How can I get myself to use grounding/breathing techniques in the midst of a panic attack when I am the least likely to do them?

what I like to do is lay down, if you can, and put my hand over my chest. I think about how my will stop aching if i just breath properly. In with the goodness through the nose and breathing all the badness through the mouth

In my personal experience, walking can help relax me in the midst of a panic attack if I am able to walk. If I am in a car or in a class room where I can not walk, I will tense up all my muscles one at a time (shoulders first, then arms, hands, neck and so on) and then release. I also like to keep a "panic attack or anxiety journal" where I can jot down where and when my panic attack begins and ends, and also how extreme it is (on scale 1-5) and what I believe triggered it. This can help you recognize what causes you to panic and you can learn which situations make it worse. Then I have a section at the end of each entry with plans for helping avoid them or relax. Hope I made sense and hope this helps.

Find a quiet place to sit where there is not a lot of disturbance, if you cannot find a quiet spot you can still do these simple exercise to help with a panic attack. It is important to understand why you are doing this and what it may do to help in a panic attack. The aim is to slow your heart rate. Breath in but focus on breathing out but while doing so remember to breath out slowly. Again breath in and allow yourself to breath out slowly and gently. This slow breathing can be done anytime and anywhere and is easy to remember.

During panic attacks, it's really difficult to start those breathing techniques. I found that it is best to practice those techniques when you aren't having a panic attack so that you can more easily incorporate them in when you are having a panic attack.

Having a physical object or sensation to help you engage in the breathing techniques is very helpful. Fidget spinners, stress balls, a small dab of something (like a handkerchief) scented with peppermint or lavender that you can put by your nose to smell. All of these items will help you "trigger" the grounding process. When you attach something physical to your habits, it's easier. Concrete gestures of squeezing a ball or sniffing a handkerchief is more immediately rewarding than telling yourself to calm down and breathe. Physical objects give us an easy first step into our pattern. So when you panic, your first thought can be: Let's start my process. First, I find my stress ball and squeeze, I take a moment to focus on how that feels. Then, I slow my breathing.

Firstly, pick one grounding/breathing techniques that you want to use. Then, you should practice the selected grounding/breathing technique when you are calm, so you'll be more likely to be able to do the technique when you need to do it the most (midst of a panic attack). If your panic attack is still bad, try another grounding/breathing technique.

What I have tried that works best for me, is practicing them when I am not in the middle of a panic attack, so when I start to feel one come on or am in the midst of one I will be more likely to use them!