July 11, 2024 • 41 mins
In this comprehensive episode, we dive deep into the tenacious affliction that is health anxiety (also know as hypochondria or Illness Anxiety Disorder).
Kelly shares how, after experiencing her battles with severe autoimmune disease, she found herself entangled in the relentless grip of health anxiety. This episode offers a raw and insightful exploration of this common yet deeply challenging form of anxiety, particularly prevalent among those who have experienced a serious illness or witnessed loved ones suffer.
Just as in the pursuit of physical healing, Kelly explains how, to truly heal health anxiety, we must find and address the root causes through a holistic mind-body approach. We also explore 7 natural strategies for better managing health anxiety that is not yet healed.
For anyone grappling with health anxiety or supporting someone who is, this episode offers compassionate understanding, experiential insights, and actionable steps towards lasting relief and healing.
Website: www.kellybhaney.com
Email: info@kellybhaney.com
Instagram: @kellybhaney
Facebook: Kelly B Haney Wellness
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the Heal and Stay Healed podcast, where
we talk about healing and, moreimportantly, staying healed from
chronic disease and otherailments and issues.
We'll cover all the crazythings about health and life the
good, the bad, the ugly and thehilarious.
My name is Kelly and I'm asurvivor and overcomer of severe
(00:31):
autoimmune disease, and I can'twait to share with you what
I've learned so that you canheal and stay healed too.
Thanks for listening and enjoythe show.
Hello there and welcome.
(00:53):
Thank you so much for joiningme today.
Picture this you wake up with adull throb in your temple.
Instantly, your mind startsracing.
Is this the first sign of abrain tumor?
Or you feel a sudden twinge inyour chest and your heart starts
pounding.
Is this the beginning of aheart attack?
(01:14):
Or maybe you're scrollingonline and come across an
article about a rare disease.
Suddenly, every little ache andpain in your body seems to
match the symptoms perfectly.
Does this sound familiar?
That surge of panic, the racingthoughts, the overwhelming urge
to google your symptoms for the10th time today, the inability
(01:36):
to shake off the fear thatsomething is seriously wrong,
even when logic tells youotherwise.
This is the world of healthanxiety, a world where every
bodily sensation becomes apotential threat and where peace
of mind seems just out of reach.
If any of these scenariosresonate with you, you are not
(02:00):
alone.
Today we're diving into thistopic that hits home for many,
especially those who've battledserious illness.
Health anxiety is a conditionthat directly affects about 1 in
20 people.
However, I would guess thatnumber is actually way higher if
we could count undiagnosed andunreported cases too.
You may have heard of healthanxiety referred to by its
(02:22):
former name.
May have heard of healthanxiety referred to by its
former name, hypochondria, orits current clinical term,
illness anxiety disorder.
For our conversation we'llstick with the straightforward
term health anxiety.
Health anxiety is characterizedby excessive worry that
something is medically wrongwith us.
It's a relentless, gnawing fearthat we are or will become
(02:47):
seriously ill.
This fear persists even whenthere's little to no evidence to
support it.
As someone who struggledsignificantly with health
anxiety myself, I know firsthandjust how awful it can be and
just how much it can impactevery part of our lives.
In today's episode, we'll diveright into health anxiety, its
(03:08):
manifestations, its impact onour lives and, most importantly,
my natural approach foraddressing it.
This involves exploring methodsfor uncovering the root causes
of health anxiety in order topromote long-term healing, as
well as practical strategies formanaging symptoms along the way
(03:29):
.
This comprehensive approach hasbeen transformative in my own
journey with health anxiety andI'm very excited to share it
with you today.
For me, health anxiety reallyfirst showed up in my life as I
was recovering from my massive,life-threatening, year-long
flare-up of the autoimmunedisease, ulcerative colitis,
(03:49):
back in 2010.
I've since learned that I amfar from being alone in this.
Health anxiety is way morecommon for folks who have been
through severe andlife-threatening illnesses
themselves or have experiencedseeing a loved one go through a
severe illness.
Those of us who haveexperienced a severe illness,
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we've experienced our own worstcase scenarios, so to speak.
So that has put us in anunfortunate position where our
bodies and our minds have proofthat bad things can happen to us
, because bad things havehappened to us.
As a result, we find ourselves,unwillingly, excessively on
(04:33):
guard for the slightest concernrelated to our own physical
health.
And, as if that weren't enough,this heightened state of alert
often extends beyond ourselves,leading to excessive fear over
the health of our children,parents, partners or other loved
ones.
In the early years of my naturalhealing journey, my focus was
(04:55):
solely on physical healing andworking to prevent another
ulcerative colitis flare-up.
That was my top priority and astime passed, I was so blessed
to experience the joy ofphysical healing and staying
healed as I remained flare-free.
However, alongside this triumph, I was also experiencing and
(05:16):
battling with the mental andemotional challenges that health
anxiety brings.
I found myself frequentlybattling fears that something
was or soon would be horriblywrong again.
Whether that was signs ofanother severe UC flare-up
emerging or signs of an entirelydifferent health affliction.
With my physical health stable,I realized it was time to
(05:39):
expand my healing journey.
I needed to address the othercrucial aspects of my well-being
my mental and emotional andspiritual health.
A key part of this was findingways to better understand and
address my own health anxiety,and that is no easy task.
(06:00):
Anxiety is a tricky foe.
What makes health anxiety sotricky is actually the mind-body
connection.
Our minds are so powerful.
The mind-body connection can,of course, be a wonderful thing
and actually is one of our besttools for healing of all kinds.
(06:21):
But when health anxiety comesto play, this strong connection
can actually work against us.
When we're anxious about ourhealth, our body responds to
that stress.
Our heart might beat faster, wemight feel short of breath, we
could experience muscle tension.
These very real physicalsensations then feed back into
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our anxious thoughts, convincingus even more that something
must be wrong.
For example, if we're worriedabout our heart, we might focus
intensely on our heartbeat.
This focus can actually makeour heart rate increase, which
then quote confirms our fearsthat something is wrong with our
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heart.
But in reality it's the anxietyitself causing the very
symptoms that we're worriedabout.
It becomes a self-reinforcingcycle where our anxious thoughts
create physical symptoms whichin turn increase our anxiety.
It's also important to mentionthat just the mere thought of a
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symptom can prompt the mind tofabricate the sensation of that
symptom.
A kind of amusing example ofthis that points out just how
powerful a role that the mindcan play is with the topic of
head lice.
Let's say you get a call fromyour child's school that there
has been an outbreak of lice inyour child's classroom.
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Does your head immediatelystart itching at just the
suggestion that lice may havebeen brought into your home?
My head is literally itchingright now just talking about it.
Okay, let me reiterate that thepower of the mind and the
mind-body connection, again,that the power of the mind and
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the mind-body connection againcan absolutely work for us and
not against us.
More on that a little later.
So anxiety causes stress andchronic stress can cause all
kinds of problems.
Stress damages our gut, createsinflammation, disturbs our
sleep, causes metabolic changesand impacts our immune system.
It's fair to say that chronicanxiety of all kinds can play a
(08:27):
huge role when it comes tochronic disease as well as acute
issues.
So we want to control theanxiety so that we can control
the stress.
But in reality, anxiety in allforms can be oh so very hard to
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keep under control.
This is demonstrated very wellwith health anxiety specifically
.
Again, there is a vicious cycleWith health anxiety.
