Imagine this, you're having a perfectly normal day.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and maybe the cafeteria served half-edible lunch today. Honestly, your day is going pretty well. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, this weird feeling begins to bubble inside of you, slowly but surely drowning out all conscious thought until you aren't yourself anymore... and a Snickers bar isn't going to fix it.

What I've just described is the beginning of a panic attack, minus the hyperventilation that occurs after anxiety begins to swallow you. Panic attacks can happen to anyone, regardless of whether or not he or she has an anxiety disorder. Anxiety lives inside everyone. That nervous, jittery feeling you get before a presentation? Yep, that's anxiety.

These bubbling monsters live inside us all to some extent, and while these monsters don't seem as terrifying as Freddy Kruger or Slenderman, I can assure you that they can ruin your whole day at the drop of a dime.

So how do you fight these monsters? Obviously, a legendary sword or holy water won't do the trick. How can you cope?

1. Coloring

Now I know what you must be thinking. "Coloring? But that's for kids!"

Well, yes and no. There are actually these really cool things called adult coloring books that you can use against anxiety. They're usually under $20 and are available online or at your local super market. Coloring tends to calm people down and acts as a great distracter from worrying thoughts, making it a fantastic tool you can use in your battle with anxiety.

2. Cool Down

Personally, when my anxiety flares up it starts to feel like Hades himself has sat down on my shoulder -- and I know I'm not the only one who experiences this. So what can you do about it?

Well, you can do either one of two things. You can buy an electric mini-fan (which can be on the pricier side) or you can make your own hand fan. For the latter option, I recommend taking five index cards and using them as a makeshift fan. It may take awhile to cool off with this option, but it's both a cheaper and more controlled item than an electric fan.

3. Deep Breaths

This is one you'll hear or read about everywhere but it's true. When you feel a panic attack coming on take slow, deep breaths and only concentrate on doing that. Don't listen to the voice inside your head telling you that you can't breathe, even though it's hard not to. Just think of the calming breaths you're taking and ignore everything else.

4. Visualization

I'm sure we all like imagining things like meeting our favorite character, going on an epic quest, or our impending doom if you happen to be anxiety-ridden. How about instead of thinking big and seeing the future as some gaping black hole you focus on something smaller and easier to digest?

Now I'm not advocating for blind optimism or turning the other cheek to the reality of your situation. What I'm saying is imagine a future in which you're happy. Maybe in this future you have a dog, live in a log cabin, and drink hot chocolate every day? The point of this is to just think of what would make you happy and to use it when you start to feel panicky.

5. Do Math

Okay, before you call me crazy and dismiss this article, hear me out. I'm not saying sit down with your Calculus textbook and try to solve problems in it. The math I'm suggesting you do is simple math; the easy stuff that you already know how to do. So pull out a blank sheet of paper and just do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and maybe some division if you're feeling daring.

6. Read

Like math, I don't mean read an intense book series that could heighten your blood pressure further. I'm thinking more along the lines of an easy read. The book doesn't have to be so simple that a kindergartner could read it, but I would recommend reading something with a happy ending or a book that's pretty straightforward.

7. Count

Say that you're already out in public and you can't exactly do any of these options without getting weird looks. Don't worry, I've got you covered!

One thing that usually works for me when I'm out in public is to count to 100 in my head. If I still haven't calmed down to where I'd like to be at, I repeat this process for as long as it takes or until I can get back to my dorm room. This is a quick and easy way to distract your mind from anxiety while out in public without looking like a crazy person.

If all else fails, confide in a trusted friend or adult. If they're really your friend, they'll hear you out without complaint. Sometimes it just takes a listening ear to stop a panic attack before it takes hold.