Anxiety/ tension/ panic attacks- what works for you?

squirrelzzrule22
squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have dealt with anxiety and panic attacks for a long time. I'm curious what types of exercise have been helpful for folks with similar issues. I run a lot which sometimes helps, but sometimes the normal physical sensations of running hard will incite anxiety as well. Tension is another big issue- I am constantly clenching my jaw, hoisting my shoulders, etc to the point of being very painful. I was thinking maybe yoga? But I really have no clue. I know exercise is great for all of these emotional conditions, just curious what works for others!
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Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Mindfullness, meditation, or Prayer. Whichever you choose.

    Breathing.

    Working out and eating right REALLY helps me to maintain focus and not feel overwhlemed. I have really wanted to mix in yoga or Tai Chi, which bring together mindfullness/meditation and fitness.

    And good sleep.
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    Not related to exercise, but I cut out all caffeine (except what's in chocolate) and I noticed a great improvement.
  • mmc92
    mmc92 Posts: 1
    Staying in control of healthy eating and putting foods into your body that are wholesome and good for you. Also, staying organized and keeping up with a workout schedule also helps. I noticed that even if I just do a little bit of exercise some days it helps more than not doing any!
  • strongerthanFAT
    strongerthanFAT Posts: 24 Member
    Running and pushing it. Making myself run because I know I can. Your mind gets to think clearly, your stamina builds, you feel great afterwards. It just puts me on a high!! I like to plan out my runs at the beginning of the month.
  • tinabuggy
    tinabuggy Posts: 19
    I recommend Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett. I have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for 21 years. About 8 months ago I got her book and it has changed my life. I have taken anti-depressants off and on for those 21 years (mostly on) and I quit taking them in November. You can order it off Amazon and there is choice where you can purchase used for around $4.00. Linda Bassett books is in laymans terms and it has personal stories of her and others who have suffered from anxiety.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    2 to 3 hours cardio a day, it works for me.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
    Taking time to separate my anxiety thoughts from what's really happening around me (reality!) and pressing ignore when I begin to feel that nonsense feeling of anxiety for no valid reason. I used to treat all my thoughts the same but now I sift them like at the recycling depo lol :P, useless thoughts here, valid thoughts there!

    A great quote I read that I really could relate with when I was experiencing scary and anxious thoughts was
    'Remember, you have just experienced a thought... it was not the voice of god.' lol

    :laugh: Also yoga is my exercise of choice, helps to nourish and calm my nervous system, and make me a hawt bod too.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    HIIT or heavy lifting seems to help. Nothing like the calm after a set of deadlifts.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I have dealt with anxiety and panic attacks for a long time. I'm curious what types of exercise have been helpful for folks with similar issues. I run a lot which sometimes helps, but sometimes the normal physical sensations of running hard will incite anxiety as well. Tension is another big issue- I am constantly clenching my jaw, hoisting my shoulders, etc to the point of being very painful. I was thinking maybe yoga? But I really have no clue. I know exercise is great for all of these emotional conditions, just curious what works for others!

    Cognitive-Behavioral therapy.
  • Myndi73
    Myndi73 Posts: 270
    Not related to exercise, but I cut out all caffeine (except what's in chocolate) and I noticed a great improvement.

    ^^^ This! I gave up all caffeine, except chocolate as well, and I haven't had an attack since.
  • DarkAngel262
    DarkAngel262 Posts: 118 Member
    I've done it all and I have to say my life changed with medication. Guess I was super imbalanced!
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
    Heavy metal. Generally squats, deadlifts, and presses.
  • Adw7677
    Adw7677 Posts: 201 Member
    Taking time to separate my anxiety thoughts from what's really happening around me (reality!) and pressing ignore when I begin to feel that nonsense feeling of anxiety for no valid reason. I used to treat all my thoughts the same but now I sift them like at the recycling depo lol :P, useless thoughts here, valid thoughts there!