We worry about our health andwe know that's not good for our
health.
So then we worry about howworrying about our health is not
good for our health.
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Add all that together and ourstress levels shoot through the
roof and that's all terrible forour health.
In addition to threatening ourphysical health, anxiety can rob
us of our peace, security andoverall enjoyment of life our
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peace, security and overallenjoyment of life.
Frankly, anxiety in all itsforms is exhausting in every way
.
Now, the good news is there aremany things we can do to
significantly reduce and bettermanage our health anxiety.
Just like physical healing,working to heal anxiety takes a
deep commitment, perseveranceand time, but it is possible.
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This requires us to step out ofour comfort zone, facing things
we might prefer to avoid,things like past traumas, both
big and seemingly small traumasor parts of ourselves.
We're ashamed of, habits thathave harmed us or aspects of our
personality we don'tparticularly like, and it
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requires us to dig deep to gainunderstanding about what
triggers our anxiety and whatthe hidden source or sources of
our anxiety are.
All parts of the healingjourney are a marathon, not a
sprint, and for mental andemotional healing, I've found
that it can at times feel morelike an ultra marathon, but
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let's not allow ourselves to getdiscouraged by that.
When we are committed toworking to bring healing to our
anxiety, every step forward isprogress and we can find moments
of relief and victory along theway.
Through years of trial and error, setbacks and breakthroughs,
I've slowly pulled together agame-changing approach to
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dealing with health anxiety.
This approach has reduced myoverall health anxiety and has
greatly improved how I respondwhen it does surface If you
suffer from health anxiety.
I'm confident that thisapproach and its strategies can
help you too.
But first, a crucial disclaimerIf your anxiety levels feel
totally out of control, aredebilitating or are accompanied
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by other serious concerns, suchas depression or suicidal
thoughts, please seekprofessional help immediately.
The sooner you seek help, thesooner you can start receiving
it.
For those whose health anxietyis challenging, but not at
dangerous levels, this episodeis for you.
My hope is that the actionableinsights I'm about to share can
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be as transformative for you asthey've been for me.
So, if you're ready to startgaining some control over and
even start healing your healthanxiety, let's go.
Anxiety, let's go.
First, we're going to talkabout what I found to be helpful
for getting to the source ofour anxiety, which I firmly
believe is where we need to goin order to be able to find true
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healing.
Then we will cover my sevenstrategies for better managing
the health anxiety that is notyet healed.
So, first and foremost, let'stalk about getting to the source
of our anxiety.
Finding the source of ouranxiety is vital because when we
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discover the source, or sources, that allows us to address the
root cause rather than justmanaging symptoms rather than
just managing symptoms, this canlead to lasting relief and true
healing.
I've learned that truly healingmy anxiety means following the
thread all the way back to itsorigin.
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Following that thread oftenleads to unresolved traumas and
or harmful deep-seated beliefsharmful, deep-seated beliefs.
This process mirrors physicalhealing in such a profound way.
Just as we can't mend a brokenarm with a mere band-aid, we
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can't overcome anxiety withoutaddressing its root causes.
To heal completely, we must digdeep and confront the original
wounds.
Uncovering the source empowersus to break free from the cycle
of fear and worry by confrontingcore issues head on.
This is a necessary journey ofself-discovery the good, the bad
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and the ugly and it providescrucial insights into not just
the past but our present thoughtpatterns and emotional
responses, promoting greaterself-awareness and greater
resilience.
Ultimately, identifying andworking through the source of
our anxiety is a powerful steptowards long-term healing in
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every form.
Now, often the source is not asobvious as it may sometimes seem
.
This was certainly the case forme.
For quite a while, I made themistake of thinking that it was
super obvious why my healthanxiety came to be a problem.
I had experienced a terribleillness that not only stole my
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quality of life for over a wholeyear, but also had been so
severe at times that it hadactually threatened my life A
whole year of pain, suffering,fear and extreme uncertainty,
all because of an illness.
So, yeah, it's understandablethat going through something
like that can create a lastingfear.
So I mistakenly thought okay,that's it, that's the source of
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my anxiety that year of beingsick.
That's it, that's the source ofmy anxiety that year of being
sick.
I was surprised to find,however, that working to heal
the trauma of that year did notheal my health anxiety or even
seem to make much of an impacton the health anxiety.
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What I eventually came tounderstand is that my severe
illness experience was thetrigger for my health anxiety
the trigger, not the source andso I've had to do the work of
digging much, much deeper, tohunt for the source or sources
in my case and then to addressthem.
This is where mind-body workcomes in.
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For me, the path to finding thetrue source of my health
anxiety has been digging deepthrough one particular method of
mind-body work.
We talked earlier about themind-body connection and how it
can be twisted to make healthanxiety worse.
Now let's turn it around andtalk about how it can be our
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greatest tool in healing healthanxiety.
Mind-body work refers to arange of healing practices that
recognize and utilize thepowerful connection between the
mind, emotions and physical body.
Mind-body work is particularlyeffective for uncovering the
source of anxiety and othereffects of trauma because it
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helps us access and processexperiences that are stored both
in our conscious mind and inour body's cellular memory.
By engaging both our mental andphysical awareness, these
techniques can reveal hiddenconnections between past events,
current thought patterns andphysical sensations, allowing us
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to identify and addressdeep-rooted sources of anxiety
that may not be apparent throughconscious thought alone.
There are numerous forms ofmind-body work that I've used
over the years, and they've allplayed their own unique role in
my healing, but there have beentwo in particular that have
provided me with access to thesource or, in my case, sources
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of my anxiety.
One of them I've been doing fora while.
The other one is relatively new, but has been very effective.
The first is neuroemotionaltechnique, or NET.
The NET approach is founded onthe belief that unresolved
traumas and stressful events canbecome stuck or blocked in the
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body, leading to a variety ofissues, including chronic pain,
unwanted behaviors and mentalhealth concerns like anxiety.
Net uses a combination ofmuscle testing and stimulation
of body reflex points toidentify and release these
stored emotional patterns.
By peeling back layers ofemotional responses, responses,
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net can reveal the originalsource of trauma and then
unblock it, potentiallyalleviating associated physical
and psychological symptoms.
I refer to NET as therapy onsteroids, even though, to be
clear, it is not psychotherapy.
I'm sure the description that Igave may have been a bit vague
or confusing and, yeah, I don'teven pretend to fully understand
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it or how it works, but for me,I just know that it's worked.
In every single NET sessionthat I've had, something comes
up that has seriously blown meaway.
Things have come out that Iwould have said I had completely
forgotten about, but clearly mybody had not.
Net has given me the gift ofunderstanding so much more about
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myself, particularly my youngerself, little Kelly, and though
I can't really explain it, ithas been a key part of my
approach to addressing myanxiety, as it has definitely
led me to at least some of thesources.
It's been an incrediblypowerful experience for me.
If you're curious to hear moreabout NET, there's a lot of good
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information online about thistechnique, and if you want to
try it out for yourself.
Make sure you look for atrained and certified
practitioner.
Another practice I've startedwith just this past year and
have had much success with iscalled somatic experiencing work
.
Somatic experiencing is anothermind-body therapy that can be
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used to access and heal traumaby focusing on nervous system
regulation and grounding.
This approach involves payingattention to bodily sensations
and using specific techniques torelease stored tension and
trauma.
It's similar to NET in a lot ofways, but it's also very
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different.
This method has opened up awhole new world for me.
