 pats. (I know this also sounds hokey, but the rhythm is important for regulating your breaths, your thoughts and your hearbeat). 

*  Stop patting your thighs. Take a couple more deep breaths. Slowly open your eyes. 

I have done this method in public, particularly on planes and no one seems to notice. It's a quick way to calm yourself down and you won't really bring attention to yourself with it since your eyes are literally only closed for a few minutes.

Culled from Beauty.about.com