How to avoid panic attacks while traveling

When it comes to traveling, it is very common to feel nervous and stressed about the up-coming trip. Stress and anxiety can result in panic attacks, that can bother our holidays and vacation schedule. As panic attacks have become very common in tourists visiting Barcelona each year, here we bring you some tips to cope with panic attacks during your vacations: 

Learn breathing techniques

Hyperventilating is one of the most common symptoms of panic attacks. Going through it can end up in passing out and other more severe consequences. 

Learning to breathe properly can help you manage stress and overcome panic attacks. It controls and reduces fear and other panic symptoms. 

If you want to learn how to breathe for panic attacks, you can practice breathing techniques at home to get yourself ready in time. 

A great way to start is practicing deep breathing. For this, you need to focus on taking deep breaths in and out slowly, feeling the air as it fills your chest and belly. Take a deep breath in, hold it for at least four seconds, and then let it out slowly. Repeat until you feel at ease. It is very important that you count the seconds in every step of this breathing technique, as it will give you something to focus on while your body and mind calm down.

Relax your muscles

Another very useful tip for managing panic attacks is learning how to relax your muscles when you feel like you’re going to have one, or you’re going through one. 

Focus on relaxing your muscles one group at a time. Stretching your body can help release stress during a panic attack, as it will relax your whole body and help you focus your mind in something specific. 

You can combine stretching with breathing techniques and in no time you’ll perceive the difference. 

Recognize that you’re having a panic attack

One of the most common mistakes during a panic attack is confusing one with a heart attack. Some symptoms of panic attacks can look or feel like a more severe health issue or like a heart attack is coming, so learning about panic attacks is very important in order to understand what your body is going through when the panic hits.

Panic attacks are usually caused by the amygdala, the fear center of the brain, causing a surge of adrenaline that can be triggered by standing in a crowded place, a stressful situation or sometimes even as a sudden and unexpected reaction. Some of the symptoms of panic attacks are shortness of breath or difficulty catching breath, sweating, dizziness, fear of death and a racing heart. 

Learn to recognize the symptoms and if you feel them, tell yourself you’re going through a panic attack and try to calm yourself down with breathing and other techniques. Also, if you travel with a friend, let them know that you’ve had panic attacks before and how to help if needed. 

Practice mindfulness 

If you suffer from panic attacks, learning to accept thoughts as they come but not letting them control you is a very important skill.

Since panic can separate you from reality, being here and now is a very useful mental state that will help you cope with stress. It will keep you from overthinking and overanalyzing stressful situations. 

Meditation and relaxation techniques can be really useful and can become an everyday practice that will help you develop personal skills for easing panic, anxiety, stress and other common mental disorders.

Having a panic attack is a very common issue nowadays. If you need professional help, contact us and book an appointment with one of our English speaker doctors.