CBT · Anxiety

Health Anxiety Checking Log

One week of body scans, symptom searches, and reassurance asks — visible on one page

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Every check — a body scan, a symptom search, a reassurance ask — brings brief relief and reinforces the fear. This log makes the checking visible for one week, so you can see the pattern the anxiety doesn't want you to see.

Day

Trigger

Check I did

Relief (0–10)

Time cost (min)

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Weekly total time spent checking

What I noticed (does relief get shorter each time?)

One checking behavior I'll drop next week

About this worksheet

Every check — a body scan, a symptom search, a reassurance ask — brings brief relief and reinforces the underlying fear. Clients caught in health-anxiety loops usually can't see the pattern because each check feels rationally justified in the moment. This log makes a week of checking visible on a single page. Columns: day, trigger, check performed, relief rating (0–10), time cost in minutes. Two things emerge over a week: total time (usually shocking to the client) and the shortening of relief. Check-relief curves get flatter and briefer as the loop runs; seeing that pattern on paper is often the intervention. The sheet ends with one checking behavior to drop next week — small, specific, time-bounded. Companion to the Health Anxiety Worksheet.

When to use it

Illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder.
Cyberchondria — symptom-search loops.
Post-diagnosis hypervigilance after a real medical event has resolved.
As homework alongside ERP for health-focused OCD.

How to use it

1
Log every check, no matter how small
A five-second body scan counts. Under-logging is the most common failure mode.
2
Rate relief 0–10 and note the time cost
Both matter — the flattening relief curve and the accumulating time.
3
Review at the end of the week
Total time is usually the first shock. The shortening relief is the second.
4
Drop one checking behavior next week
One only, small, specific, time-bounded. 'No googling symptoms for 3 days' beats 'stop checking'.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the Health Anxiety Worksheet?+

The Health Anxiety Worksheet targets the belief in a single episode. This log tracks the behavioral loop across a week — different level of the same problem.

Should therapists check the client's log for accuracy?+

No — that becomes reassurance-seeking about the log itself. Take the client's numbers at face value; the trend matters more than the exact count.

Is this worksheet free?+

Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to send as a secure client link.

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Worksheet — Health Anxiety Checking Log — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.