Somatic experience, like NET,brings more awareness and
balance.
Again, it's a bit hard toexplain and everyone's
experience is different, butwhat I found to be very
interesting is that a lot ofwhat's come out in my somatic
experiencing sessions hasreinforced and even built off of
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what's come out in my NETsessions, and so it's likewise
been highly effective for me inmy continuing efforts to
identify and address the rootcauses of my anxiety.
If you want to try out thismethod for yourself again, be
sure to find a trained andqualified practitioner.
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There are other mind-body-workmethods that I have not
personally tried, but are knownfor helping to get to the core
of issues like anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy isone of these.
Cbt seems to be most usefulwhen we have already been able
to identify a trauma that is atthe source of our anxiety.
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Working with a trained andlicensed therapist, that
specific trauma can be targetedand addressed, and it's not only
for addressing past traumas butalso for changing current
thought patterns and behaviorsrelated to anxiety.
Another great thing to knowabout CBT is it's typically a
short-term process, rangingbetween 5 and 20 sessions.
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There's a lot of good infoabout CBT out there that you can
learn more from A couple othersthat I haven't personally tried
but may also be worth lookinginto.
One of these is biofeedback.
Biofeedback is a therapy thatcan help us take conscious
control over certain involuntarybodily processes.
Another one is EMDR, which iseye movement, desensitization
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and reprocessing, and there aresurely others out there too.
The key is to try to beopen-minded and find what works
best for you.
A quick reminder here that inmost cases quick reminder here
that in most cases addressingthe root cause and the source is
a long-term project.
Identifying root causes mayhappen surprisingly fast through
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the help of mind-body methods,but in addressing them and
healing them we have to rememberit's a marathon, not a sprint.
So with that in mind, whilewe're working on uncovering the
source of our health anxiety,let's talk about the symptom
management strategies that canprovide relief in the meantime.
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These are my seven strategiesfor better handling our health
anxiety that is not yet healedand therefore for improving our
quality of life in the meantime.
The first strategy I want toshare is always my number one
for healing of all kinds, andthat is nourishing nutrition.
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I believe nutrition is thebiggest factor in addressing all
of what ails us, including ouranxiety.
Healthy gut equals healthybrain.
Healthy body equals healthymind.
Highly processed andultra-processed foods contain a
chemical cocktail that damagesevery part of us.
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The link between highlyprocessed foods and negative
impacts on brain health has beenshown over and over and over
again.
At this point, on the contrary,real, nutrient-dense,
nourishing, chemical-free,preservative-free foods heal
every part of us.
What we eat and drink matters.
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We want to be eating less foodthat comes from a package and
more food that comes from theearth.
Real foods that areparticularly good for anxiety
because of their rich nutritionand their potent healing powers
include dark leafy greens,walnuts, turmeric, ginger,
avocados, wild-caught salmon,berries and broccoli, just to
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name a few.
The second natural strategy formanaging health anxiety is
exercise, exercise and movement.
Yeah, we all know exercise isimportant for our physical
health, right?
It's just as important, if notmore important, for our mental
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and emotional health.
Good for the body and good forthe mind.
Exercise boosts our mood as itreleases those feel-good brain
chemicals that can dispelanxious thoughts.
It also boosts cognitivefunction, which can help us find
some composure and some clarityof mind, which is especially
helpful when we are spiralinginto a chasm of anxious thoughts
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.
Anytime I am feeling anxiety, Ifind that just taking a walk
outdoors, no matter the weather,is both a perspective gaining
and a soul-soothing experience.
Regular exercise has been someof the best medicine for keeping
my head in the game and notletting health anxiety or other
kinds of anxiety grow out ofcontrol.
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Getting our blood flowingthrough physical movement can
serve as a natural reset button,bringing us back to the present
and calming our thoughts andour minds.
The third strategy is meditation.
Meditation is awesome.
It's been incredibly helpfulfor me in reducing health
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anxiety, even outside ofmeditation sessions.
This practice trains me to bepresent in the moment, which is
so helpful with anxiety being inthe moment, not worrying about
the past or the future, butbeing right here, right now, in
this moment where all is well.
Often, my anxious mind willcalm like a soothed little baby
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when I can truly be present inthe moment, and during
meditation experiences I've manytimes had visions that have
been deeply, truly healing.
Now, meditation is a verypersonal experience, so I can't
predict what your experiencewill be or exactly what you'll
get out of it, but if you committo practicing it, I am
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confident that you will indeedget a whole lot out of it.
On my website's resources page,which is kellybhaneycom slash
resources, I have links to acouple free meditations that I
found to be particularly helpful.
One is specific to healthanxiety and the other one is a
healing your inner childmeditation that is really
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beautiful and so profound.
Next, I want to talk aboutvisualization, which is
something that is along the samelines as meditation and is
another one of my very favoriteand most effective strategies,
and is another one of my veryfavorite and most effective
strategies.
A healing energy visualizationcan be done as a guided
experience or on your own, andit has brought me out of many an
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anxious spiral.
For me, a healing visualizationpractice looks like this when
experiencing health anxiety, Isit or lie down, close my eyes,
take full, deep breaths and Ibegin to visualize a healing
light entering my body throughthe top of my head.
I visualize the light slowlymoving down my body and as it
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moves, I say to myself avariation of this Healing light,
variation of this Healing lighthealing my body, healing me.
I am healed, I am healthy, I amstrong, all is well.
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If there are particular areasof concern in my body, then I
visualize the light pausingthere and performing a deep
healing on a cellular level, allwhile speaking these affirming
words.
This can be magical forstopping health anxiety in its
tracks.
There are many guidedvisualizations on YouTube
specifically for health anxiety,or you can just try it the way
that I just described it on yourown.
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The fourth strategy for managingour anxiety is getting help.
Getting help is crucial,whether from professionals or
loved ones, or ideally, both.
Earlier I mentioned, get helpif your situation is severe, but
even those who are experiencingmoderate levels of health
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anxiety can benefit greatly bygetting help.
Of course, a therapist who is agood fit can be an excellent
resource here.
I have often found that justbeing present in that safe space
of a therapy session, allowingmyself to get all my anxious
thoughts out can make a world ofdifference.
Especially during particularlyanxious times.
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Just getting it all out tosomeone who's there to listen
and not to judge isextraordinarily healing.
But in addition to a therapist,a loving partner or a trusted
friend can also providetremendous relief when we openly
and honestly share ouranxieties, these loved ones can
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provide something that is of thehighest value for someone who
is stuck in an anxious space,and that is reassurance.
So often my husband haspatiently let me share all the
turmoil that my mind can come upwith, and then in just a few
sentences, he'll say somethingthat is incredibly reassuring.
It doesn't have to be anythingextraordinary either.
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Just hearing him say superbasic things like I really don't
think there's anything to worryabout or everything is fine.
Sometimes that's enough.
Just hearing those simplephrases from someone else gets
me out of my own head and isoften enough to at least
temporarily calm my worries.
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So if we are lucky enough tohave a caring person in our life
who loves us and really wantsto help, let's take advantage of
that opportunity to get somehelp from them.
There are also support groupsand online forums where this
type of support can be found.
Of course, always be cautiousand do your due diligence before
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getting involved in any groupor online forum, but the point
is you don't have to do thisalone.
The fifth strategy is sleep Bothquality and quantity, is so
important for everything,including managing our health
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anxiety.
