Health Anxiety in the Age of Information: Why Wellness Feels Overwhelming and How to Find Balance

A few years ago, I thought I was doing everything right for my health. I swapped ultra processed foods for whole, nutrient-dense meals. I learned about gut health, hormone balance, and functional medicine (taking a person-centred and systems approach to identify the root cause of illness, not address symptoms). I questioned mainstream advice, diving deep into wellness research that was evidence-based.

And yet, despite all this knowledge, I felt more anxious than ever.

I would second-guess every meal choice. Was I eating enough protein? Were those seed oils ruining my progress? Was my morning coffee messing with my cortisol? Every podcast, wellness expert, and conflicting study made me question if I was doing enough — or worse if I was doing it all wrong.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but I had developed health anxiety — not in the traditional sense of fearing a hidden illness, but in a wellness-perfectionist way. I was hyper-aware of every possible thing I could be doing better and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re in the right place. In a world of unlimited health advice, it’s easy to feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough, or why should you even bother? Let’s talk about why this happens, why it’s normal, and how to regain a sense of balance in your wellness journey.

Why Health Anxiety is More Common Than Ever

We live in a time where health information is everywhere—but with that comes contradictions, fear-mongering, and the pressure to optimise everything.

Firstly, There’s Too Much Information

One person swears by intermittent fasting, another says it wrecks hormones. Some experts claim seed oils are toxic, while others say the fear is overblown. Who do you believe?

Secondly, There is So Much Pressure to Be Perfect

Wellness has moved beyond basic health into biohacking and optimisation. It’s no longer “eat more veggies” but “should you be eating only grass-fed, organic, locally sourced, foods like your ancestors?” The pressure to get it all right is exhausting.

Thirdly, Fear-Based Messaging Dominates

Many health and wellness influencers thrive on what to avoid. Instead of feeling empowered by what we can do for our health, we’re constantly hearing about what’s harming us — chemicals in skincare, microplastics in water, hormones in food. Awareness is good, but too much fear can be paralysing to do anything at all.

Lastly, Personalised Health is Overwhelming

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, which is both freeing and frustrating. What works for someone else might not work for you, but how do you know what your body truly needs?

This is the new form of health anxiety — not just worrying about illness but constantly questioning if you’re doing enough for your well-being.

How to Work Through Health Anxiety and Find Balance

It took me a while to recognise that my quest for perfect health and hormones was making me less healthy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by wellness information, here are some mindset shifts and practical steps that helped me regain a sense of balance.

1. Recognise That You’re Doing Enough

One of the hardest truths to accept is that perfection isn’t the goal — consistency is.

Your body doesn’t need you to be perfect. It needs you to be nourished, rested, and at peace. If you’re stressing over whether a single meal contained seed oils, that stress might be more damaging than the oils themselves.

✅ Focus on progress over perfection. Instead of asking, “Am I doing everything right?” ask, “Am I doing what feels good for my body most of the time?”

2. Choose a Few Trusted Sources (Ignore the Rest)

Not all health advice is created equal. The more opinions you consume, the more confused you’ll be.

✅ Pick 2–3 trusted experts and stick with them. If something is truly important, you’ll hear about it from multiple credible sources.

✅ Unfollow accounts that make you feel anxious or introduce new fears. As soon as a post makes you spiral, mute or unfollow, it is not worth the energy.

3. Focus on the Basics

When health gets overwhelming, simplify. The fundamentals of good health haven’t changed:

• Eat real food (without stressing over every ingredient)

• Move your body regularly

• Hydrate sufficiently

• Prioritise sleep and stress management

• Listen to YOUR body — trust yourself

✅ Simple habits done consistently are more powerful than extreme interventions.

4. Stop Labelling Foods as “Good” or “Bad”

A major trigger for health anxiety is believing that some foods are “pure” while others are “toxic.” But context matters.

Yes, ultra-processed foods aren’t ideal, but does that mean eating a store-bought salad dressing once in a while is ruining your health? No. Your overall diet matters more than any single meal.

✅ If you catch yourself obsessing over whether something is “healthy enough,” ask:

• Will this one meal actually make a difference in my long-term health?

• Is this stress around food helping me, or making me feel worse?

5. Trust Your Body More Than the Internet

The wellness industry thrives on making you feel like you need external validation to know what’s best for you. But your body gives you feedback every day — if you learn to listen.

Instead of following every trend, start asking yourself:

• How does this food make me feel? Energised or sluggish?

• Is this wellness practice improving my well-being? Or am I doing it because someone online said I should?

• Am I making health choices from a place of fear or self-care? If fear, ask yourself why, and revisit the question above.

✅ Your body is not a problem to be hacked — it’s a system that thrives on balance. The more you listen to it, the less external noise will affect you.

Health Should Feel Empowering, Not Exhausting

I know what it’s like to feel stuck in a cycle of health anxiety — overanalysing every choice, feeling like you’re never doing enough, and drowning in a sea of conflicting information. But health isn’t about control, fear, or perfection.

At the end of the day, true health and wellness are about freedom — feeling good in your body, trusting yourself, and making choices that support your well-being without stress or obsession.

If you’ve been struggling with health anxiety, take a deep breath. Know this is normal. And remember, you don’t have to stay in this state of overwhelm. You’re already doing more than enough (because you are enough, too).

Have you ever struggled with health anxiety? How do you handle wellness overwhelm? Share your experience in the comments!

With love and balance, my Friends x