The last 18 months have made everyone more conscious than ever about their physical health and for some, this may have also had implications for their mental health or health anxiety. Health anxiety is defined by the NHS as spending so much time worrying that you're ill, or about getting ill, that it starts to take over your life. We wanted to share some top tips from the NHS to help you cope with health anxiety.
The NHS recommends:
1. Keeping a diary and note how often you check your body, ask people for reassurance, or look at health information try to gradually reduce how often you do these things over a week.
2. Challenge your thoughts - draw a table with 2 columns, write your health worries in the first column, then more balanced thoughts in the second. For example, in the first column you may write, "I'm worried about these headaches" and in the second, "Headaches can often be a sign of stress"
3. Keep busy with other things - when you get the urge to check your body for example, distract yourself by going for a walk or calling a friend.
4. Get back to normal activities - try to gradually start doing things you've been avoiding because of your health worries, such as sports or socialising. Why not join our MOVE fitness classes, one of our sports teams or a new society?
5. Try to relax (even though we know that can seem very difficult) - try this simple breathing exercise or visit the Mind website for some relaxation exercises.
Remember if you're really struggling you can always come and talk to us in the Students Union or Student Welfare, we all offer online sessions if that makes you feel easier!
Don't forget to tag @leedsartsunion in all your Welfare Week activities to be entered into our pamper hamper draw! Check out the What's On calendar for even more events here: https://www.leedsartsunion.org.uk/whats-on
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