When Health Anxiety Takes Over: Using the Spoon Theory to Cope and Adjust

Understanding Health Anxiety

Health anxiety isn’t just worrying about getting sick. It’s the constant fear that something might be seriously wrong, even when doctors say otherwise. You might notice every twinge, headache, or flutter in your chest and immediately wonder what it means. The urge to check symptoms, research online, or seek reassurance can take over your day.

Sometimes this fear starts after a real health scare or diagnosis. Your mind stays on high alert, scanning for danger. It’s exhausting, and often feels out of your control.

Working with a health anxiety therapist can help you understand what sits underneath this fear. Often it’s linked to past experiences, perfectionism, or a deep need to feel safe when life feels uncertain.

The Spoon Theory: Making Sense of Energy and Limits

The Spoon Theory, created by writer Christine Miserandino, explains what it’s like to live with limited energy. Think of each “spoon” as a unit of energy. Every task costs a spoon. For example, getting dressed, cooking, answering emails. Once you run out, that’s it for the day.

For people living with health anxiety or chronic illness, spoons disappear faster than you expect. Worry, self-monitoring, and constant vigilance drain energy just as much as physical activity.

Seeing your energy in terms of spoons can make life feel more predictable. It helps you prioritise what matters and remind yourself that it’s okay to slow down.

How to Use the Spoon Theory to Manage Health Anxiety

Here are some practical ways to apply it:

1. Track your spoons.Notice which activities or thoughts use up your energy. Maybe it’s scrolling through symptom forums or rushing to medical appointments. Write these down so you can see patterns.

2. Protect your spoons early.Don’t wait until you hit the wall. Take short breaks, breathe deeply, or spend time in nature before your energy dips too low.

3. Spend spoons on what matters.Before doing something, ask yourself, “Is this worth a spoon?” Sometimes reassurance helps for a moment, but it can also leave you more drained later.

4. Plan recovery time.After a stressful task, give yourself permission to rest. Even ten quiet minutes after a medical appointment can make a difference.

5. Communicate your spoon count.Let people know that your energy changes from day to day. You’re not avoiding them — you’re managing your capacity.

Adjusting to Illness and Building Acceptance

Adjusting to a diagnosis or health challenge takes time. Your body might heal faster than your emotions do. Anxiety often tries to protect you by imagining every possible outcome, but that constant alert state keeps you on edge.

Working with a health anxiety psychologist in Melbourne can help you:

• Tell the difference between real symptoms and anxiety-driven sensations

• Calm your body’s alarm system through mindfulness and grounding

• Rebuild trust in your body and what it can handle

• Reconnect with what gives life meaning, even when health feels uncertain

Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It’s learning how to live with uncertainty without letting it control you.

How Therapy at The Inner Collective Can Help

At The Inner Collective, our Melbourne psychologists understand how draining health anxiety and chronic illness can be. We use evidence-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based strategies to help you find balance and peace of mind.

Together, we’ll work on managing anxiety, rebuilding confidence in your body, and creating space for rest and joy, not just fear and checking.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If health anxiety has been running your life, support is available. A health anxiety therapist can help you find calm, regain energy, and make peace with uncertainty.

Reach out to The Inner Collective to book with a health anxiety psychologist in Melbourne who understands what you’re going through and can guide you toward practical, lasting change.

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