But, as anyone who's battledanxiety knows, getting good
sleep when you're in a state ofanxiety is easier said than done
.
Anxiety is notorious forcausing many a sleepless night,
but there are things we can doto set ourselves up for sleep
success, even when anxiety istrying to keep us awake.
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For example, chamomile tea.
It's naturally calming and itcan help ease us into sleep.
Chamomile has such a reputationfor being a good sleep aid, and
that's because it really is.
Another idea put those screensaway for two really good reasons
.
First, because the blue lightfrom our devices can really mess
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with our sleep patterns.
And, for heaven's sake, do notgoogle symptoms or doom scroll
before going to bed.
I know it can be really hard toresist doing those things when
health anxiety kicks in, but ofcourse, that is a recipe for a
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sleepless night.
Also, take some time to pray ormeditate.
Doing these kinds of things canhelp quiet our minds and
prepare ourselves for rest.
Right before we go to bed orwhile we're laying in bed is
also a great time to do avisualization exercise, like the
one that we talked aboutearlier.
A healing visualization can beincredibly soothing and set us
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up for peaceful sleep.
Let's also create an environmentthat is physically conducive to
sleep, using accessories suchas an eye mask to block out any
light, earplugs or a white noisemachine to drown out disruptive
sounds.
Blackout curtains to keep ourrooms totally dark, a
comfortable mattress and pillows, of course, is always helpful.
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Cool, breathable bedding.
It's important not to be in aroom that's too hot.
And then, of course, eatingnutrient-dense, nourishing food
and getting regular exerciseduring the day sets us up to be
able to sleep, even if we're ina time of high anxiety.
So if we can make our qualityand quantity of sleep a priority
, our body and our mind willthank us.
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When we're well rested, we'llbe so much more equipped to
handle any anxiety that comesour way.
Okay, there are two morestrategies that I would like to
share.
The next one is simplicity.
Let's talk for a minute aboutsimplicity and how it can be a
powerful tool for managinghealth anxiety.
In our chaotic world,simplifying our lives can be
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like a breath of fresh air forour minds and our spirits.
Simplicity can boil down to twomain areas, and those are our
possessions, as in our stuff,and our schedules.
Let's look at our stuff firsthow much of the stuff that we
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own truly adds value to our lifeand how much of it may actually
be contributing to our stressand our anxiety.
Decluttering our space can beincredibly freeing.
It's like decluttering our mindat the same time.
Less stuff means less to worryabout, less to clean and less
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visual noise, which are allthings that can trigger or
exacerbate anxiety.
Now let's quickly examine theanxiety relief that can be found
when we simplify our schedules.
Our cultural norm of beingconstantly busy is a fast track
to stress and all forms ofanxiety, so let's challenge
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those norms by taking a goodlook at our commitments and how
we use our time.
A simplified schedule not onlyreduces our current stress, but
it also gives us the time andthe energy for the other
powerful tools for managinghealth anxiety that we already
talked about, such as meditationor visualization exercise,
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preparing nourishing meals andmore time for sleep, or simply
just more time to rest.
It's so easy to forget this inour society, but we all need
downtime, time to just rest.
Our busy, chaotic lifestyleswithout a doubt contribute to
(34:38):
all forms of anxiety, andcertainly health anxiety.
A more simplified schedule cangive us that precious time that
we need to care for ourselvesand therefore reduce our anxiety
.
For the anxious person.
I really believe a simplifiedlife is necessary in order for
us to be able to find peace and,ultimately, in order for us to
(35:02):
be able to find healing.
All right, here we are at thefinal strategy for managing
health anxiety that I want toshare with you today, and this
one has definitely been thehardest one for me.
It's probably why I saved itfor last.
This strategy is learning tolet go.
(35:23):
I am still very much a work inprogress with this one.
I like to call myself arecovering perfectionist and I
am very much a type Apersonality, so letting go feels
extra hard, but from the smallamount that I've been able to
put into practice, I'm fairlycertain that this may be the key
(35:46):
to a life that's free of healthanxiety, not to mention all
anxiety For the things that areultimately out of our hands.
Being able to let go of anuncertain situation and accept
whatever the outcome may be, isblissful freedom Easier said
than done.
Yes, believe me, I know, butit's so worth working towards.
(36:11):
You've likely heard the AAserenity prayer before.
This simple prayer holds somuch wise instruction for
learning to let go.
God, grant me the serenity toaccept the things I cannot
change, the courage to changethe things I can, and the wisdom
to know the difference.
This is like a mantra forhealth anxiety relief, isn't it?
(36:35):
For the things we can learn toaccept that we cannot change,
can we then also learn to letthem go?
Prayer can be a powerful toolin this process, and I'm not
just talking about thetraditional religious prayer
here.
No matter your religion or lackthereof, this is about offering
up your worries and fears tosomething bigger than yourself.
(36:58):
When we reach the end of ourcapacity, it's a way of saying
yourself when we reach the endof our capacity, it's a way of
saying I've done all that I cando, so now I'm trusting that
whatever happens is meant tohappen.
Letting go requires this deeptrust that we are on a path
that's unique only to us and noone, including ourselves, can
(37:19):
tell us how it should go or whatit should look like.
It's our own personal journey.
I think that learning to let gocan start with something that's
rather simple, and that isawareness, being more mindful,
paying more attention to notice.
When we're holding ontosomething so tightly, when we're
(37:41):
trying to control outcomes thatare beyond our control, then we
can notice this and gentlyremind ourselves to loosen our
grip, take a deep breath and tryletting it go.
So how exactly does this allrelate to managing health
anxiety?
Well, the fact of the matter is,sometimes we do get sick.
(38:05):
Sometimes our health fears arenot unfounded.
So, at the end of the day, inorder to win the battle with
health anxiety, we have toaccept the fact that, even
though there are many things wecan influence or have some
semblance of control over, ourultimate destiny really is out
(38:25):
of our control.
Once we can get to a placewhere we can accept whatever may
come with an attitude ofstrength, resilience, gratitude
and peace, then I think we'vetruly won.
I think we've truly won.
Again, I have not reached thisplace and I don't know many
(38:47):
people who have, but the pointis it's the journey, not the
destination.
If we can work to get ourselvesto a place of more trust, where
we are less fearful of what maybe.
Then we can start finding peacein what is.
Anxiety can no longer have anyhold over us, when we are simply
(39:09):
no longer afraid.
As we wrap up in the approachand all the strategies mentioned
today, let's, above all else,be patient with ourselves and
let's give ourselves grace.
Our foe is tough.
Anxiety can be deeply complex.
It can be a pain-stakingchallenge.
(39:31):
Anxiety can be a beast.
I've learned the hard way thathealing our body is one thing.
Healing our soul is quiteanother one thing.
Healing our soul is quiteanother.
This journey of holistichealing is not for the faint of
heart, but it is so worth it.
So let's celebrate the smallvictories, let's support each
(39:53):
other and let's keep movingforward.
Let's keep chipping away at ourhealth anxiety a little more
every day.
Health anxiety a little moreevery day.
Thank you so much for joiningme for this episode.
I truly hope it's been of helpto you.
If you received value from thisepisode, I would be so grateful
(40:13):
if you would take a moment tosubscribe to the podcast,
download the episodes, rate andreview and, of course, please
share it with anyone who youthink may receive value from it
as well.
As always, I am honored to walkalongside of you as we heal and
stay healed together.
(40:34):
Bye.
