Anxiety Attacks: Duration, What If They Last for Days & How to Cope 

You’re standing behind the scenes, ready to give a speech. The knot in your stomach is tight, and your palms are sweaty. You feel anxious. And even though you prepared for this moment dozens of times, anxiety symptoms won’t seem to stop for the last half hour.

This is an anxiety attack — an episode of overwhelming worry that might happen because of a certain stressor. In contrast to a panic attack, it is less extreme, has a direct cause, and is discussed. So, here, we’ll talk about how an anxiety attack manifests, how to spot it early, and how to manage anxiety if it feels draining. 

What is an anxiety attack?

“An anxiety attack” is a colloquial term that means an intense emotional and physical reaction to a real or imaginary stressful event. During an anxiety attack, a person starts to worry excessively, and these emotions feel overwhelming to the point where they’re difficult to control.

This happens because the body activates the “fight or flight” response when you face a threat or high level of stress, even when there’s no actual danger. On a physiological level, the development of an anxiety attack can be described as follows.

First, the brain’s fear circuits, which include the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and locus coeruleus, become overactive. This, in turn, triggers the release of cortisol, noradrenaline, and serotonin, which heighten physical tension. When the frontal cortex can’t properly calm the amygdala, the body stays in the “fight or flight” state for a long time, which feels like an anxiety attack. [1]

Anxiety attack vs. panic attack

Both anxiety and panic attacks share some physical symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, chest pain, sweating, and shortness of breath. However, they are not similar. Let’s explore the differences in the table. 

Anxiety attack	Panic attack
Develops gradually as tension increases	Is a sudden episode of an intense fear that peaks within minutes
Is a stress response to a specific life situation	May occur without a clear trigger
Physical sensations are mild or strong, but may ease once the situation improves	Physical symptoms may be so intense that they’re mistaken for heart attacks
Can last for hours or even days	Last between 5 and 20 minutes
Emotions involve persistent worry and a sense of unease.	Emotions involve sudden fear of dying and losing control.
Leads to fatigue, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and persistent worry.	Results in exhaustion, confusion, and fear of another attack.
A colloquial term	A clinical term

How long do anxiety attacks last?

The intensity and duration of anxiety attacks may vary. They can last for minutes, several hours, or even days. Even more, during an anxiety attack, time can seem to slow down, and you may perceive minutes as endless hours.

In contrast to panic attacks that typically peak at ten minutes and last up to twenty minutes [2], anxiety attacks’ duration significantly depends on the development of the situations that trigger them. When these situations get better, anxiety may likely fade away.

Can an anxiety attack last for days?

Yes, prolonged anxiety attacks may last for days. While anxiety attacks are typically short-lived, prolonged periods of heightened anxiety might be a more persistent condition. Frontiers in Psychology has found that the duration of worry episodes among people with GAD has a broad range, from 1 minute up to 1,800 minutes (30 hours). [3]

Also, anxiety attacks can follow each other almost immediately. If you experience a series of worrying events, the fight-or-flight response may keep reactivating before your body has time to return to a calm state. This creates a feeling of one long attack that happens in waves.

Factors that influence the duration & intensity of anxiety attacks

Anxiety attacks mostly develop because of the outside perceived threats (both real and imaginary). A person may worry about work challenges, personal troubles, or even the overall geopolitical situation. However, the intensity and duration of the symptoms depend on numerous factors, including individual sensitivities, overall stress level, physiological balance, and comorbid mental health challenges. Let’s explore each one in detail.

1. Individual vulnerabilities

Each person has a different emotional baseline, which is relatively stable but can be influenced by situational and cognitive factors. [4] If someone’s baseline anxiety is high, they may be more likely to experience more panic attacks or anxiety attacks or even develop some kind of anxiety disorder.

Also, someone who is more sensitive to stress may react strongly even to small problems. This can make anxiety attacks feel more intense or last longer.

