Plenty of things besides drugs can help reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks. Finding healthy sleep, diet, and exercise routines can be a tough task — changing habits is always hard, especially when you’re dealing with anxiety — but it’s very worth it for the effect it can have on mental health.
Exercise
Whether it’s a weekly evening blues dance, morning jogs, or weight lifting, getting your body moving can help your mind feel a lot better.
For a lot of people dealing with stress and anxiety, though, exercising sounds like just another contributor to anxiety. Something to cram into an already overwhelming schedule, something new to fail or struggle at, and something that leaves you sore and exhausted? No thanks! If you’re already dealing with anxiety, exercise can sound like an additional problem rather than a solution.
But it is true that, despite the paradoxical nature of the whole endeavor, exercise really can help with mental health. If you have concerns about exercise adding to rather than alleviating stress, try:
- Something that doesn’t involve measurable success, like yoga
- Joining a local kickball or other goofy sports league
- Downloading an app like Zombies, Run! or Pokemon Go
- Taking a beginner level class
- Something you can do alone
- Treating yourself to nice, comfy workout clothes
- Hiking or biking a nature trail
- Volunteering to walk dogs or doing it for extra cash
Even if you’re not getting your heart rate up, just being outside in nature and exposed to sunlight can help alleviate anxiety, so leisurely walks and swims are far better than nothing.
Diet
A healthy diet will make your mind and body feel better all around. If you’ve been eating poorly — skipping meals, living off junk food, getting dehydrated — your diet may have contributed to your panic and anxiety.
Low blood sugar and dehydration can also contribute to panic attacks, so when you eat can be as important as what you eat. If you’re prone to panic attacks when you get hungry, keep an emergency stash of tasty, nutritional snacks like nuts or granola bars.
Pay attention to your routine and identify dietary triggers. For example, if I have a high-sugar snack on an empty stomach, like a hot chocolate or fruit smoothie in the morning, I will have a panic attack a few hours later unless I eat something else. So I make sure not to do that!
Some people find that radical changes to their diet, like avoiding or adding specific foods, impacts their mental health. I find that trying rigid diets, like tracking macros or avoiding gluten “just to see if I feel better,” has a tendency to spike my anxiety, because I am so worried about what I can and can’t eat. Perfectionism and obsessive thinking can come with, or contribute to, anxiety. If you decide to try a new diet and find yourself with thoughts and behaviors that make you feel worse rather than better, stop. Talk to a doctor or a nutritionist about the intersection between your diet and your mental health.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep, and getting quality sleep, can do wonders for your mental health. If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, try:
- A relaxing bedtime routine
- Avoiding screens for an hour before bed
- Not doing anything in your bed but sleeping
- Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day
- Taking a supplement like melatonin, magnesium or l-theanine before bed
- Sleep aids like ZZZQuil or prescription drugs
- Seeing a medical specialist about your trouble sleeping
- Invest in a comfortable bed, mattress, and sheets
- Reducing caffeine intake
- Keeping your sleeping area tidy and inviting
- Reducing light and noise in your sleeping area
This article is part of the “So You Had A Panic Attack” resource guide. Go back to the SYHAPA index page
