3 Ways To Manage Health Anxiety
Health anxiety has been a subtle global issue. However, the onset of the pandemic heightened the issue further. About 5% of people experience it at some point in life. As subtle as it may be for an individual, health anxiety takes on a vicious cycle. This proves that you will continue to suffer the accompanying repercussions until you deal with or manage it. Discussed below are some suggestions on how to bring it under control.
- Avoid health-related news in all forms
Depending on the severity of your anxiety, an immediate thing you can do is avoid all health-related news. Indeed, it may seem like an impossible task, especially when it is the 21st century and news cannot be avoided. You may try avoiding the news on TV or radio, but it may not stop the likelihood of receiving health-related news notifications on your phone via social media. Fortunately, you can go around this hurdle by taking matters into your hands.
You may want to consider turning off your phone’s instant news notification button for starters. If it helps, you can limit your news consumption to only a few minutes in the day. Even with this option, it would help if you deliberately stayed off news reports specifically on health.
- Avoid Googling any symptom you experience
According to recoveryvillage.com, 60% of people are tempted to search Google to determine the underlying cause for various symptoms they experience. Unfortunately, what this does is elevate your anxiety levels when in fact, there may be no need to worry. Keep in mind that the internet holds a wealth of information for public consumption. However, not everything you see on these online platforms is accurate. Some information can be misleading and nothing far from unfounded conclusions.
Therefore, instead of compounding your fears, it would be better to seek help via telehealth options like those provided by Brad Schaeffer of MedComp. That will be a better way to spend your time online instead of reading scary information about symptoms that may have nothing to do with what you are experiencing.
- Maintain a normal routine
There is nothing better than sticking to a healthy routine when you experience anxiety episodes. Unfortunately, few people realize the tremendous impact of routine when dealing with anxiety. By maintaining your daily activities, you help the brain focus on the things it is always used to.
Furthermore, sticking to your routines can create an emotional distancing from the anxiety you feel about your health. Fortunately, human beings are naturally social creatures, so it helps to engage in activities that encourage interacting with others. Unmanaged health anxiety can increase your risk for other emotional and psychological conditions. Therefore, it is better to attend to it in the very early stages rather than allow it to get worse.
Last but not least, you will find it worthwhile to be conscious of your emotions and mental state when you are unwell. It is a reliable strategy that works against building up health anxiety.
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