2. The overall stress level

If a person experiences a challenging life period, it can be more difficult for them to manage anxiety. As the cortisol level is already high, the nervous system may permanently experience the fight-or-flight response. In this case, even a minor trigger is enough to cause an intense anxiety attack.

3. Physiological balance

Physical and mental health are connected. When your body lives under constant stress, it can make anxiety more intense and long-lasting. This is what you may need to pay attention to:

• Physical health challenges, such as heart diseases, chronic illnesses, or a weakened immune system.
• Inconsistent sleep patterns, not getting enough sleep, waking up tired, or frequently interrupted sleep.
• Poor diet, irregular meals, lack of necessary nutrients, or excessive caffeine and sugar intake.
• Hormonal imbalances, particularly cortisol dysregulation, or fluctuations in sex hormones.

4. Comorbid mental health conditions

Anyone can have an anxiety attack when there are too many negative things happening in daily life. Yet, if someone experiences panic attacks or anxiety attacks quite often and with no clear reason, it may be a sign of a mental health condition.

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves ongoing worry over all spheres, which is difficult to control.

• Panic disorder causes regular panic attacks and a fear of experiencing another one.

• Social anxiety disorder is linked to worrying about social situations and communication with different people.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves traumatic memories about a distressing event that can lead to severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder causes anxiety when a person can’t handle intrusive thoughts and needs to perform certain rituals to feel in control.

• Depression is about persistent sadness that may also overlap with anxiety symptoms.

• Certain phobias, such as claustrophobia (the fear of tight spaces) or aerophobia (the fear of flying). In this case, anxiety attacks occur when a person regularly experiences a related trigger.

Anxiety symptoms according to the stage

Most anxiety attacks develop gradually, so you may notice the first signs before worry reaches its peak. Here are the symptoms you might experience at different stages:

Early signs

• Trouble concentrating
• Muscle tension in the shoulders or neck
• Constant thoughts about a particular situation
• Faster heartbeat
• Stomach discomfort
• Sweaty palms

Peak symptoms

During the peak of the attack, you may experience similar symptoms to what you’ve had during its development, plus:

• Racing heart
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden sensitivity to noise and light
• Nausea from anxiety
• Feeling unable to control your emotions

Residual and lingering symptoms

Once the nervous system realizes there’s no real threat, the body slowly returns to its normal state. Here’s what you can experience after the peak of the attack.

• Irritability because of minor reasons
• Headache or body ache
• Low energy
• Restlessness
• “Mental fog”
• A desire to cry

How to cope during an attack

To reduce anxiety symptoms in the moment, it may be necessary to “prove” to your mind that you aren’t in danger. Try some relaxation techniques:

1. Do deep breathing to reduce chest pain

During an anxiety attack, you might experience shortness of breath. In turn, slow, deep breaths can reduce stress.

4-7-8 technique

• Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
• Breathe out through your mouth for 8 seconds.
• Repeat for a few minutes.

Belly breathing

• Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose. Make sure that the belly rises more than the chest.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth.
• Repeat for a few minutes.

2. Pop a sour candy

The intense taste can be a powerful distraction that brings you back to the present moment. Instead of a sour candy, you can also use a strong mint, a piece of dark chocolate, or chewing gum.

3. Follow the 333 rule for anxiety

Anxiety attacks may involve difficulty concentrating on something in particular. Thus, you may try to focus on familiar objects around you.

• Name 3 things you see
• Name 3 sounds you hear
• Move 3 body parts

This will help you shift anxious energy from racing thoughts to where you are, here and now, thereby reducing panic and fear.

4. Repeat an affirmation

Create a personal affirmation to support yourself. Examples include “I am safe, and nothing is going to happen to me” or “I feel calm, and everything is alright.” For a better effect, you can also try saying it out loud or writing it down several times.

Strategies to avoid anxiety attacks or recover faster after one

Taking care of your mental health can reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety attacks. These are some strategies that may be effective.

1. Challenge negative thoughts

• Notice the thought that may cause intense worry.

• Consider whether it’s really true or it is just your assumption of possible events. For instance, if you’ve made a mistake at work, think about whether “I’ll get fired immediately” is a realistic outcome.