Welcome to the Heal and Stay Healed podcast, where
we talk about healing and, moreimportantly, staying healed from
chronic disease and otherailments and issues.
We'll cover all the crazythings about health and life the
good, the bad, the ugly and thehilarious.
My name is Kelly and I'm asurvivor and overcomer of severe
(00:31):
autoimmune disease, and I can'twait to share with you what
I've learned so that you canheal and stay healed too.
Thanks for listening and enjoythe show.
Hello there and welcome.
(00:53):
Thank you so much for joiningme today.
Picture this you wake up with adull throb in your temple.
Instantly, your mind startsracing.
Is this the first sign of abrain tumor?
Or you feel a sudden twinge inyour chest and your heart starts
pounding.
Is this the beginning of aheart attack?
(01:14):
Or maybe you're scrollingonline and come across an
article about a rare disease.
Suddenly, every little ache andpain in your body seems to
match the symptoms perfectly.
Does this sound familiar?
That surge of panic, the racingthoughts, the overwhelming urge
to google your symptoms for the10th time today, the inability
(01:36):
to shake off the fear thatsomething is seriously wrong,
even when logic tells youotherwise.
This is the world of healthanxiety, a world where every
bodily sensation becomes apotential threat and where peace
of mind seems just out of reach.
If any of these scenariosresonate with you, you are not
(02:00):
alone.
Today we're diving into thistopic that hits home for many,
especially those who've battledserious illness.
Health anxiety is a conditionthat directly affects about 1 in
20 people.
However, I would guess thatnumber is actually way higher if
we could count undiagnosed andunreported cases too.
You may have heard of healthanxiety referred to by its
(02:22):
former name.
May have heard of healthanxiety referred to by its
former name, hypochondria, orits current clinical term,
illness anxiety disorder.
For our conversation we'llstick with the straightforward
term health anxiety.
Health anxiety is characterizedby excessive worry that
something is medically wrongwith us.
It's a relentless, gnawing fearthat we are or will become
(02:47):
seriously ill.
This fear persists even whenthere's little to no evidence to
support it.
As someone who struggledsignificantly with health
anxiety myself, I know firsthandjust how awful it can be and
just how much it can impactevery part of our lives.
In today's episode, we'll diveright into health anxiety, its
(03:08):
manifestations, its impact onour lives and, most importantly,
my natural approach foraddressing it.
This involves exploring methodsfor uncovering the root causes
of health anxiety in order topromote long-term healing, as
well as practical strategies formanaging symptoms along the way
(03:29):
.
This comprehensive approach hasbeen transformative in my own
journey with health anxiety andI'm very excited to share it
with you today.
For me, health anxiety reallyfirst showed up in my life as I
was recovering from my massive,life-threatening, year-long
flare-up of the autoimmunedisease, ulcerative colitis,
(03:49):
back in 2010.
I've since learned that I amfar from being alone in this.
Health anxiety is way morecommon for folks who have been
through severe andlife-threatening illnesses
themselves or have experiencedseeing a loved one go through a
severe illness.
Those of us who haveexperienced a severe illness,
(04:11):
we've experienced our own worstcase scenarios, so to speak.
So that has put us in anunfortunate position where our
bodies and our minds have proofthat bad things can happen to us
, because bad things havehappened to us.
As a result, we find ourselves,unwillingly, excessively on
(04:33):
guard for the slightest concernrelated to our own physical
health.
And, as if that weren't enough,this heightened state of alert
often extends beyond ourselves,leading to excessive fear over
the health of our children,parents, partners or other loved
ones.
In the early years of my naturalhealing journey, my focus was
(04:55):
solely on physical healing andworking to prevent another
ulcerative colitis flare-up.
That was my top priority and astime passed, I was so blessed
to experience the joy ofphysical healing and staying
healed as I remained flare-free.
However, alongside this triumph, I was also experiencing and
(05:16):
battling with the mental andemotional challenges that health
anxiety brings.
I found myself frequentlybattling fears that something
was or soon would be horriblywrong again.
Whether that was signs ofanother severe UC flare-up
emerging or signs of an entirelydifferent health affliction.
With my physical health stable,I realized it was time to
(05:39):
expand my healing journey.
I needed to address the othercrucial aspects of my well-being
my mental and emotional andspiritual health.
A key part of this was findingways to better understand and
address my own health anxiety,and that is no easy task.
(06:00):
Anxiety is a tricky foe.
What makes health anxiety sotricky is actually the mind-body
connection.
Our minds are so powerful.
The mind-body connection can,of course, be a wonderful thing
and actually is one of our besttools for healing of all kinds.
(06:21):
But when health anxiety comesto play, this strong connection
can actually work against us.
When we're anxious about ourhealth, our body responds to
that stress.
Our heart might beat faster, wemight feel short of breath, we
could experience muscle tension.
These very real physicalsensations then feed back into
(06:42):
our anxious thoughts, convincingus even more that something
must be wrong.
For example, if we're worriedabout our heart, we might focus
intensely on our heartbeat.
This focus can actually makeour heart rate increase, which
then quote confirms our fearsthat something is wrong with our
(07:02):
heart.
But in reality it's the anxietyitself causing the very
symptoms that we're worriedabout.
It becomes a self-reinforcingcycle where our anxious thoughts
create physical symptoms whichin turn increase our anxiety.
It's also important to mentionthat just the mere thought of a
(07:24):
symptom can prompt the mind tofabricate the sensation of that
symptom.
A kind of amusing example ofthis that points out just how
powerful a role that the mindcan play is with the topic of
head lice.
Let's say you get a call fromyour child's school that there
has been an outbreak of lice inyour child's classroom.
(07:46):
Does your head immediatelystart itching at just the
suggestion that lice may havebeen brought into your home?
My head is literally itchingright now just talking about it.
Okay, let me reiterate that thepower of the mind and the
mind-body connection, again,that the power of the mind and
(08:06):
the mind-body connection againcan absolutely work for us and
not against us.
More on that a little later.
So anxiety causes stress andchronic stress can cause all
kinds of problems.
Stress damages our gut, createsinflammation, disturbs our
sleep, causes metabolic changesand impacts our immune system.
It's fair to say that chronicanxiety of all kinds can play a
(08:27):
huge role when it comes tochronic disease as well as acute
issues.
So we want to control theanxiety so that we can control
the stress.
But in reality, anxiety in allforms can be oh so very hard to
(08:48):
keep under control.
This is demonstrated very wellwith health anxiety specifically
.
Again, there is a vicious cycleWith health anxiety.
We worry about our health andwe know that's not good for our
health.
So then we worry about howworrying about our health is not
good for our health.
(09:08):
Add all that together and ourstress levels shoot through the
roof and that's all terrible forour health.
In addition to threatening ourphysical health, anxiety can rob
us of our peace, security andoverall enjoyment of life our
(09:28):
peace, security and overallenjoyment of life.
Frankly, anxiety in all itsforms is exhausting in every way
.
Now, the good news is there aremany things we can do to
significantly reduce and bettermanage our health anxiety.
Just like physical healing,working to heal anxiety takes a
deep commitment, perseveranceand time, but it is possible.
(09:51):
This requires us to step out ofour comfort zone, facing things
we might prefer to avoid,things like past traumas, both
big and seemingly small traumasor parts of ourselves.
