In working with my clients, I have found that when you are distracted away from the anxious moment, you will move through the anxiety quite quickly.
People tend to hyperventilate with anxiety and panic; if you react that way too, I invite you to place the palm of your hand on your diaphragm or belly while focusing all your attention on feeling yourself breathing nice - slow - deep breaths until the episode passes.
The MP3 provided below will help you...
There are 4 positive effects of doing this exercise:
- The attention is taken away from the fear at the core of the anxiety and places it in the moment.
- It makes you aware of your breathing, and therefore gives you something you have control over in a situation that can very easily feel overwhelming.
- It provides the body with a nice level of oxygen for the brain to use for clear thinking, which further helps you move through the fear reaction.
- It slows your heart rate so the sense of pressure in your chest and discomfort in your gut dissipates allowing you to further relax and let go. (Source)