How to Manage Health Anxiety
Health anxiety can make even mild physical sensations feel overwhelming. A headache might trigger panic. A skipped heartbeat can send you down a Google rabbit hole searching for answers. Before you know it, reassurance-seeking, symptom checking, and constant Googling take over your day.
Health anxiety is real, common, and exhausting and struggling with it does not mean you’re weak. While it may not disappear overnight, health anxiety can become more manageable with the right tools and strategies.
Below are five practical strategies we often share with clients to manage health anxiety, reduce spiraling thoughts, and regain a sense of calm.
*disclaimer: this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
1. Pause the Symptom-Googling Cycle
A common behavior in health anxiety is compulsively Googling symptoms or consulting the unlicensed doctor, Chat GPT. While it may bring temporary relief, it often increases fear and strengthens anxiety.
Instead of immediately searching online:
Pause and take a few slow breaths
Set a short delay (even 10 minutes)
Notice if the urge to Google decreases on its own
Anxiety naturally peaks and falls when you delay reassurance-seeking. Over time, this simple pause can help manage health anxiety more effectively.
2. Name Anxiety Instead of Assuming Danger
Health anxiety convinces your brain that fear equals danger. A helpful shift is to name the experience rather than letting it escalate unchecked.
Try telling yourself: “This feels scary, but this is anxiety, not an emergency.”
Labeling anxiety helps calm the nervous system and creates space between physical sensations and spiraling thoughts.
3. Ground Yourself Instead of Scanning Your Body
People with health anxiety often scan their bodies for symptoms. While it feels helpful, this usually increases awareness of normal sensations and intensifies fear.
To break the cycle:
Place your feet firmly on the floor
Focus on your breath
Notice a few things you can see, hear, or feel
Grounding techniques shift attention away from internal scanning and back into the present moment, helping reduce health anxiety symptoms.
4. Delay Reassurance-Seeking Behaviors
Checking your pulse, repeatedly asking loved ones if you’re okay, or constantly monitoring symptoms may bring temporary relief, but these behaviors strengthen health anxiety over time.
When the urge to seek reassurance arises:
Try waiting 10 minutes
Sit with the discomfort
Remind yourself that anxiety can rise and fall without action
Each time you delay reassurance, you weaken the anxiety cycle and build resilience against spiraling thoughts.
5. Create a Calm Statement for Anxiety Spirals
When health anxiety spikes, having a prepared phrase can help regulate your nervous system and redirect anxious thoughts.
Examples include:
“I’ve felt this before and I was okay.”
“Anxiety feels intense, but it’s not dangerous.”
“I don’t need to solve this right now.”
Repeating a calm statement can reduce panic and interrupt spirals, making it easier to manage health anxiety over time.
Support Your Nervous System Daily
Managing health anxiety isn’t only about coping during spikes, it’s also about supporting your nervous system every day. Helpful habits include:
Limiting caffeine
Getting regular movement
Practicing slow breathing
Prioritizing rest and sleep
Incorporating these habits into daily life can help prevent anxiety from becoming overwhelming.
When to Consider Therapy for Health Anxiety
If health anxiety is:
Taking over your thoughts
Interfering with daily life
Impacting relationships or work
then therapy for health anxiety can be an effective support. Working with a licensed therapist can help you:
Reduce reassurance-seeking behaviors
Challenge anxious thought patterns
Build trust in your body again
At Ola Wellness, we specialize in helping clients manage anxiety in a sustainable, evidence-based way.
Final Note
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
If you’re struggling with health anxiety, you don’t have to manage it alone. Ola Wellness offers therapy services in New York and New Jersey to help you develop coping strategies, regain confidence, and find relief from spiraling anxiety. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation today!