We're ashamed of, habits thathave harmed us or aspects of our
personality we don'tparticularly like, and it
(10:13):
requires us to dig deep to gainunderstanding about what
triggers our anxiety and whatthe hidden source or sources of
our anxiety are.
All parts of the healingjourney are a marathon, not a
sprint, and for mental andemotional healing, I've found
that it can at times feel morelike an ultra marathon, but
(10:37):
let's not allow ourselves to getdiscouraged by that.
When we are committed toworking to bring healing to our
anxiety, every step forward isprogress and we can find moments
of relief and victory along theway.
Through years of trial and error, setbacks and breakthroughs,
I've slowly pulled together agame-changing approach to
(11:00):
dealing with health anxiety.
This approach has reduced myoverall health anxiety and has
greatly improved how I respondwhen it does surface If you
suffer from health anxiety.
I'm confident that thisapproach and its strategies can
help you too.
But first, a crucial disclaimerIf your anxiety levels feel
totally out of control, aredebilitating or are accompanied
(11:24):
by other serious concerns, suchas depression or suicidal
thoughts, please seekprofessional help immediately.
The sooner you seek help, thesooner you can start receiving
it.
For those whose health anxietyis challenging, but not at
dangerous levels, this episodeis for you.
My hope is that the actionableinsights I'm about to share can
(11:48):
be as transformative for you asthey've been for me.
So, if you're ready to startgaining some control over and
even start healing your healthanxiety, let's go.
Anxiety, let's go.
First, we're going to talkabout what I found to be helpful
for getting to the source ofour anxiety, which I firmly
believe is where we need to goin order to be able to find true
(12:10):
healing.
Then we will cover my sevenstrategies for better managing
the health anxiety that is notyet healed.
So, first and foremost, let'stalk about getting to the source
of our anxiety.
Finding the source of ouranxiety is vital because when we
(12:30):
discover the source, or sources, that allows us to address the
root cause rather than justmanaging symptoms rather than
just managing symptoms, this canlead to lasting relief and true
healing.
I've learned that truly healingmy anxiety means following the
thread all the way back to itsorigin.
(12:50):
Following that thread oftenleads to unresolved traumas and
or harmful deep-seated beliefsharmful, deep-seated beliefs.
This process mirrors physicalhealing in such a profound way.
Just as we can't mend a brokenarm with a mere band-aid, we
(13:12):
can't overcome anxiety withoutaddressing its root causes.
To heal completely, we must digdeep and confront the original
wounds.
Uncovering the source empowersus to break free from the cycle
of fear and worry by confrontingcore issues head on.
This is a necessary journey ofself-discovery the good, the bad
(13:32):
and the ugly and it providescrucial insights into not just
the past but our present thoughtpatterns and emotional
responses, promoting greaterself-awareness and greater
resilience.
Ultimately, identifying andworking through the source of
our anxiety is a powerful steptowards long-term healing in
(13:54):
every form.
Now, often the source is not asobvious as it may sometimes seem
.
This was certainly the case forme.
For quite a while, I made themistake of thinking that it was
super obvious why my healthanxiety came to be a problem.
I had experienced a terribleillness that not only stole my
(14:15):
quality of life for over a wholeyear, but also had been so
severe at times that it hadactually threatened my life A
whole year of pain, suffering,fear and extreme uncertainty,
all because of an illness.
So, yeah, it's understandablethat going through something
like that can create a lastingfear.
So I mistakenly thought okay,that's it, that's the source of
(14:36):
my anxiety that year of beingsick.
That's it, that's the source ofmy anxiety that year of being
sick.
I was surprised to find,however, that working to heal
the trauma of that year did notheal my health anxiety or even
seem to make much of an impacton the health anxiety.
(14:57):
What I eventually came tounderstand is that my severe
illness experience was thetrigger for my health anxiety
the trigger, not the source andso I've had to do the work of
digging much, much deeper, tohunt for the source or sources
in my case and then to addressthem.
This is where mind-body workcomes in.
(15:20):
For me, the path to finding thetrue source of my health
anxiety has been digging deepthrough one particular method of
mind-body work.
We talked earlier about themind-body connection and how it
can be twisted to make healthanxiety worse.
Now let's turn it around andtalk about how it can be our
(15:42):
greatest tool in healing healthanxiety.
Mind-body work refers to arange of healing practices that
recognize and utilize thepowerful connection between the
mind, emotions and physical body.
Mind-body work is particularlyeffective for uncovering the
source of anxiety and othereffects of trauma because it
(16:03):
helps us access and processexperiences that are stored both
in our conscious mind and inour body's cellular memory.
By engaging both our mental andphysical awareness, these
techniques can reveal hiddenconnections between past events,
current thought patterns andphysical sensations, allowing us
(16:25):
to identify and addressdeep-rooted sources of anxiety
that may not be apparent throughconscious thought alone.
There are numerous forms ofmind-body work that I've used
over the years, and they've allplayed their own unique role in
my healing, but there have beentwo in particular that have
provided me with access to thesource or, in my case, sources
(16:48):
of my anxiety.
One of them I've been doing fora while.
The other one is relatively new, but has been very effective.
The first is neuroemotionaltechnique, or NET.
The NET approach is founded onthe belief that unresolved
traumas and stressful events canbecome stuck or blocked in the
(17:14):
body, leading to a variety ofissues, including chronic pain,
unwanted behaviors and mentalhealth concerns like anxiety.
Net uses a combination ofmuscle testing and stimulation
of body reflex points toidentify and release these
stored emotional patterns.
By peeling back layers ofemotional responses, responses,
(17:46):
net can reveal the originalsource of trauma and then
unblock it, potentiallyalleviating associated physical
and psychological symptoms.
I refer to NET as therapy onsteroids, even though, to be
clear, it is not psychotherapy.
I'm sure the description that Igave may have been a bit vague
or confusing and, yeah, I don'teven pretend to fully understand
(18:08):
it or how it works, but for me,I just know that it's worked.
In every single NET sessionthat I've had, something comes
up that has seriously blown meaway.
Things have come out that Iwould have said I had completely
forgotten about, but clearly mybody had not.
Net has given me the gift ofunderstanding so much more about
(18:31):
myself, particularly my youngerself, little Kelly, and though
I can't really explain it, ithas been a key part of my
approach to addressing myanxiety, as it has definitely
led me to at least some of thesources.
It's been an incrediblypowerful experience for me.
If you're curious to hear moreabout NET, there's a lot of good
(18:52):
information online about thistechnique, and if you want to
try it out for yourself.
Make sure you look for atrained and certified
practitioner.
Another practice I've startedwith just this past year and
have had much success with iscalled somatic experiencing work
.
Somatic experiencing is anothermind-body therapy that can be
(19:13):
used to access and heal traumaby focusing on nervous system
regulation and grounding.
This approach involves payingattention to bodily sensations
and using specific techniques torelease stored tension and
trauma.
It's similar to NET in a lot ofways, but it's also very
(19:34):
different.
This method has opened up awhole new world for me.
Somatic experience, like NET,brings more awareness and
balance.
Again, it's a bit hard toexplain and everyone's
experience is different, butwhat I found to be very
interesting is that a lot ofwhat's come out in my somatic
experiencing sessions hasreinforced and even built off of
(19:59):
what's come out in my NETsessions, and so it's likewise
been highly effective for me inmy continuing efforts to
identify and address the rootcauses of my anxiety.
If you want to try out thismethod for yourself again, be
sure to find a trained andqualified practitioner.
