Anxiety attacks are different for everyone. Many experience symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, panic attacks, throwing up, and so on. One thing strugglers have in common is that the attack takes a lot out of them. It’s hard to go through both physically and emotionally, and it’s hard to recover from an anxiety attack.
The other night I had an anxiety attack. I threw up and then my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. My husband held me and rubbed my back until the shaking eased. That night and the day after I felt weak, fatigued, and drained emotionally. I couldn’t think clearly. Handling the attack afterwards is what helped me get back on my feet. So, I put together a list of tips for recovering from an anxiety attack.
Here is my list:
- Rest. If possible, take a day where you do nothing but rest. Don’t do daily chores, run errands, or do anything strenuous. If you’re married, let the husband take care of the kids. If you work, rest after work. If you have too much to take care of, then find time in your day to take a breather. I spent a day lying on the couch watching TV. It was my day off from work.
- Take a hot bath or shower. Taking a hot bath or shower helps the body relax and eases any tense muscles. If you have a bathtub, try an Epsom salt bath. Take your time soaking in the steam and heat. My friend suggested I take a bath after my attack, and it felt good.
- Practice relaxing techniques. Listen to music you love. Do self-guided relaxation. Pet your fur baby or someone else’s. Practice deep breathing techniques. Spend some time off social media. I did deep breathing and I petted my fur baby.
- Talk to someone. If you have a support system, talk to someone from the system, or talk to a friend or family member. Talking about your feelings will help you heal emotionally. I talked to my husband and my friends. My friend Nicky even checked up on me the next day.
- Watch a funny movie. Watching a funny movie won’t cure you, but it will distract you. Watching something lighthearted will help with regulating your emotions. Something sad or intense can increase the emotions that sent you into an anxiety attack.
- Journal. Put your feelings down on paper. Getting those feelings out keeps them from building up and causing another attack. I wrote in my journal, which is very comforting to me.
- Process later. Wait to process why you went through an anxiety attack and how you can prevent it right after you have it. Give yourself time to practice self-care and heal your body and emotions. I waited until a couple days afterwards when I no longer felt fatigued and emotionally drained. I felt better and that made it easier to think about why I had an attack.
Anxiety attacks are hard to go through. Give your body and mind a break afterwards. Try these tips to help you recover from an attack. If these don’t help, find ones that will help you. Talk to your therapist about ways you can recover.
Using these tips to recover from anxiety attacks helps me bathe in the light of recovery.
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