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During the height of the lockdown my thermometer was calling to me like a siren, hellbent on shipwrecking me on the shores of my own self-doubts.  

Avoid obsessive self-checking

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I know from experience, though, that repeatedly checking yourself for symptoms is part of health anxiety’s destructive MO 

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It’s classic “reassurance behaviour” – like repeatedly checking a light is off when you leave the house. 

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The internet’s a wonderful thing. It’s great for finding out why sweatshirts have a triangle on the neck it’s not so good, however, if you want to accurately diagnose an illness. 

Be wary of research rabbit hole

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Still, let’s be honest, who hasn’t googled a symptom or headed towards a health forum when they felt under the weather? 

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As one of the therapists who helped me with my anxiety pointed out, though, research your symptoms for long enough  

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Stage your own intervention

Classic health anxiety follows a predictable cycle and understanding how that cycle works is the key to breaking it – and its hold over you. It usually starts with a trigger (perhaps you see something on the news, hear of someone being ill or have a sniffle ).

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Everyone has lightbulb moments during therapy. . I started yoga lessons, made positive changes to my diet,  and started taking 10-mile walks in the countryside .

Replace health worries with health action

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When you live in fear of getting ill, you effectively spend all your time in the future rather than the here and now.  Living in the now robs that fear of the energy it needs to grow, which is why a little mindfulness  can be useful in allaying your fears. 

Be mindful to live in the now

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