(20:19):
There are other mind-body-workmethods that I have not
personally tried, but are knownfor helping to get to the core
of issues like anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy isone of these.
Cbt seems to be most usefulwhen we have already been able
to identify a trauma that is atthe source of our anxiety.
(20:39):
Working with a trained andlicensed therapist, that
specific trauma can be targetedand addressed, and it's not only
for addressing past traumas butalso for changing current
thought patterns and behaviorsrelated to anxiety.
Another great thing to knowabout CBT is it's typically a
short-term process, rangingbetween 5 and 20 sessions.
(21:00):
There's a lot of good infoabout CBT out there that you can
learn more from A couple othersthat I haven't personally tried
but may also be worth lookinginto.
One of these is biofeedback.
Biofeedback is a therapy thatcan help us take conscious
control over certain involuntarybodily processes.
Another one is EMDR, which iseye movement, desensitization
(21:26):
and reprocessing, and there aresurely others out there too.
The key is to try to beopen-minded and find what works
best for you.
A quick reminder here that inmost cases quick reminder here
that in most cases addressingthe root cause and the source is
a long-term project.
Identifying root causes mayhappen surprisingly fast through
(21:48):
the help of mind-body methods,but in addressing them and
healing them we have to rememberit's a marathon, not a sprint.
So with that in mind, whilewe're working on uncovering the
source of our health anxiety,let's talk about the symptom
management strategies that canprovide relief in the meantime.
(22:10):
These are my seven strategiesfor better handling our health
anxiety that is not yet healedand therefore for improving our
quality of life in the meantime.
The first strategy I want toshare is always my number one
for healing of all kinds, andthat is nourishing nutrition.
(22:31):
I believe nutrition is thebiggest factor in addressing all
of what ails us, including ouranxiety.
Healthy gut equals healthybrain.
Healthy body equals healthymind.
Highly processed andultra-processed foods contain a
chemical cocktail that damagesevery part of us.
(22:51):
The link between highlyprocessed foods and negative
impacts on brain health has beenshown over and over and over
again.
At this point, on the contrary,real, nutrient-dense,
nourishing, chemical-free,preservative-free foods heal
every part of us.
What we eat and drink matters.
(23:13):
We want to be eating less foodthat comes from a package and
more food that comes from theearth.
Real foods that areparticularly good for anxiety
because of their rich nutritionand their potent healing powers
include dark leafy greens,walnuts, turmeric, ginger,
avocados, wild-caught salmon,berries and broccoli, just to
(23:36):
name a few.
The second natural strategy formanaging health anxiety is
exercise, exercise and movement.
Yeah, we all know exercise isimportant for our physical
health, right?
It's just as important, if notmore important, for our mental
(23:57):
and emotional health.
Good for the body and good forthe mind.
Exercise boosts our mood as itreleases those feel-good brain
chemicals that can dispelanxious thoughts.
It also boosts cognitivefunction, which can help us find
some composure and some clarityof mind, which is especially
helpful when we are spiralinginto a chasm of anxious thoughts
(24:20):
.
Anytime I am feeling anxiety, Ifind that just taking a walk
outdoors, no matter the weather,is both a perspective gaining
and a soul-soothing experience.
Regular exercise has been someof the best medicine for keeping
my head in the game and notletting health anxiety or other
kinds of anxiety grow out ofcontrol.
(24:40):
Getting our blood flowingthrough physical movement can
serve as a natural reset button,bringing us back to the present
and calming our thoughts andour minds.
The third strategy is meditation.
Meditation is awesome.
It's been incredibly helpfulfor me in reducing health
(25:02):
anxiety, even outside ofmeditation sessions.
This practice trains me to bepresent in the moment, which is
so helpful with anxiety being inthe moment, not worrying about
the past or the future, butbeing right here, right now, in
this moment where all is well.
Often, my anxious mind willcalm like a soothed little baby
(25:27):
when I can truly be present inthe moment, and during
meditation experiences I've manytimes had visions that have
been deeply, truly healing.
Now, meditation is a verypersonal experience, so I can't
predict what your experiencewill be or exactly what you'll
get out of it, but if you committo practicing it, I am
(25:48):
confident that you will indeedget a whole lot out of it.
On my website's resources page,which is kellybhaneycom slash
resources, I have links to acouple free meditations that I
found to be particularly helpful.
One is specific to healthanxiety and the other one is a
healing your inner childmeditation that is really
(26:09):
beautiful and so profound.
Next, I want to talk aboutvisualization, which is
something that is along the samelines as meditation and is
another one of my very favoriteand most effective strategies,
and is another one of my veryfavorite and most effective
strategies.
A healing energy visualizationcan be done as a guided
experience or on your own, andit has brought me out of many an
(26:31):
anxious spiral.
For me, a healing visualizationpractice looks like this when
experiencing health anxiety, Isit or lie down, close my eyes,
take full, deep breaths and Ibegin to visualize a healing
light entering my body throughthe top of my head.
I visualize the light slowlymoving down my body and as it
(26:56):
moves, I say to myself avariation of this Healing light,
variation of this Healing lighthealing my body, healing me.
I am healed, I am healthy, I amstrong, all is well.
(27:18):
If there are particular areasof concern in my body, then I
visualize the light pausingthere and performing a deep
healing on a cellular level, allwhile speaking these affirming
words.
This can be magical forstopping health anxiety in its
tracks.
There are many guidedvisualizations on YouTube
specifically for health anxiety,or you can just try it the way
that I just described it on yourown.
(27:41):
The fourth strategy for managingour anxiety is getting help.
Getting help is crucial,whether from professionals or
loved ones, or ideally, both.
Earlier I mentioned, get helpif your situation is severe, but
even those who are experiencingmoderate levels of health
(28:03):
anxiety can benefit greatly bygetting help.
Of course, a therapist who is agood fit can be an excellent
resource here.
I have often found that justbeing present in that safe space
of a therapy session, allowingmyself to get all my anxious
thoughts out can make a world ofdifference.
Especially during particularlyanxious times.
(28:24):
Just getting it all out tosomeone who's there to listen
and not to judge isextraordinarily healing.
But in addition to a therapist,a loving partner or a trusted
friend can also providetremendous relief when we openly
and honestly share ouranxieties, these loved ones can
(28:45):
provide something that is of thehighest value for someone who
is stuck in an anxious space,and that is reassurance.
So often my husband haspatiently let me share all the
turmoil that my mind can come upwith, and then in just a few
sentences, he'll say somethingthat is incredibly reassuring.
It doesn't have to be anythingextraordinary either.
(29:08):
Just hearing him say superbasic things like I really don't
think there's anything to worryabout or everything is fine.
Sometimes that's enough.
Just hearing those simplephrases from someone else gets
me out of my own head and isoften enough to at least
temporarily calm my worries.
(29:30):
So if we are lucky enough tohave a caring person in our life
who loves us and really wantsto help, let's take advantage of
that opportunity to get somehelp from them.
There are also support groupsand online forums where this
type of support can be found.
Of course, always be cautiousand do your due diligence before
(29:52):
getting involved in any groupor online forum, but the point
is you don't have to do thisalone.
The fifth strategy is sleep Bothquality and quantity, is so
important for everything,including managing our health
(30:13):
anxiety.
But, as anyone who's battledanxiety knows, getting good
sleep when you're in a state ofanxiety is easier said than done
.
