506: Health Anxiety: how to stop fixating on symptoms and feel more peace
Last week we talked about how anxiety can hijack our minds and cause us distress by focusing in on anything we're worried about and increasing our fear by running a narrative of everything that might be wrong. This week, we're looking at how this can happen with anxiety about our health and sharing some practices from Qigong and EFT Tapping to help calm anxiety and send relaxed healing intention to our areas of concern.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANXIETY SLAYER PODCAST:
APPLE PODCASTS | STITCHER | PODBEAN | GOOGLE PLAY | SPOTIFY I TUNEIN
We’d like to say a big thank you to Whitney, Yahaira and Trudi for supporting the podcast on Patreon this week.
If you find the Anxiety Slayer podcast supportive, we hope you’ll consider becoming a patron! Learn more at patreon.com/anxietyslayer where you’ll over 40 guided meditations, Tapping Sessions and more.
Health Anxiety and the fear of what might be wrong
The anxious mind will look for what's wrong and it will find something and magnify it. It will become hyper-vigilant and keep going back to check and worry.
Discussion points:
The importance of redirecting our focus when we're feeling anxious about our health.
Teachings from Energy Medicine on the importance of where we put our focus.
“When you meditate for your own health or healing, try not to focus on the pain. Feel how healthy you are instead of focusing on what is wrong because if you focus on what is wrong you might call the pain back. ”
How qigong helps
Qigong helps move energy and clear blockages in the body, it helps release pain and anxiety and it feels proactive to be doing something good for your health.
Practice: Drawing your mind away from fear and pain
Scan your body with full attention and appreciation for the places that feel ok, the places that don't cause you concern. For example, your hands, study your hands with appreciation for all they do for you. Then your feet, arms, legs. Your eyes and ears. Send gratitude to your body.
Simple Qigong practice creating a calm and positive feeling toward your body
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Bounce on your heels for a few moments and shake your arms to shake out any tension
3. Drop your shoulders and wear a relaxed smile
4. As you breathe in, imagine you are inhaling healing energy through every part of your skin and drawing it to collect in your lower belly.
5. As you breathe out imagine any stress, anxiety, or pain - anything you don't feel good about - shooting out of your skin like smoke and drifting far away.
6. Check your shoulders and breathing and relax some more if you can and repeat.
Tapping to release health anxiety
Start with K27 Tapping as discussed last week to calm anxiety when we feel triggered.
Use cupping on the Top of the Head point to help to clear your mind and relieve anxiety.
Bring a smile to your face while Tapping to relax your face and focus on your outgoing breath being as long and smooth as you can make it without strain.
Save $20 on our health anxiety course
If you are suffering from Health Anxiety and want some relief you can save $20 on our popular First Responder Series Health Anxiety course until August 21st Follow our guided Tapping practices for calming anxiety about your health and learn how to make your own Bach Flower Remedies blend for peace of mind. View the full course here.