By
Health anxiety can feel like a relentless loop of worry, fear, and "what ifs" that affect the quality of your life
Understanding Health Anxiety
One minute, you’re fine—and the next, an odd sensation in your stomach, heart, or leg sends you spiralling into anxiety. Is it cancer? Something chronic? Incurable? Will I ever lead a normal life again? Am I going to die a terrible death?
Health anxiety can feel like a relentless loop of worry, fear, and "what ifs." Whether you’re living with an illness and fearing it will worsen, or you’re perfectly healthy but convinced something is wrong, the struggle is real. It’s hard to shake the fear that you—or the doctors you’ve seen—might be missing something serious, even when test after test comes back normal. Health anxiety tricks you into believing that scrutinising every bodily sensation is just being cautious or proactive. But in reality, this hyper-vigilance only amplifies stress and anxiety, trapping you in a cycle of fear and distress.
The good news? You can break free. As someone who specialises in a combination of CBT, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful these tools can be in helping people reclaim their peace of mind. Here are 5 practical strategies to stop the health anxiety cycle.
Challenge Catastrophic Thoughts
Health anxiety has a way of turning every little ache or twinge into a full-blown catastrophe. Suddenly, an upset stomach is a cancer, a racing heart isn’t just stress—it’s an impending heart attack. Sound familiar?
This is where Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) comes in. It’s like a mental toolkit that helps you step back and question those fear-driven thoughts. Start by asking yourself: What’s the actual evidence for this fear? Is there real proof, or is my mind just running wild? What’s a more balanced, realistic way to look at this?
For example, if you’re convinced that a stomachache is something serious, ask yourself: Have I felt this before? Could it be something simple, like something I ate or stress? By reframing those catastrophic thoughts, you take away their power.
It’s not about dismissing your concerns entirely—it’s about giving them a reality check. And here’s the thing: it’s okay to worry. It’s human. But with practice, you can learn to respond to those worries with clarity and calm, rather than panic. Over time, you’ll find yourself less caught up in the "what ifs" and more grounded in the "what is."
Interrupt the Spiral early
Health anxiety thrives on repetitive thought patterns. A small sensation in your body—perhaps a twinge in your chest or a headache—triggers fear. That fear leads to analysis, self-monitoring, and often frantic online searches. Before you know it, you’re trapped in an anxiety spiral.
The key is to recognise this pattern as it’s happening and interrupt it early. Simple grounding techniques like deep breathing, focusing on your surroundings, or physically moving (like a short walk) can help shift your attention and break the cycle before it escalates.
Ground Yourself in the Present Moment
Health anxiety loves to drag you into an imagined future—one filled with "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios. But here’s the truth: right now, in this moment, you are okay. Grounding techniques are like an anchor, pulling you back to the present where you can find clarity and calm.
Try this: the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. Look around and name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. It’s a simple yet powerful way to reconnect with your senses and remind yourself that you’re here, in the present, not in the scary future your mind is trying to create.
Deep breathing and mindfulness practices can also help. When you focus on your breath or the sensations in your body, you create a buffer between yourself and the anxiety. It’s not about eliminating worry entirely—it’s about building the tools to respond to it in a healthier, more empowering way.
Shift from Fear to Trust
A major breakthrough in overcoming health anxiety happens when you shift from fear to trust. Right now, your brain may interpret every small sensation as a sign of danger. But what if you could start trusting that your body knows how to heal and regulate itself?
This shift doesn’t happen overnight, but through consistent mindset work, hypnotherapy, and nervous system regulation, you can move from hyper-vigilance to confidence. Your body is not your enemy—it’s doing its best to keep you safe.
Reduce Checking and Reassurance-Seeking
One of the hardest habits to break is constant checking—whether it’s scanning your body for symptoms, checking your pulse, or repeatedly seeking reassurance from doctors or loved ones. While these behaviors might feel comforting in the moment, they actually reinforce anxiety in the long run.
Rather than quitting cold turkey, a gradual reduction is more effective. For example, if you usually check your symptoms five times a day, start by limiting it to four, then three, and so on. The goal is to retrain your brain to tolerate uncertainty rather than compulsively seeking reassurance.
