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Anxiety attack?? What should you do next...



Imagine you’re trapped inside a teeny-tiny space. Your arm and leg are useless, and your thoughts are racing. Your heart is beating out of place and your skin and bones are crushed. Everything is hardwired, and the worst thing is that you don't know what to do. Like you are a prisoner of your mind and body.



Have you ever felt it?

Well I did, it wasn't nice and scary to hell.

Anxiety affects different people in different ways. for some people, it fills the mind with excessive and useless thoughts. And because it happened several times, I come to find out how to deal with it.

First, you have to come to understand what is anxiety attacks. According to the mayo clinic,  It's an episode of intense fear or panic. It usually occurs suddenly and without any warning. sometimes there would be obvious triggers, but mostly in some cases, it comes out of the blue.

So when you have these symptoms:

    • Surge of overwhelming panic.
    • Heart palpitations or chest pain.
    • Feeling of losing control or going crazy.
    • Hyperventilation.
    Although there are different ways to approach Anxiety Attacks, for me 4-7-8 breathing work does the magic. 

    So what Is 4-7-8 Breathing?

    4-7-8 breathing is a technique for deep relaxation conceived by Dr. Andrew Weil. Many use this counting technique to manage stress and anxiety through controlled breathing. It involves inhaling for the count of four, holding your breath for the count of seven, and exhaling for the count of eight. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is based on the pranayama breathing exercise that is practiced during yoga for relaxation.

    Here are steps on how to practice this technique. You can also watch Dr. Weil describe the procedure himself.

    Step 1. Find a comfortable spot where you can sit quietly without being disturbed.

    Step 2. Gently place your tongue so that it is pressing against the back of your top teeth.

    Step 3. Exhale all of the air around your tongue through your open mouth.

    Step 4. Close your mouth and then inhale for a count of 4 through your nose.

    Step 5. Now, count to seven while you hold your breath.

    Step 6. Finally, exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Make an audible "whoosh" sound as you exhale. Once you have exhaled fully, it should feel as though all of the air has left.

    Step 7. Do a total of four cycles, repeating the previous steps.


    It might feel strange at first to practice breathing this way. Try to push through those discomforts feeling. And within just a few short minutes, this breathing will slow down your heart rate while lowering blood pressure. Once you become comfortable with doing four cycles, you can increase to a maximum of eight cycles.

    But if you're still experiencing and aren't sure what to do, it is important to talk to your doctor or therapist. Talking about mental health can be scary, but trust me, it isn't as scary as our thoughts and the talk will do good for you.

     

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