Hey Pandas, How Do You Deal With Your Anxiety/Panic Attacks(

focus on breathing out, not in, and stare at random objects alternating between them and describe (out loud is best) everything about them. the 54321 method is also good, i don't have the mental capacity to explain it right now but if you want an easy explanation go listen to the song 12345 by Em Beihold. chewing on ice is something that can distract you, also have one friend or family member that knows ahead of time that you get panic attacks and just call or text or if they're there with you that's better, they can distract you. maybe write out a plan on a sheet of paper in case you forget, i keep my plan in my backpack.

Here are the three main things I do, because you know, options! :D

Assuming you have a phone, here are my top 2. ( it's okay if you don't!)

1.) I will try to find a quiet space (room, corner or spot) and turn on some of my favorite music. Especially if it's happier and makes me want to sing or dance. If you don't have headphones, I stick the volume down low and put the speaker to my ear and try to block out the sounds coming from anywhere else. it's a focus thing for me :]

2.) Have a favorite show/movie? I like to have a few on hand , specifically ones I've already watched, as sometimes starting a new episode/season can make me feel more anxious. It helps when it's distracting enough, but not so much that it could make my anxiety worse :]

3.) Is one I've not often tried myself, but seemed to work whenever I did. I like to pick out a handful of items somewhere, whether outside or inside, and come up with 3 or 4 positive/neutral things I notice or think about it. I've found that negativity makes things worse in most cases. The idea is that it gets your mind at least partially distracted so you can feel better faster.

I hope that helps!! Keep your head up! You've got this!

Pray, sing and/or chant the psalms, stop drinking coffee for a month or two (caffeine seems to cause the symptoms to become physical).