    A great quote I read that I really could relate with when I was experiencing scary and anxious thoughts was
    'Remember, you have just experienced a thought... it was not the voice of god.' lol


    This is such EXCELLENT advice. I might actually have to print it up where I can see it everyday. Thank you for posting! :drinker:
  • mlemoignan
    mlemoignan Posts: 8 Member
    I would highly recommend yoga as well as mindfulness and meditation! Also, if you like to read, I'd recommend books such as "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" by Claire Weekes or "Calming Your Anxious Mind" by Jeffrey Brantely!
  • ChapinaGrande
    ChapinaGrande Posts: 289 Member
    Yoga. Also, cognitive-behavioral therapy and an awesome diet. I notice that if I eat badly or don't exercise for a while, I'm much more tense and anxious and mean to my husband. :(
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
    prescription drugs, a hell of a lot of gym time and good friends to talk you through them
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    cut back on caffiene- none after noon.
    Get at least 8 hrs of sleep at night even if i have to take an OTC sleed aid like Zzzzquil
    And i take a wonderful vitamin called Stress B Complex - or Super B Complex
  • LizCO2DC
    LizCO2DC Posts: 92 Member
    Like others have said, yoga and mindfulness and meditation work really well for me. Good luck!
  • fernandesg
    fernandesg Posts: 54 Member
    Not related to exercise, but I cut out all caffeine (except what's in chocolate) and I noticed a great improvement.

    Exactly this. I have also had therapy and medication for my anxiety, and the therapy worked the best, but caffeine is a huge contributor to anxiety. Took me about 3 weeks to get it out of my system, and I've been off most caffeine for 4 years now. If I cheat and have even a pop with caffeine in it, I notice a difference.
    Also, I have the jaw-clenching tension as well. Find a massage therapist who specializes in TMJ work; by releasing the tension in the jaw muscles, I find I am less inclined to clench and grind because I am relaxed.
    I am also planning to start yoga for relaxation and exercise. I am hoping it will help even more.
    Good luck!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Once you get over the anxiety. Then get yourself in a calm mindful state with deep breathing and relaxing music then I find facing whatever cause the anxiety head on helps me tremendously.
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
    Struggled with this for a VERY long time. Here are my secret ingredients: fish oil, plenty of sleep, water, calmomile tea, a healthy diet (no 1200 calorie BS), yoga, and positive thoughts (your mind is the only thing that's making you feel bad - learn how to control it). Try to avoid caffeine and booze - they are big triggers.
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
    I like kickboxing when I'm very anxious. It's fast paced and it feels like I'm expelling a lot of aggression. Yoga would be nice but I never have the focus for it when I'm worked up.

    Also, xanax.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I've had general anxiety, social anxiety and panic attacks for as long as I can remember (finally professionally diagnosed in high school). For me, yoga doesn't help prevent the things like clenching my jaw, hoisting my shoulders, etc. but yoga or stretching routines do seem to relieve some of the tension and muscle aches caused by it.

    Learning breathing exercises (through yoga or otherwise) can help too since just focusing on breathing can sometimes force you to unconsciously relax a little. I've also found it helpful to focus on my breathing when I'm starting to feel a panic attack hit...this backfires if you're someone who tends to focus on their breathing and it results in hyperventilating.

    For me, diversion is a fairly successful tactic. If I can distract myself with something that requires a great deal of concentration (physically or mentally), my panic attacks subside more quickly with less severity. But I've also been off meds for about 8yrs now so I've already worked on minimizing my anxiety in general.
  • ajhugz
    ajhugz Posts: 452 Member
    I have dealt with anxiety for about 4 years now. Exercising helped but learning to relax helped more. Try 10-15 of yoga or stretching every morning when you wake up and before you go to bed. Another thing that helped that isn't exercise related is learning to cope with stress. My doctor said the best thing to do is to learn how to relax and how to remain calm. I hope this helps
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    I am still searching for something to help me. It is looking like I might need to turn to medication. Music helps a little though and stretching. Also it may sound cheesy but when you get overwhelmed try to take a minute for yourself and breathe.

    hope things get better for you :flowerforyou:
  • DavidC1857
    DavidC1857 Posts: 149 Member
    The answer is different for everyone. We're all different and people experiencing anxiety disorders are at different levels. There was a point in time where the most I could do was to go to the very small corner grocery store and get enough to eat. Beyond that I didn't leave my house.

