A sudden wave of panic can overtake anyone. Your heart rate quickens, your breathing shortens, your thoughts race. How to take control of the situation and calm down? Let's look at some simple but effective tips. Causes of panic attacks Panic attacks often occur against the background of anxiety disorders. But they may also have other reasons: - Severe stress, overwork. - Diseases of the thyroid gland, cardiovascular system. - Taking certain medications, drugs, alcohol. - Acute pain, hypoglycemia. Therefore, if panic attacks occur frequently, you need to contact doctor. A specialist will help identify and eliminate the cause. What to do during a panic attack? When you feel a wave of fear rolling in, use these simple tips: 1. Sit or lie down to avoid fainting from hyperventilation.2. Breathe slowly into your diaphragm. You can use the 4-7-8 breathing exercise: inhale - 4 seconds, hold - 7 seconds, exhale - 8 seconds.3. Focus on your surroundings. Describe to yourself their shape, color, texture. This will help you abstract from disturbing thoughts.4. Clench and unclench your fists, tense your body muscles. Physical stress will cause you to release negative energy.5. Massage the points on the ears in a clockwise direction. This will help you relax. 6. Drink water. A sip of cold water brings you back to reality.7. Remind yourself that the attack is not life-threatening and will pass soon. Try to mentally transport yourself to a safe place. How to avoid panic attacks To reduce the frequency of attacks, it is recommended: - Normalize sleep and rest patterns. - Limit caffeine, energy drinks, do not smoke before bed. - Set aside time every day for sports, meditation, yoga - this reduces anxiety . - Avoid unnecessary stress and factors that provoke panic. - Keep a diary of attacks and write down your fears. This will help find a cause-and-effect relationship. - Take medications only as prescribed by a doctor. - If you have frequent attacks, consult a psychotherapist. You can learn to cope with panic attacks. The main thing is to develop a system for yourself that helps interrupt the body’s unwanted reaction to stress. Be attentive to yourself, follow the correct regime and lifestyle. And then panic attacks will happen much less often!