“Is this anxiety?” - A gentle guide to interpreting body sensations
If you live with health anxiety, you’re probably familiar with the moment a sensation appears out of nowhere - A flutter in your chest. A tingle. A tightness. A headache. Suddenly your mind is scanning, analyzing, and imagining the worst.
What most people don’t realise is that anxiety produces real, physical sensations—and often very intense ones.
This article isn’t here to dismiss you. Your sensations are real. Your fear is real. But the interpretation? That’s where anxiety takes over.
Why Anxiety Mimics Illness
Anxiety activates the fight-or-flight response, pushing adrenaline, increasing heart rate, tightening muscles, and shifting blood flow. This can create:
Chest tightness
Tingling in hands or feet
Digestive issues
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Hot or cold flashes
Difficulty swallowing
These sensations feel alarming, but they are biologically normal responses to perceived threat—even when there’s no actual danger.
The 3-Question Reframe for Any Sensation
When a symptom appears, pause and ask:
1. Has this sensation appeared before, during anxiety?
If yes, that’s important data.
2. Does the sensation change when I shift my focus or my breathing?
Anxiety-based sensations often decrease when regulation increases.
3. Is this sensation worsening rapidly or staying the same?
Health anxiety imagines worst-case scenarios instantly. Most serious medical events escalate quickly.
A Regulation Tool: The “Name & Normalize” Technique
Notice the sensation (“My chest is tight.”)
Name it as a nervous system response (“My body is in threat mode.”)
Normalise it (“This has happened before when anxious.”)
Soothe it
4–6 breathing
Gentle shaking
Warmth on chest
Grounding through feet
This technique retrains your brain to regulate instead of panic.
Final Note
You deserve to feel safe in your body. Learning to understand sensations without spiralling is a skill—one that can absolutely be learned with time and practice.
