Anxiety attacks are difficult to manage and can definitely derail your life. However, having the right tools at your disposal can help you manage and prevent anxiety attacks. Positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offer practical ways to regain control when anxiety hits. In this article, we will look at how to use these approaches to calm an anxiety attack and feel more in control of your emotions.
Understanding Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks happen suddenly, often leaving you feeling like you are losing control. You might experience symptoms such as a racing heart, a sense of impending doom, shortness of breath or dizziness. These physical sensations can make anxiety attacks feel intense, but it is important to remember that they are not life-threatening. Understanding the way anxiety works in your body is the first step toward managing it effectively.
What is Positive Psychology?
Positive psychology focuses on building strengths, improving well-being, and cultivating a resilient, positive mindset. Unlike traditional psychology, which often deals with fixing problems, positive psychology emphasizes enhancing what is already working well in your life. During an anxiety attack, you can apply this approach to help you shift your mindset and focus on strengths and positive experiences.
How to Use Positive Psychology During an Anxiety Attack
Shift Your Focus: When anxiety strikes, it is easy to get caught in a cycle of negative thoughts. Try to redirect your attention by focusing on something positive. Think of a memory that makes you feel calm or a person that makes you happy, visualize that memory/person. This simple practice can interrupt the anxiety cycle and bring your focus back to the present moment.
Practice Gratitude: Research in positive psychology shows that practicing gratitude can reduce anxiety and stress. Take a moment during an anxiety attack to mentally list three things you are grateful for. It could be something small, like a homemade meal, or something larger, like a new job opportunity.
What is CBT?
CBT is a widely-used treatment that helps people change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. CBT focuses on the interconnected relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By identifying negative thought patterns, you can learn to push back against them and replace them with more realistic, or even positive, thoughts to improve your mental health.
How to Use CBT During an Anxiety Attack
Focus on the Present: Anxiety often pulls us out of the present moment and into the future. By focusing on the here and now, you can reduce anxiety. Practice grounding techniques such as noticing five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise helps you stay connected to the present and distracts your mind from anxious thoughts.
Use Breathing Exercises: CBT encourages slow, deep breathing to calm the nervous system. Try a few box breathes which involve inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, and exhaling for four counts. This technique helps to counteract the fight-or-flight response triggered during anxiety attacks.
Combining Positive Psychology and CBT
Both positive psychology and CBT are powerful tools on their own, but together, they can be even more effective. These approaches give you the skills to control your thoughts and emotions during stressful moments, helping you feel more grounded.
Conclusion
Anxiety attacks are challenging, but they do not have to control you. Using positive psychology and CBT techniques can empower you to push back against the anxiety sneaking in. If you practice these techniques, particularly with an anxiety therapist, they will become tools that you can rely on in moments of anxiety, helping you feel more at ease. I regularly incorporate CBT and positive psychology into my sessions. If that sounds like something you are interested in, book an appointment for anxiety therapy with me.