In many cases the anxiety attacks can come from the stress of feeling that your life has gotten out of your control and that you are a helpless onlooker. If this is your current situation then this list of points to consider may be useful in helping turn things around.

1. Realise that you control your destiny. Most people get stressed about something because they feel that it has slipped out of their sphere of control. This can leave you with a feeling of powerlessness which is dangerous and depressing. The first thing that you need to do is accept the responsibility for whatever is wrong in your life and the plaudits for whatever is right. If you think everything is “someone else’s fault” then you are admitting that you can’t improve things in your own life, a situation which obviously leads to higher stress levels and, in some cases, panic attacks. Everyone makes mistakes in their life and if you can accept this fact then you can set about changing what needs changed.

2. Take control of your finances. This is an area of great concern for a lot of people, and yet sometimes the solution can be as simple as sitting down with some paper and a pen and working out where things are going wrong. If you are spending more than you earn then you are going to have change things somehow, maybe by cutting back a bit for a while or by taking out a refinance loan. The worst thing you can do is let the situation carry on and try to ignore it.

3. Take control of your career. If you job is too stressful, too poorly paid, exposes you to situations you are uncomfortable with or involves dealing with tough bosses then just ask yourself one thing. What are you still doing there? Do you think that there is no other job you could as well or better? Job hunting can be tough but it is the only viable solution to a miserable work situation which causes stress and panic attacks. You will find it a lot easier to get a new job if you are honest with yourself about your skills and experience. It also helps a lot if you are open to looking at different types of jobs rather than insisting on only considering the kind of thing you are currently doing.

4. Take control of your personal relationships. Another area of life which can cause a lot of stress and panic attack situations concerns personal relationships. The best piece of advice here is to be honest with everyone, including yourself. Being stuck in a situation you aren’t happy with is not going to help you feel in control of your life and you are the one person who can change things. Taking advice from trusted friends and family members is not a bad idea but ultimately the person who needs to take the decisions and then carry them through to a satisfactory conclusion is you. This goes all the way back to the first point in the first part of the article, about realizing that you control your destiny.

Step 1 – To prevent an anxiety attack it is important that you learn the right relaxation techniques then practice them on a regular basis.  Through these techniques not only do you learn the right ways to control your breathing but it helps to relax muscles which can become tensed up.  If you can either attend some relaxation classes so you can learn the correct ways to breathe slowly and deeply to help you relax.  The other way is to get some relaxation DVDs or watch some lessons online and then spend 20 minutes each day practicing them.

One very simple breathing technique to try is that you sit down somewhere quiet then take a very slow deep breath through your nose.  After you have inhaled now very slowly release this breath but through your lips pursed.  So it looks as if you are blowing someone a kiss until all the air has been exhaled out.  Now again breathe in deeply through your nose and as you do so count up to 8 and then very gently again exhale through your pursed lips for a count of 8.

To further help with this technique as you sit still but make sure that you are sitting up straight so your lungs are fully inflated you make sure your eyes closed.  Through using this technique your body and muscles will become relaxed and any tension in them will soon leave.

Step 2 – You need to reduce how many stimulants you consume each day as these can work on your body and make it more alert and aroused.  Therefore if you are someone who does suffer anxiety attacks eliminating drinks that contain caffeine (coffee and tea)  and foods that contain high levels of sugar will help.  However, it is important that you don’t eliminate them from your diet all at once but rather slowly and gradually over time otherwise you can end up suffering from withdrawal symptoms which can actually help to increase the anxiety one is feeling.

Step 3 – Anxiety tends to create more energy and adrenalin in a person’s body and a way of reducing this is by exercising each and every day.  It doesn’t have to cost you anything to exercise just a brisk 20 minute walk can help initially and then as you feel better so you can build up the level of exercise you do.  Certainly exercise is a very important part for any person who is trying to can control and cope with their anxiety attacks in the future.

Step 4 – It is important that you learn to recognize those anxious thoughts and feelings you are having before they have a chance to spiral out of control.  It is a good idea to write down the thoughts and feelings you are having which are making you anxious and see whether they are realistic ones or not.  If however, find yourself having problems getting rid of these thoughts then do something that will distract you like some exercise or some particular task that needs your full attention to concentrate on it.