• Anxiety

How to Stop a Panic Attack: Simple Steps for Immediate Relief

The feelings that arise before a panic attack can be jarring and overwhelming. Your heart races, your chest tightens, and your mind jumps through different thoughts before you can process them.

A panic attack can make it easy to believe something terrible is happening, even when you’re not in real danger. However, there are ways to manage panic attacks and regain control before they escalate.

In this article, we’ll walk you through practical steps to prevent a panic attack before it starts.

How to Stop a Panic Attack in the Moment

Stopping a panic attack while it’s happening requires tools and techniques to help the person regulate breathing, ground themselves, and shift their focus away from the overwhelming fear. 

In addition to incorporating the techniques listed, consider speaking with a healthcare provider about ways to manage stress and anxiety.

Below are some actionable strategies you can try to keep a panic attack from progressing: 

Practice breathing exercises

Hyperventilation is one of the most common panic attack symptoms. It can lead to dizziness and heightened anxiety. Breathing exercises help reset the nervous system and can calm a panic attack.

One method you can try is called box breathing. Here’s how to do it:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose for four seconds

2. Hold your breath for four seconds

3. Exhale gently through your mouth for six to eight seconds

4. Repeat this pattern for one to two minutes, focusing on the rhythm of your breathing

This breathing technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system to calm your body. 

Use grounding techniques

Grounding yourself when you feel unexpected panic attacks coming can help pull your focus away from overwhelming thoughts or sensations and bring your attention back to the present moment. 

When someone experiences a panic attack, their mind often catastrophizes or becomes fixated on physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, chest pain, or shortness of breath. 

Grounding techniques interrupt the physical symptoms you feel and send signals to your brain that you are safe, reducing the severity and duration of the attack. 

The grounding technique below — known as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise — can pull your attention away from the sensation of panic and anchor you in the present moment:

1. Identify five things you can see around you

2. Focus on four things you can touch or feel

3. Pay attention to three things you can hear

4. Search for two things you can smell

5. Think about one thing you can taste or imagine the taste of (like mint or coffee)

This technique forces your mind to focus on external stimuli, disrupting the cycle of racing thoughts.

Try progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

Right before a panic attack, a person may experience subtle muscle tension.

The muscles tighten as part of the body’s fight-or-flight response — a survival mechanism designed to help people act in the face of danger. 

While panic attacks can often happen without a real physical threat, the body reacts as if it were a life-threatening situation.

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) helps you consciously release muscle tension and potentially stop a panic attack. Steps of PMR include:

1. Start by squeezing your toes tightly for five to 10 seconds before releasing them.

2. Move up your body, tightening your calves, thighs, abdomen, and chest before relaxing each muscle.

3. Complete the process by squeezing and releasing the muscles in your hands, shoulders, and face.

This process helps your body relax by reducing the risk of physical symptoms.

Challenge your thoughts with cognitive reframing

Panic attacks involve catastrophic thoughts like feeling as if you’re going to pass out or that you’re having a heart attack. 

Cognitive reframing is a technique that helps you question these thoughts:

1. Ask yourself: “What evidence do I have that supports this fear?”

2. Consider: “Has this situation happened before? What was the outcome?”

3. Replace negative thoughts with reassuring ones: “This is uncomfortable, but it will pass.”

Cognitive reframing reminds your brain that the feelings you’re experiencing — though scary — are temporary.

Splash cold water on your face

The mammalian dive reflex is a bodily response when your face is submerged in cold water. This reflex helps your body conserve oxygen and maintain vital functions, preparing the body to stay underwater for extended periods. This response can calm the nervous system — which is why it can help stop panic attacks and manage short-term stress.

You can activate the mammalian dive reflex by splashing water on your face or applying a cold compress to your forehead and cheeks for 30 seconds. This slows the heart rate to a normal cadence.

This sudden temperature change can disrupt a panic attack, returning your focus to physical sensations instead of anxious thoughts.

Visualize a safe place

Guided imagery or visualization can get the brain to switch focus to thoughts that promote a calming state. Here’s one way to do it:

1. Close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel safe and at peace, like a beach, garden, or cozy room.

2. Picture every detail — including the sounds, colors, and smells.

3. Breathe deeply as you mentally explore this space.

This mental exercise can slow the panic response by shifting the focus from anxiety to comforting thoughts.

Move your body or engage your senses

In the moments leading up to a panic attack, you can feel trapped inside your mind. Gentle movement or sensory engagement can interrupt a loop of anxious thoughts.

Below are some ideas to get your body moving and engage your senses:

1. Slowly walk around the room you’re in, focusing on each step.

2. Hold an object — like a cold water bottle — and focus on its texture, weight, and temperature.

3. Chew gum or suck on a mint to re-engage your sense of taste.

Physical movement or sensory input shifts your focus away from anxious thoughts and back into your body.

Accept rather than fight the attack

While our instinct is to resist a panic attack, accepting that it may happen can also help reduce its intensity. Here’s how: 

1. Acknowledge the feelings you’re experiencing.

2. Remind yourself that this is your body’s way of trying to protect you, even though there’s no real danger.

3. Allow the sensations to flow without judgment.

This practice of acceptance helps the panic pass more quickly, as resisting a panic attack can make it last longer.

Reach out for support

Talking to someone you trust can ground you and interrupt feelings of isolation that can arise during a panic attack. Below are some ideas as to what you could do:

1. Call or text a friend, family member, or mental health hotline.

2. Let them know you’re about to have a panic attack (or that you’re having one) and could use some reassurance.

Sometimes, just hearing the voice of a person who cares for you can help calm your mind.

How to Prevent Panic Attacks in the Long Term

Preventing panic attacks in the long term requires addressing the root causes of anxiety and implementing sustainable lifestyle changes. Below are several strategies that can reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks over time.

• Practice regular relaxation techniques: Incorporating relaxation into your daily routine helps lower baseline anxiety levels, making panic attacks less likely. Regular relaxation strengthens your parasympathetic nervous system, which signals to your brain when danger is near.

• Adopt a healthy sleep routine: Lack of sleep can increase the risk of anxiety and panic as it impairs emotional regulation. Prioritizing restful sleep helps the brain and body manage stress more effectively by allowing the brain to rest.

• Exercise regularly: Physical activity reduces stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and stabilizing your mood. Exercise also promotes better sleep, creating a positive cycle for mental health. 

• Track your anxiety patterns: Understanding what triggers your panic attacks can help you prepare and prevent them. A good idea is to keep a journal to record when, where, and why a panic attack occurs — note patterns, such as certain people, places, situations, or times of day.

• Set healthy boundaries to manage stress: Chronic stress contributes to anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Unnecessary stress can make panic attacks worse, so learning to set boundaries can reduce their occurrence. Consider saying no to commitments that drain your energy or cause anxiety, and schedule regular downtime for activities you enjoy.

Where Can I Learn More About Managing Panic Attacks?

Through LifeMD, you can speak to a board-certified physician or nurse practitioner about your anxiety.

LifeMD provides access to a team of licensed healthcare professionals who can help treat your symptoms, prescribe medications, and provide tips for managing stress and anxiety.

Get in touch now to book an appointment today and develop a plan for any symptoms of anxiety and stress you're feeling.

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