• Think about other possible and less scary outcomes. In case of work, you may need to correct a mistake or share your insights with others.

• Replace a negative thought with a more realistic and calming one, like “Everyone makes mistakes, and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

• Practice with other thoughts to approach life more calmly in general.

2. Take care of your physical wellness

• Having enough rest will let your nervous system fully recover and handle stressful events much better. Pay attention to how much you sleep and whether you maintain a consistent schedule.

• Regular exercise affects your brain chemistry. When you go for a walk, do stretching and yoga, or hit the gym, your body releases endorphins and reduces cortisol levels. This allows you to manage anxiety in the long term.

• Balanced nutrition also helps maintain a calmer nervous system. Ensure that your diet is rich in whole foods, lean protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins. Try to avoid excessive caffeine, sugar, and highly processed foods.

3. Limit screen time

Research has shown a correlation between increased screen time and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. [5] While working on computers is a normal part of our days, you can avoid spending too much time on social media.

• Make your display black and white to reduce visual stimulation and make scrolling less engaging.
• Set programs that block social media after a certain time using the app.
• Avoid using your phone 1 hour before sleep and 1 hour after waking up.
• Unsubscribe from all unnecessary channels to reduce informational overload.

4. Adopt mindful micro-breaks during the day

As anxiety builds up gradually, you can prevent it from turning into an attack. If you take 5-10 minutes every few hours to drink warm tea, chat with a friend, stretch your back, or even do a few push-ups, it can distract you from constant worries. Breaks remind your mind that it’s safe to pause, which helps lower stress levels.

5. Limit decision fatigue

When you need to manage hundreds of things daily, the nervous system can be on edge. Even small decisions like what you’re going to eat for dinner or what outfit to choose for tomorrow can seem overwhelming.

Thus, if you already experience stress, try to limit the number of decisions you need to make. You can delegate some unimportant decisions or leave them for later, create routines for daily tasks, and simplify choices whenever possible. This way, your mind will be able to conserve energy for handling more important challenges.

When to seek help from a healthcare provider

Also, it may be necessary to seek professional help when: 

• Anxiety is making things difficult to manage day-to-day. 
• Worry attacks become more and more common.
• You believe that you may live with any type of anxiety disorder, or you have a relative who has experienced one.

A licensed mental health professional may help you reduce symptoms of anxiety and cope with its underlying causes through talk therapy, lifestyle adjustments, an individual treatment plan, or anti-anxiety medication.

How Breeze can help people who experience panic attacks

Breeze may serve as your personal healer, which can help anxiety go away. It’s a self-help platform packed with resources to:

• Identify triggers with a mood tracker. ​​By noticing what affects your mood, you can prepare for stressful situations and reduce their impact.

• Understand your anxiety with journaling. Science-backed questions can help you spot the most effective strategies to deal with worries. 

• Develop coping skills with custom routines. Breeze allows you to make mindfulness a habit. Create routines, set reminders, and practice being here and now.

• Calm your mind and body with relaxation techniques. When you need to calm down quickly, simple games may be a great way to distract your mind. 

Try Breeze

Sources

1. Martin EI, Ressler KJ, Binder E, Nemeroff CB. “The neurobiology of anxiety disorders: brain imaging, genetics, and psychoneuroendocrinology.” Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2009
2. Cleveland Clinic. “Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder.” 2023
3. Andreea Vîslă, Richard Zinbarg, Peter Hilpert, Mathias Allemand, Christoph Flückiger. “Worry and Positive Episodes in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.” Frontiers in Psychology. 2021
4. Negrão JG, Bazán PR, de Azevedo Neto RM, Lacerda SS, Ekman E, Kozasa EH. “Baseline emotional state influences on the response to animated short films: A randomized online experiment.” Front Psychol. 2022
5. Devi KA, Singh SK. “The hazards of excessive screen time: Impacts on physical health, mental health, and overall well-being.” J Educ Health Promot. 2023