6 ways to stop a panic attack in its tracks

If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack, then you know how truly awful they feel. Symptoms like shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, dizziness, and racing thoughts can create a sense of impending doom. You might even feel like you’re going to die. 

But you don’t have to live in fear of your next panic attack. There are lots of different coping strategies you can use to stave off a panic attack—or at the very least, get through one faster. 

Here, we explain what panic attacks are, some common signs that indicate one might be starting, and how to stop a panic attack before it becomes debilitating. 

What is a panic attack?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), the handbook that mental health professionals use to diagnose mental health conditions, a panic attack is “an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes.” 

Potential symptoms include some of the ones we mentioned above like dizziness and shortness of breath, but you can also experience things like trembling, chest pain, and fear of losing control.

Everyone experiences panic attacks differently, but the effect on the body is the same: your sympathetic nervous system gets activated and you go into “fight, flight or freeze” mode, says Ashley Kelly, LPC. That means your heart rate and breathing speed up, and your body starts releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Sometimes, panic attacks are clearly triggered by a particular thought or situation that gives you anxiety. But other times, they can start for no apparent reason, explains Melanie Dalton, LCSW. Since panic attacks aren’t always predictable or preventable, it’s helpful to learn the signs to look out for and find coping skills that help you return to feeling calm. 

What are the first signs of a panic attack? 

Panic attacks can build quickly, and sometimes it’s hard to see one coming before you’re fully panicking. But there are some early indicators you can learn to pick up on over time. 

You might feel your heart beat faster, begin to get hot and sweaty, or start to feel nervous and realize you’re having a hard time quieting your mind, says Dalton. You could also start to feel energy or adrenaline coursing through your body, adds Kelly. If you notice any of these signs, it’s a good idea to use one of the coping strategies listed below to try to keep your panic attack from escalating. 

How can I stop a panic attack? 

There’s not one simple way to stop a panic attack. Just like how everyone experiences symptoms differently, different coping strategies work well for different people. 

And in some cases, coping means just riding the wave of the panic attack and dealing with the discomfort rather than trying to stop it immediately. “Once a panic attack starts, there’s nothing to really make those [stress hormones] leave until they’ve worked through your system,” Dalton explains. 

One of the most beneficial things you can do to deal with panic attacks is to learn calming strategies that work for you and practice them every day—not just when you feel a panic attack coming on. Using techniques like breathing exercises or mindfulness on a daily basis will lower your overall stress levels and help coping strategies become second nature to you. Before you know it, you’ll start to use them automatically, even in times of panic, says Kelly. 

6 ways to stop a panic attack

Here, we outline six strategies for stopping a panic attack (or getting through it faster) and explain why they might help. 

1. Remind yourself that you’re safe

During a panic attack, your body is signaling that you’re in danger, even though you’re usually not. To help stop the fear that goes along with that, it can help to take in your surroundings and remind yourself that you’re safe, Kelly says. 

She recommends telling yourself that you’re in a safe place surrounded by safe people. If you’re with a loved one, you can ask for a hug or even wrap your arms around yourself to create a feeling of comfort and safety, adds Dalton. 

2. Try some box breathing

There are lots of different breathing exercises that you can experiment with, but Kelly recommends box breathing because it’s effective and easy to learn. You inhale for a count of four while visualizing drawing the top of a square. Then you hold your breath for a count of four while visualizing drawing the right side of a square. Next, you exhale for a count of four while visualizing drawing the bottom of a square. Finally, you hold your breath for a count of four while visualizing drawing the left side of a square. You can repeat that process as many times as you need to until you feel calmer. 

Box breathing can help stop a panic attack because the counting, visualization, and slowing down your breathing help to distract your brain and activate your parasympathetic nervous system, putting you in “rest-and-digest” mode, Kelly explains. 

3. Move your body 

This isn’t always possible, but if you’re in a setting where you can get up and panic hasn’t fully taken over yet, exercise can be a huge help. Movement is a great way to release some of the adrenaline and cortisol that runs through your body during a panic attack, says Kelly.

“It’s a great way to utilize what your body is throwing at you, because your body thinks you’re in danger and you need to run or you need to fight,” she adds. And it doesn’t have to be an intense workout, something as simple as a quick walk can have you feeling better in minutes. 

4. Use a grounding technique

Grounding techniques are strategies that help you get in tune with your body and the present moment. One that Kelly recommends is the 54321 method. It involves naming five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. 

By focusing on your senses, you’re able to get out of your head where the panic is occurring. Getting in tune with your body can help you feel a bit more in control, Dalton adds. 

5. Stimulate your vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is the main component of your parasympathetic nervous system (which is responsible for relaxing the body). “When you’re in fight-or-flight, if you can stimulate your vagus nerve, it will bring you out of fight-or-flight,” Kelly says. 

There are many different ways to stimulate your vagus nerve. One way that Kelly recommends is to interlock your hands behind your head, keep your eyes pointed straight and look with your eyes as far as you can to the right, holding your gaze there for about 30 seconds. Yawning, sighing or feeling relaxation in your chest is a sign that it’s worked. Then, do the same thing looking to the left. If you’re having a hard time picturing this, a YouTube video might help. 

6. Shock your system 

Eating a piece of sour candy and holding an ice cube might not sound like coping strategies, but they can be. Both are examples of ways to shock your system and bring you back to the present moment, says Kelly. 

Experiencing a sour sensation in your mouth or a cold sensation on your hand will distract you from the panic attack symptoms you’re experiencing. And similar to the 54321 method above, both methods can help you feel more grounded and in tune with your body.