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Two Checklists to Help Ease Panic Attacks and Anxiety Symptoms

All humans experience panic at one point (or more) in their lives. The trigger could be anything from fearing the loss of someone dear to you to finding yourself in the midst of a financial problem. The panic attack can generate some extremely devastating feelings, such as trembling, cold sweat, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath, acute nausea and even chest pain. These panic attacks and anxiety symptoms come singly or in combination of two or more and the experience can be extremely scary.

What Can I Do to Counter Panic Attacks and Anxiety Symptoms?

The first thing that you need to do about panic attacks and anxiety symptoms is to educate yourself about it. You need to know whether the attacks have been really the result of extra load of stress or if you are suffering from a panic disorder. If it is the latter, this is a disease, which needs to be medically treated. If there is reason for the panic attack, you will need to know how to counteract it.

In order to rule out any possible underlying problem, it is best to consult a doctor as soon as you experience your first panic attack. Once, it is ruled out that there is no particular problem with your reaction, and the panic attack was actually a natural body response, you will have to take stock of the circumstances that led to it.

Checklist 1

Ask yourself a few simple questions and ensure that you are truthful when you answer them. This will clearly indicate whether you are about to face a panic attack and anxiety symptoms in the near future.

1. Are you stressed at work?

2. Are you stressed at home?

3. Do you carry your problems around and brood all day?

4. Are you unable to sleep at night when you have something to solve – until you solve it?

5. Do you constantly feel butterflies in the stomach, in spite of not having any real anxiety cause?

6. Do you get worried when you have nothing to worry about?

Answering ‘Yes’ four times would mean that you are on the collision path with a panic attack.

Checklist 2

In order to be prepared for the panic attacks and anxiety symptoms, you should learn to ‘switch off’ when you feel you are overloading with stress. You could do this in many ways – a few of which are given below:

1. Think of something very pleasant and enjoy the feelings that the thoughts induce.

2. Take a break. Turn your attention away to music, a movie or a hobby – anything that would involve your attention sufficiently to take your mind off the problem at hand.

3. Look into the mirror and smile, as broadly as you can – you will be surprised how efficient this can be.

4. Share your anxiety and troubles with someone close.

5. Work out a feasible plan to come out of whatever problem you find yourself in.