Before you can address your anxiety symptoms, it is best to first understand what triggers those symptoms in the first place. Relaxation methods can then become a part of your overall therapy program. For most people who suffer from anxiety attacks, the process starts with a single, negative thought that soon creates more negative thoughts. Over a short period of time, the person can begin to feel overwhelmed by these fearful thoughts, thus creating even more anxiety and a feeling of loss of control.

The anxiety process is just that...a process. It feeds upon itself, growing in intensity until the person is simply overwhelmed by it all. The key to successfully battling your anxiety symptoms is to break the cycle before it can take hold.

One popular misconception about fighting off anxiety is that the person can simply force the negative thoughts out of his or her head. This tactic rarely works. Instead, it only leads to more anxiety as the person begins to feel powerless over the thoughts. A better approach is to understand that the thought is there, it is harmless, and then use relaxation techniques to keep other negative thoughts from entering the process.

Breathing techniques have been used for a long time as tools for combating stress and anxiety. When the person concentrates on the breathing rather than the thought process, he or she can keep further thoughts out of mind. A good sequence for breathing is to inhale deeply as you count to three, hold for a five count, and then exhale as you count to seven. You can repeat this exercise until the symptoms begin to fade.

Counting is also an effective technique for reducing anxiety. It allows the person to focus on the counting itself rather than the negative thoughts. The exercise is very simple. As the symptoms appear, start counting backwards from thirty. Allow yourself to understand that an average attack takes place in less than twenty seconds, so you have more than enough time to ward it off as you count down to zero. When you do this, you are taking back control.

Another popular technique is known, broadly, as mindfulness. These methods have become very popular lately as they are shown to be one of the more effective techniques in use today. With these techniques, the person learns to focus on his thoughts and his reactions to those thoughts in order to let the negative thoughts flow naturally in and out without the drama associated with anxiety attacks. The idea is to recognize the thought for what it is and then release it.

This technique requires some training and practice before a person can truly master it, but, as mentioned above, it is one of the most effective methods for handling anxiety symptoms.

Lastly, allow yourself to question your fear of anxiety. What is it about your anxiety that makes you feel powerless? Allow yourself to realize that the feelings of dread and fear that you feel during the attack do not lead to anything real! Challenge your fears, and when you discover that they are baseless, let them go.