Trigger warning: mental health affecting physical health, physical illness

My anxiety has been so bad as of late so I thought I’d make a post about what helps me, and what might help you&lt;3

If you have health anxiety: unless you know 100% that something is wrong, you have to calm yourself down first. The best things (that work for me) regarding this are square breathing and reality checking. 

Square breathing: breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and repeat.

Reality checking regarding anxiety: 
some questions you can ask yourself are: what is making me anxious regarding my health and why? What can I do to help it? What has been making it worse? 
Things you can tell yourself are: I’m okay. It’s just (X, Y, Z) happening again and nothing bad will happen. If I do need medical attention, help, etc, I will get it and people will take care of me/whatever is wrong, but right now I have health anxiety and need to calm myself down. 

If you do better calming down with distractions, I recommend something that will definitely be hard at first. Do something that needs a lot of focus and that will let you cast your intrusive and anxious thoughts aside. Playing a video game, writing, drawing, reading, listening to music, baking, cooking, singing, dancing, whatever you need to. If your thoughts keep coming back, try your best just to push them out and put all your focus into what your doing. 

Lastly, if you need to cry, scream, punch something, do it. Please only punch soft things though, pillows, blankets, fabric, your bed, etc. if you need someone to talk it out with, don’t be afraid to reach out and show emotion. 

I hope this helps, health anxiety is tough but remember that you’re tougher, and I’m so proud of you. This will pass&lt;3