    Exercise often causes the same physical sensations as anxiety. Heart rate increases, sweat, etc. If that is you, exercise isn't going to help. At least not at first. Exercise did help me, but I had to do it at home, where I could just stop if I started feeling anxious, and sit down and evaluate whether it was anxiety or just the exercise. I could not go walk, for example, out of the fear of having a panic attack away from home. Home being my safe area.

    For ME, learning to recognize what was a panic attack and what wasn't. Basically mindfulness. Also learning that a panic attack is uncomfortable, but it will NOT hurt you physically. These two made a big difference. A start at least. At some point I began to be able to distinguish between what was anxiety and what was just sensations caused by exercise and exercise was more helpful at that point.

    I also went through the gamut of medications and therapy. Most of the medications may as well have been placebo's for all the good they did. In the cases of the ones that had an effect, the effect was usually horrendous side effects. Therapy was, for me, of little help, because in poor rural area's the best you're going to get for a therapist is a Social Worker, who doesn't have clue how to deal with someone with a serious anxiety disorder.

    Honestly, though. For me, giving my life up to Jesus, prayer, study and community with like minded people have done more for me than anything.
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
    I've done it all and I have to say my life changed with medication. Guess I was super imbalanced!


    ^ This! It is a chemical imbalance of the brain. I have suffered on and off for 48 years and until I was put on Celexa, my life changed for the better! I wish you peace and health!
  • BlessedHeart
    BlessedHeart Posts: 249 Member
    *bump*
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Unfortunately, in some instances, it seems like the effects of exercise, yoga, meditation, etc, only enhance the symptoms rather than mitigate them.

    I went through a rough stretch 15-20 years ago, and it was frustrating. My main symptoms were feelings of vertigo and palpitations. Exercise not only made the palpitations 10x worse, but it caused by BP to skyrocket; trying to meditate just made me pass out--my HR would drop and I would have a vasovagal effect.

    For me, getting on a regular pattern of sleep, forgoing caffeine, improving diet helped just enough to get a "foothold", so to speak, where I could do some low-level exercise. That helped calm things down and I gradually increased exercise tolerance which helped reduce the symptoms. Haven't really had any issues for about 15 years.

    It also helped to learn more about the physical dimensions of the condition, did some diagnostic tests to rule out physical issues etc. It gave me the confidence to hang in a little with the activity when I started experiencing symptoms, knowing I was probably not going to collapse and die.
  • squirrelzzrule22
    squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
    Thank you all for the great and honest responses! I agree very much with those who mentioned learning the difference between your thoughts and reality and sensations that are anxiety vs. those that aren't. For about a year I was on a bc pill that GREATLY increased the mild anxiety/ panic attacks that I had had for as long as I can remember. Back then I did NOT understand that my feelings were caused by anxiety and spent what felt like months just flat out truly believing I was dying all the time. Exercise was impossible because every heartbeat felt so noticeable and scary to me. Now, three years later, I am at a place where I can stop most of these thoughts when they start and only have a real panic attack every few months (usually at a PMS-type time...hormones are not kind to me!) Basically, I'm at a point where I know how to identify the thoughts but every once in a while I still can't quash them. That's why I'm thinking yoga and mindfulness could help me learn ways to calm myself. The caffeine advice is great- I have a coffee addiction that I'm sure does NOT help this in any way.

    Thanks for the suggestions and please keep them coming! I remember the first time I heard someone else explain their anxiety and what a relief it was to know that what I was feeling was a real condition....because when you're having a panic attack even people who love you just can't quite understand. So its great to hear from those who do!

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