Is it my health or my anxiety?
Great question! Health anxiety, it can also be referred to as hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder, occurs when you begin to worry obsessively and stress that you are about to become, or are seriously ill. A lot of times we can focus on new symptoms in our body and convince ourselves that we are in danger. There are many, many ways that health anxiety can develop, but today's article is going to focus on strategies we can use when we find ourselves facing our biggest fears about our health. Although these are suggested, not all of them will always work for everyone. It's always recommended to try them all at least once to see which ones work best for you!
Beliefs are powerful
Do you have a belief about yourself when you experience new symptoms in your body? Is there a belief that shows up whenever you experience anxiety about your health? An example could be, if I focus on my symptom, I will be safe. These beliefs that we hold can be accurate, or can be very limiting to us and keep us stuck. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your beliefs surrounding your health.
What proof is there that this belief is true?
Is this belief about yourself true in every circumstance?
Is this belief taking into consideration the whole story? Does it consider both sides of the picture?
Does this belief fuel your anxiety or fuel your peace and calm?
Where did this belief originate from? Family? Self?
What are some beliefs that you would like to start with that focus on the present moment?
Interoceptive Strategies
Tightness in your chest? Dizziness? Numbness in your hands? What can we do when we experience these symptoms? Well we know that our amygdala, the emotional processing headquarters of our brain, is going to become activated if it detects threat or danger coming our way. Anything new that happens in our body, that's not predictable, such as a sharp, stabbing pain, our brain will send signals that we need to be on alert. The brain is a powerful tool, but what if not every new thing was dangerous?
This is where interoceptive somatic interventions can come into play. For example, if you notice that shortness of breath makes you become extremely anxious and fixated on breathing, we want to begin to ask ourselves how else can we mimic this symptom and tell ourselves that we are safe, that it is neutral. The goal of using these interoceptive exposures is to change the alarm bells saying "this is dangerous" to, "I'm in control" "am I safe right now?".
Redirect Your Focus
Often our thoughts can spiral out of hand and lead us to fear of death, or loss of mobility, freedom, all the things that bring us joy. These thoughts can become patterns, and although they are often catastrophizing and scary, they are predictable and consistent - which creates a sense of safety in our brains. If you begin to redirect your focus onto other things, you will experience being out of the comfort zone of worry, but you can retrain the brain to focus on other things that fuel your peace and calm. It all takes practice but begins with redirection. Make a list on a good day of what you can think of when you feel yourself heading in the direct of worry. Being prepared is a beautiful form of self-love.
Don't forget to CELEBRATE!
Often we compare ourselves to our end goal or ideal self and forget to notice the progress, shift in beliefs, internal self-talk that is occurring on our journey. Take some time each day and begin to notice what good thing went well in your day. Tapping into compassion and gratitude will help you build self-trust and self-esteem as you continue to evolve in your journey.
Accountability Matters
Misery loves company! How true this is, but it's not going to help us in this matter. Often when we are struggling we gravitate towards others who can relate, reassure and soothe us; it makes sense, but it's not going to help us get better. Finding an accountability group to keep you on track with your progress, techniques and interventions can be just what one needs to keep moving forward.
Opposite Behaviour
It's really that simple. Notice what you usually do when you feel anxious about your health, maybe it's to stop talking, go into your room, leave a party early, stay inside all day. Even writing down these behaviours helps to build awareness. Next time you notice your behaviour - do the opposite of what you normally do. This can feel sometimes like you are moving towards what you are trying to avoid, and that can be scary, but it can also lead to new discoveries about yourself, your beliefs, and fears.
Cartoon Voice
Shift your tone. This technique is useful against anxious, repetitive, doomsday thoughts. Take a moment, close your eyes, breathe, and listen to the thought in the tone of a funny cartoon character. Imagine this cartoon character saying the thought out loud 10x fast - how would it sound? Probably a little bit funny! This is perception work and allows us to take a step back from the thought and see it for what it is, just a thought.
Mapping
This technique is all about accepting what is occurring in your body in the present moment. It involves going from one part of your body to the next, holding space and noticing what is being experienced with no judgment. Recognize that what you are feeling in your head - is neutral. As you spend 15-20secs with each part of your body, notice there what you are experiencing is neither good or bad. Overtime, you'll notice that the feeling you are experiencing has less emotional charge behind it, and it will have a reduced impact on you in the future.
Being Backwards
The concept behind this is to challenge the belief that any changes in our bodies or in our health is unsafe. Remember, our brain craves stability and predictability. Our brains believe that constantly worrying about our health is keeping us safe. Let's work with our brain to learn how change can be safe. Pick a routine, it could be a shower routine, coffee routine, route to work, dinner or night routine. Notice ways in which you can do this specific routine backwards. So let's say you pick a morning routine, try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand, wearing your hair in a different way than usual, drinking your coffee from the opposite side of the cup. It may sound silly but you may notice that your brain tries to resist these changes. This is the subconscious work of shifting from change is negative to change is okay.
Let Joy Enter
Anxiety steals our time, energy and joy. Create a list of activities that you like to do that bring you joy, and add them into your daily routine! Even on days when you aren't feeling like you're winning with your health anxiety, you know that you have an activity planned that will bring you joy despite the anxious thoughts you're having. Here's a big list of activities that you can try if you need some ideas!
Anxiety about our health gives us a temporary sense of safety and control, but it comes at the cost of our present moments, joy and energy. The more we turn towards what we are anxious about, the more we can gain clarity and become curious about the deeper systems that are in play when anxiety shows up. Space, Grace at Your Own Pace Xo Unapologetically You
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