Get Help for Anxiety & Panic 

What can you do to reduce Anxiety and Panic? 

It’s important to learn what helps you if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks. What may seem like small and insignificant actions, can really help. Learning coping skills is about creating a new balance and a new way of looking at the world, a new perspective. People often talk about needing to stick to a routine to feel rested or to be able to face the day. These are just some suggestions: 

• Visit your GP  or meet with a Counsellor – they are trained to give you excellent help & relief from Panic and Anxiety. This is a good and easily accessible first step. 
• Talk about your feelings with good friends and, if you can, try to spend lots of time in company. 
• Get to know your anxiety and your panic.  Write down your feelings in the height of a panic attack and then re-read it when you are feeling calm.  
• Try to overcome negative thoughts with positive self-talk. 
• Find what helps calm your nerves.  It may be listing to music, reading or watching a movie.  It's whatever works for you.  
• When we are overtired, we can feel overwhelmed.  Get enough sleep. Limit caffeine & alcohol where possible. 
• Eat a healthy diet.  
• Practice breathing exercises like breathing in for 3 through the nose and out for 4 through the mouth 
• Exercise e.g. yoga, running, pilates or whatever you like doing. Getting in a brisk walk every day is an easy and effective way to keep fit.  
• Hobbies & Activities: Find something you’re passionate about. Do it as often as possible e.g. baking, learning languages, dancing, sport, creative pastimes etc. 
• Don’t try to control what can’t be controlled – this feeling, although it feels so real is just a physical ‘bluff’ caused by adrenalin. 

You're a Hero without even knowing it!

Constant anxiety or suffering from panic attacks can leave us feeling very low and even a bit helpless.  It's important to remind yourself of all the times in your life when you have done brave things without even thinking about it.   Stopping a small child from running into the road, helping at the scene of an accident or just assisting someone who’s had a fall – these are all things that most of us have done unprompted as a ‘first reaction’ to someone else’s danger.  

Remembering this during a panic attack can help.