Anxiety is notorious forcausing many a sleepless night,
but there are things we can doto set ourselves up for sleep
success, even when anxiety istrying to keep us awake.
(30:36):
For example, chamomile tea.
It's naturally calming and itcan help ease us into sleep.
Chamomile has such a reputationfor being a good sleep aid, and
that's because it really is.
Another idea put those screensaway for two really good reasons
.
First, because the blue lightfrom our devices can really mess
(30:57):
with our sleep patterns.
And, for heaven's sake, do notgoogle symptoms or doom scroll
before going to bed.
I know it can be really hard toresist doing those things when
health anxiety kicks in, but ofcourse, that is a recipe for a
(31:17):
sleepless night.
Also, take some time to pray ormeditate.
Doing these kinds of things canhelp quiet our minds and
prepare ourselves for rest.
Right before we go to bed orwhile we're laying in bed is
also a great time to do avisualization exercise, like the
one that we talked aboutearlier.
A healing visualization can beincredibly soothing and set us
(31:40):
up for peaceful sleep.
Let's also create an environmentthat is physically conducive to
sleep, using accessories suchas an eye mask to block out any
light, earplugs or a white noisemachine to drown out disruptive
sounds.
Blackout curtains to keep ourrooms totally dark, a
comfortable mattress and pillows, of course, is always helpful.
(32:02):
Cool, breathable bedding.
It's important not to be in aroom that's too hot.
And then, of course, eatingnutrient-dense, nourishing food
and getting regular exerciseduring the day sets us up to be
able to sleep, even if we're ina time of high anxiety.
So if we can make our qualityand quantity of sleep a priority
, our body and our mind willthank us.
(32:25):
When we're well rested, we'llbe so much more equipped to
handle any anxiety that comesour way.
Okay, there are two morestrategies that I would like to
share.
The next one is simplicity.
Let's talk for a minute aboutsimplicity and how it can be a
powerful tool for managinghealth anxiety.
In our chaotic world,simplifying our lives can be
(32:49):
like a breath of fresh air forour minds and our spirits.
Simplicity can boil down to twomain areas, and those are our
possessions, as in our stuff,and our schedules.
Let's look at our stuff firsthow much of the stuff that we
(33:10):
own truly adds value to our lifeand how much of it may actually
be contributing to our stressand our anxiety.
Decluttering our space can beincredibly freeing.
It's like decluttering our mindat the same time.
Less stuff means less to worryabout, less to clean and less
(33:32):
visual noise, which are allthings that can trigger or
exacerbate anxiety.
Now let's quickly examine theanxiety relief that can be found
when we simplify our schedules.
Our cultural norm of beingconstantly busy is a fast track
to stress and all forms ofanxiety, so let's challenge
(33:55):
those norms by taking a goodlook at our commitments and how
we use our time.
A simplified schedule not onlyreduces our current stress, but
it also gives us the time andthe energy for the other
powerful tools for managinghealth anxiety that we already
talked about, such as meditationor visualization exercise,
(34:17):
preparing nourishing meals andmore time for sleep, or simply
just more time to rest.
It's so easy to forget this inour society, but we all need
downtime, time to just rest.
Our busy, chaotic lifestyleswithout a doubt contribute to
(34:38):
all forms of anxiety, andcertainly health anxiety.
A more simplified schedule cangive us that precious time that
we need to care for ourselvesand therefore reduce our anxiety
.
For the anxious person.
I really believe a simplifiedlife is necessary in order for
us to be able to find peace and,ultimately, in order for us to
(35:02):
be able to find healing.
All right, here we are at thefinal strategy for managing
health anxiety that I want toshare with you today, and this
one has definitely been thehardest one for me.
It's probably why I saved itfor last.
This strategy is learning tolet go.
(35:23):
I am still very much a work inprogress with this one.
I like to call myself arecovering perfectionist and I
am very much a type Apersonality, so letting go feels
extra hard, but from the smallamount that I've been able to
put into practice, I'm fairlycertain that this may be the key
(35:46):
to a life that's free of healthanxiety, not to mention all
anxiety For the things that areultimately out of our hands.
Being able to let go of anuncertain situation and accept
whatever the outcome may be, isblissful freedom Easier said
than done.
Yes, believe me, I know, butit's so worth working towards.
(36:11):
You've likely heard the AAserenity prayer before.
This simple prayer holds somuch wise instruction for
learning to let go.
God, grant me the serenity toaccept the things I cannot
change, the courage to changethe things I can, and the wisdom
to know the difference.
This is like a mantra forhealth anxiety relief, isn't it?
(36:35):
For the things we can learn toaccept that we cannot change,
can we then also learn to letthem go?
Prayer can be a powerful toolin this process, and I'm not
just talking about thetraditional religious prayer
here.
No matter your religion or lackthereof, this is about offering
up your worries and fears tosomething bigger than yourself.
(36:58):
When we reach the end of ourcapacity, it's a way of saying
yourself when we reach the endof our capacity, it's a way of
saying I've done all that I cando, so now I'm trusting that
whatever happens is meant tohappen.
Letting go requires this deeptrust that we are on a path
that's unique only to us and noone, including ourselves, can
(37:19):
tell us how it should go or whatit should look like.
It's our own personal journey.
I think that learning to let gocan start with something that's
rather simple, and that isawareness, being more mindful,
paying more attention to notice.
When we're holding ontosomething so tightly, when we're
(37:41):
trying to control outcomes thatare beyond our control, then we
can notice this and gentlyremind ourselves to loosen our
grip, take a deep breath and tryletting it go.
So how exactly does this allrelate to managing health
anxiety?
Well, the fact of the matter is,sometimes we do get sick.
(38:05):
Sometimes our health fears arenot unfounded.
So, at the end of the day, inorder to win the battle with
health anxiety, we have toaccept the fact that, even
though there are many things wecan influence or have some
semblance of control over, ourultimate destiny really is out
(38:25):
of our control.
Once we can get to a placewhere we can accept whatever may
come with an attitude ofstrength, resilience, gratitude
and peace, then I think we'vetruly won.
I think we've truly won.
Again, I have not reached thisplace and I don't know many
(38:47):
people who have, but the pointis it's the journey, not the
destination.
If we can work to get ourselvesto a place of more trust, where
we are less fearful of what maybe.
Then we can start finding peacein what is.
Anxiety can no longer have anyhold over us, when we are simply
(39:09):
no longer afraid.
As we wrap up in the approachand all the strategies mentioned
today, let's, above all else,be patient with ourselves and
let's give ourselves grace.
Our foe is tough.
Anxiety can be deeply complex.
It can be a pain-stakingchallenge.
(39:31):
Anxiety can be a beast.
I've learned the hard way thathealing our body is one thing.
Healing our soul is quiteanother one thing.
Healing our soul is quiteanother.
This journey of holistichealing is not for the faint of
heart, but it is so worth it.
So let's celebrate the smallvictories, let's support each
(39:53):
other and let's keep movingforward.
Let's keep chipping away at ourhealth anxiety a little more
every day.
Health anxiety a little moreevery day.
Thank you so much for joiningme for this episode.
I truly hope it's been of helpto you.
If you received value from thisepisode, I would be so grateful
(40:13):
if you would take a moment tosubscribe to the podcast,
download the episodes, rate andreview and, of course, please
share it with anyone who youthink may receive value from it
as well.
As always, I am honored to walkalongside of you as we heal and
stay healed together.
(40:34):
Bye.
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