In the middle of a panic attack, it's hard to think. When you're alone, and can't seem to breathe, it's almost impossible to calm yourself down. In my most recent episodes, I've experimented with a method of relaxing called Grounding. It's a way to find yourself when you're, well, panicking.
There are many ways to ground yourself. The goal is to bring yourself back to reality by focusing on the things around you. Some people like to start off simply and focus on something they can read; a newspaper or book for example. Deep breaths while focusing on bringing the letters and words together is one way to calm down.
Some people like to use all of their senses, like I do. I find this the most effective way to help during the roughest times. I start off with naming out loud five things I can see around me. I then name four things I can hear, three things I can touch nearby me, two things I can smell, and one thing I could taste. This method utilizes all of your senses, and I find it the easiest way to ground myself.
Many turn to meditation. A type I like to use sometimes is one that I actually read in a novel and decided to try out. First, find a quiet place with no interruptions. Cross your legs and lay your palms on your knees. Then, close your eyes and imagine a bar of soap scrubbing yourself from your toes and upward. When you're imagining the bar of soap, you have to pretend that as it scrubs you, it's also erasing you away. Once you're all gone, you can picture yourself doing anything. You're free! I like to pretend I'm flying, high up in the clouds with a huge smile on my face.
Grounding yourself during a panic attack is not always easy. The more you do it, the better you'll become. People aren't always by your side to help you, so the best thing to do is learn how to take care of yourself, starting with mental health.
