In the moment of an anxiety attack it is of the first importance to get yourself to a place where you can be in control of your thinking.

This can be done by consciously breathing.

Taking in a big breath, holding it for a count of 5, or what is comfortable to you, then releasing it to the same count, and repeating this for the number of breaths necessary to get yourself more comfortable, will enable you to be more aware of your thoughts and your environment.

There are many behavioral techniques available for overcoming this sometimes debilitating cycle.

Learning to meditate or do yoga can be very beneficial. For some people hypnosis or hypnotherapy can help.

Progressive or systematic relaxation is easily learned and a wonderful antidote to the feeling of pressure and anxiety. If necessary a form of it can be done at your desk or in public. Tightening your hands to the ultimate level of tight, holding them for, say a count of 10, and then releasing helps to remind your body to release the tension.

In "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff, and its all small stuff"*, author Richard Carlson wrote about looking at things in increment of time - I believe he suggested asking yourself the question-"will this matter 5 minutes from now?"

As a teacher of relaxation techniques I find this a most instantly gratifying and releasing method to reduce anxiety.

Unlike yoga and meditation it requires neither teacher nor payment.

I like to take it a few steps further. Often the stress of the moment makes 5 minutes seem like nothing.

I ask myself, "will it matter in 100 years from now?" Almost nothing will be of personal import in that amount of time.

I take it down to 50 years, 10 years, a year, a month, 10 days, 2 days, tomorrow, 3 hours, and then 5 minutes.

Even if the answer is "Yes. it will matter." at the point of 3 days or 3 hours the time to ask has given my body and mind an opportunity to calm down.

The chance to assess whether this is really a stressor that matters allows me to look at the situation more realistically.

Using these short-term and long-term techniques can go a long way towards reducing the anxiety of an anxiety attack.

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*http://www.thebodysoulconnect ion.com/EducationCenter/fight. html

Carlson, Richard, DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF and it';s all small stuff, Hyperion, 1997.

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