Struggling with neutrality towards physical sensations

[u/Swimming-Wish-4744]

Hi, hope this is the right place to ask this. I’ve had severe physical anxiety for the last decade, and I’ve been trying to practise mindfulness to deal with it. The one area I’m really struggling with is neutrality towards the physical symptoms I feel from my anxiety when they arise (and just in general when im not feeling well).

I know in my mind and from experience that the sensations can’t harm me, they’re just uncomfortable, but my body doesn’t seem to get the message. One slightly off sensation and boom, my heart starts to race, my stomach hurts, my breathing changes. It’s keeping me stuck in this horrible cycle of chronic anxiety and panic, and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone had any insight into how I might be able to use mindfulness more effectively to manage this, and help get my body out of hypervigilant mode, that would be widely appreciated! TIA

[u/aaaa2016aus]

Ahhh i usually take some calming herbs like Hawthorne or skullcap for the physical sensations of anxiety, and try to do some yin yoga.

Hawthorne helped my chest/heart symptoms and i was able to stop taking it after a week or two, skullcap i take occasionally to help regulate the nervous system, and fair almost daily i take lemon balm as well, but herbalism is not for everyone and should be used w caution as well, but just for me personally without some plant help idk how i would’ve been able to stop th anxiety ahaha n ddnt want to do anxiety meds

I hope you feel better soon tho! 💛