# Anxiety Disorders > Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia >  >  What helps keep you calm?

## Relle

So I've found myself having some mild anxiety attacks. My anxiety seems to come and go so it's not unusual for me to have them and then they disappear for awhile.

What helps you stay calm when you feel yourself having an anxiety/panic attack? I usually listen to some chillhop on YouTube or Spotify or I'll draw. Drawing definitely helps for me. I wish I was more motivated to do it on the regular basis though.

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## TwerkinForTalos

Petting or cuddling an animal. My own in particular is best. Also sometimes I talk to myself? A little creepy to someone listening in I'm sure but occasionally I can talk myself down.

Other than that sometimes a smoke or some water and a bunch of deep breathing.

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## Cuchculan

One thing I always ask myself, which I know the answer to, is has any attacks in the past ever done anything really bad to me? Besides make me feel worn out. We can fight with ourselves all day long. Trying to lower the anxiety levels. Mind versus body battle. Why bother? I lay on my bed and say ' hit me with all you have '. Call it a challenge to myself. Nothing ever happens. Except me fallen asleep. Bit like you telling your anxiety to come on and do what it can. Bit like sticking your two fingers up at it. If you stop caring about it, oddly enough, it can become weaker. 

I know it can be bad when a person is going through it. I have been there myself many times over the years. I guess I seriously just sat back and had a look at what it actually done to me. I am sure you have had many panic attacks. Yet here you still are. No panic attack has ever really harmed you. Might make you feel bad. Maybe for a few hours. But you always come out of the other side. You always will. 

You tube can be good. Writing can be good too. Keep your mind busy. Is only when we have nothing to do that the mind can take over. ASMR videos are great to watch. Something relaxing about them. We find different things that work for us. Case of never letting it to take full control of you. Which is why I do as I do. Challenge it. Challenge myself at the same time. Be surprised how much it works.

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## InvisibleGuy

I've found what works can vary quite a bit from person to person oc. I use music to calm down a lot...I listen to chillhop also sometimes. I listen to a lot of Pink Floyd also....I have around 15 or 20 albums I guess, including their live shows. The live shows, with the light shows and everything, actually calm me sometimes.

My therapist also gave me a meditation CD, and it is a life saver sometimes. I was very skeptical at first. But it really works wonders for me. There are a lot of free ones on youtube, or available for sale at really reasonable prices.

I don't know why but burning incense also calms me quite a bit.

I try to avoid anxiety in the first place, of course. I've learned to avoid triggers (places, dates and certain songs are big ones for me). If I have flashbacks of my girlfriend it always comes with a lot of anxiety obviously, and it can take me a long time to come down from those. Avoiding those is a huge, huge deal for me.

I also try to avoid being rushed, or procrastinating with deadlines. That def makes my anxiety worse.

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## ConstellationStudies

Watercolor helps me to relax. I like to see the colors blending and it's relaxing when I watch the paint dry!

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## Otherside

Listening to a song, headphones in and on loud so everything else is shut out, over and over and over and over again. The repetition is calming for me. I hsve a crw songs which usually work quite well, all by some obscure band called mind.in.a.box that I stumbled uoon by chance.

Bit it works for me.

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## Doseone

Just not caring what people think. My anxiety stems from social situations and I can't remember the last time I had a serious anxiety attack.

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## Ironman

I just remember a lot of topics of self-talk - including stuff like not everything is about or because of me.  Other people have issues, too.  I don't need to let them become mine in any way, shape, or form.

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## fordaisy

I quickly gulp down some Naturl Calm magnesium

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## kevinjoseph

sketching, and im starting to get into acryic painting

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## Relle

> sketching, and im starting to get into acryic painting



Kevhoot! Yes, painting is very therapeutic. I have some watercolors I really need to start using.

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## Cuchculan

> Kevhoot! Yes, painting is very therapeutic. I have some watercolors I really need to start using.



Paint the town red

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## fetisha

Zinc

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## Kimbra

My hubby and yoga.

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## Ironman

Magnesium, Paxil.....and thought retraining!

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## Wishie

When I'm really anxious the only thing that keeps me calm is my puppers!

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## fetisha

zinc, kava kava stress relief tea, gaba,ambien,xanax, Tylenol pm

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