How I approach health anxiety.
I've been dealing with health anxiety for over five years.
I've tried a lot of different things.
Here's what really works for me.
So first off,
I take my environment in.
So just look around.
I can hear.
.
.
That I can smell.
Just the senses,
Engaging those.
Sometimes people say to me,
Well,
My anxiety is about what's going on within me,
Not what's going on outside of me.
I feel okay about outside of me,
I feel pretty safe.
But it's a worry about my health.
And my answer is generally Well,
When we feel entangled with an emotion,
That being anxiety in this case.
It's hard to really hold that from a grounded place.
We don't disentangle a little bit so When you.
.
.
Become aware of what's outside of you.
Or just the space that you're in.
And also that you are here in this space.
It starts to create space.
Where you can relate to yourself.
Then I start to sense within my body.
Just what is here.
Maybe there's tension in the shoulders connected to that anxiety,
That worries.
Of what a part of me is worried might happen.
So I just sense that with openness,
With curiosity It's not about getting rid of anything,
It's more about getting curious about what's here.
Building a relationship with it,
That's the only thing that works.
In my opinion.
And then starting to communicate.
Directly.
That anxious part of us,
So just hearing what it's worried about.
Just letting you speak a little bit.
But remember we are disentangled to some extent.
So we're not just completely taken over by the anxiety.
We're listening to what it's saying and how it's feeling in the body.
So earlier for me,
I was making a microwave meal and there's a part of me that really worried about microplastics and the health effects of cumulative exposure because everything is wrapped in plastic these days,
Right?
And we don't yet know,
At least at the point of recording this video,
What those health effects will be.
So taking something like a microwave meal.
In my body,
Within me,
I can feel like this is a life or death choice,
Like I'm ruining my health.
So whatever it is for you.
That you feel anxious about,
That a part of you feel anxious about.
Just listening,
Hearing that worry.
And just feeling that charge within.
As much as feels safe in this moment.
And with curiosity just noticing.
If anything changes.
With how you feel within.
Maybe the shoulders drop a little bit or maybe they get more tense whatever it is just get curious as you're meeting the anxiety with care,
Compassion,
Openness and just checking in what it needs.
What does that part of you need?
For me it's saying it would like me to gain a bit more awareness around the effect of microplastics if there's better choices I could make or if it's all pretty much the same choice because everything is wrapped in plastic and if I take the microwave meal or make my own meal How much of a difference is there?
So it would like me to work with it to figure that out.
Yeah,
So I let it know that I'm very happy to do that.
Whatever it is for you,
Just having that dialogue,
Building that relationship,
As I said at the beginning,
Is really important.
Because when the anxiety learns to trust you,
That you are here,
The ground itself.
That's when in moments when you're making a choice,
Like what meal do I choose?
You know,
Or you've got a sort of.
.
.
Health issue that is current and anxiety goes into What it fears may happen.
What is actually happening and what it fears may happen.
Are usually not the same thing.
There's definitely a gap between those two,
Right?
So when we have a relationship to.
.
.
Anxiety,
But also we're grounded within our grounded self.
We can just suff those waves and we can make the choices that Serve a life.
The best.
Or work together with anxiety instead of fear.
I don't want to feel you.
I'm gonna push you away,
This is horrible.
Because the experience of it is not pleasant.
Makes complete sense for a part of us not to want to have that here.
But also it's here.
It's probably trying to help.
So let's work together.
I'm just taking a moment.
Listening within again.
Sensing within.
If you like,
Just placing a hand on your heart which just.
.
.
Symbolizes that,
You know.
We're in this together.
You're no longer 11.
You don't need to pound that along.
So strongly all the time.
It makes sense why you do,
Because we've heard about the concern.
But also it's not necessary because we can move with a bit more ease,
We can move with a bit more groundedness and still be okay.
If not in a better place actually.
Doesn't mean the anxiety has to go away.
You can tap us on the shoulder.
That needs to get our attention.
Really fine.
Absolutely fine.
It doesn't need to hijack.
And this is a process,
You know,
You can't expect that from day one you're going to have all this trust.
Your grounded self and any anxious parts,
Any other parts.
It's a process.
But you know the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step so that's why the frequent checking in during your day every day.
Obsessively,
But just commitment to building this relationship is crucial,
Really.
And there's lots to learn,
Lots of love to give.
And just.
.
.
My foot was starting to cramp.
Just taking a breath and coming back into the space that you're in When I say breath I just mean a slower breath,
A conscious breath.
And just knowing that you can check in at any point.
And if you can't,
If you're too busy,
It's just not possible.
Letting those parts of you know that you'll come back.
And then honouring that agreement,
Writing it down,
Putting it in the calendar,
Just to take 5 minutes or whatever.
Have a beautiful day or night.
Soak up.
Be soothing.
Bye bye.
