Thursday, May 7, 2015

Anxiety Coping (self soothe oriented)

my number one tip for anxiety/panic attacks: when you panic, you breathe in but forget to breathe out. this is why you may sometimes hyperventilate. breathe in through your nose slowly, for four counts, hold for five counts, and breathe out through your mouth for six counts
****also, when i mention coffee in this post, it's always decaf. caffeine can increase anxiety and even cause anxiety attacks**** 
mild-moderate anxiety
(scroll down for severe anxiety or panic attack coping)
youtube playlist (my personal anxiety playlist)

TASTE COPING
try chewing strong tasting gum or drinking strongly flavored tea or drinking ice water or chewing/sucking on ice if you have an eating disorder such as bulimia or binge eating disorder
i have ednos (binge purge type), that's why there aren't many resources here.
all recipes (on allrecipes you can search by ingredient so you don't have to buy anything)
low carb recipes on pinterest (perfect for the diabetic hint hint me)
if you're a coffee drinker
if you're a tea drinker
treat yourself to a dessert
peppermint candies
orange juice/lemon juice (to kind of shock you out of anxious feelings)
mindful eating (can also be used with tea or coffee)
ice cream

SMELL COPING
candles
incense
lotion
body spray/perfume
scented tissues (the medicated kind w/ vicks vaporub infused in them)
dryer sheets
nice smelling lip balm (i like bonne belle's coffee flavored lip gloss or EOS)
make a cup of tea or coffee
bake cookies/cake/anything
clean with lemon scented cleaner
smell flowers
grow herbs to smell for this purpose
walk in nature
potpurri


VISION COPING
cat
calming images google search
if you're a coffee or tea drinker, either buy a nice pretty mug for your coffee or tea, or buy a plain white (or whatever color) and buy some sharpies and decorate your own!

make a book of positive affirmations, here are some ideas (my favorite is "this is temporary. it's just an emotion, and it can't hurt me")
something to read about dbt


TOUCH COPING
fidget with a toy
hug a stuffed animal/pet
cuddle up in a blanket
make something creative
take a cool/warm shower, whichever is preferred (i prefer cool showers when i'm anxious, they lower my body temp so i'm not so warm and i'm a comfortable temp)

PANIC ATTACK COPING
sometimes these skills don't work for full blown panic attacks (or what i call the "red zone"), so here is a list of things that might work
what i suggest doing with these links is studying them beforehand so you will remember them when you're in the moment.
overcoming panic attacks
more panic coping techniques
7 cups of tea post about self soothe
home remedies for panic attacks
generalized anxiety help
relaxation techniques
calmclinic.com

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