Trying too hard to distract that I fail

I once read on a website that when you're anxious, you should try to stay mindful, but I often try too hard that I fail.

Can you explain it a little better? What do you try exactly?

The advice I read says that you should just try to do what you want and that's exactly what I try to do. Overcoming Panic Attacks: A Five Step Response

And you're not able to do it? I'm sorry that's happening to you

It's going to take time and practice to put into use what's written about in the article. Don't beat yourself up when it doesn't work right away. If it was really simple to stop a panic attack, so many people wouldn't still be suffering from them. Maybe read it again and really do things step by step.

You mentioned the point when saying that you tried it too hard. Somehow you are adding to the panic attack, the pressure to apply the techniques and doing them perfectly just from the beginning. You are implying your judgement about how you are performing the practise.
Take it all your time. It requires practise and acceptance witjout judging what you are feeling at this moment (the panic attack itsrlf) and without judging the exercise.

I also realized that wanting the thoughts to leave is a problem.

OK, to be fair, I haven't truly tried Wait & Watch. I've tried it before, but tried only certain parts of it.

The thing is that it’s not easy to put it into practice. I had a panic attack two weeks after my dad passed away and I swear you that I couldn’t apply any mindfulness or relaxation technique or any other thing. I had a valium shot and that’s it.
So, I would tell you take it easy, practice mindfulness but don’t have high expectations because it’s not a magic trick and it takes time to get something of it. Take it as a process, a path noone knows how much you are gonna be able to achieve.
Practice it daily, formally and informally ( dedicating several daily tasks to practice it).
Take it as an exercise where the outcomes don’t matter but what you can learn about yourself.
Even when this technique didn’t help me that time when the panic attack, it was very helpful in other occasions and I was only a beginner.

((((vafhj)))) I agree. Just take it one step at the time