How to stop checking on yourself? Q re cbt technique

[Almost_there]

I'm just starting using cbt in the hope of getting rid of my fear of being anxious. I had a bad period last year while moving abroad and had panic attacks which I concored with the help of Claire Weekes books but I still have a fear of anxiety and trying to work on my negative thoughts with cbt and positive thought replacements.
Anyway is there a technique to stop checking on yourself if you still anxious/have anxiety? For example I had several anxious periods in the last month and while I'm almost rid of my anxiouseness about those events the anxiousness about being an anxious person (my real fear really) still remains and I keep checking on myself if I'm feing anxious. The only solutions I found was to replace those checks with checks of whether I'm calm rather than whether i feel anxious if that makes sense? Prohibiting my brain from checking doesn't work for me and just makes me more anxious if i dont manage...
Are there any other techniques? Also while you can get rid of any other fear by exposure fear of anxiety is a harder one to get rid of this way so if snyone has any tips pls share! Thx for reading:)

[lucasway89]

As you will learn through doing CBT you wil reach a point when it doesn't matter if you are checking yourself or not because your #1 priority will be to be willing to feel anxious, it sounds horrible, it isn't nice but it is a major major step. If you're willing to feel anxious, you don't fear being anxious and so checking or not..it makes no difference.

In the short term however I find distraction is my best way to stop self assessing. However that has spawned its own set of problems as now when i am in situations with little/no distractions I get nervous. For example I'm going on holiday on Monday and am struggling with the idea of going and being away from my distractions/safety nets. As counter intuitive as it is. The CBT clearly still hasn't fully taken hold of me, it is hard to break free of the habits we have, but it is a big step.

[oldtime]

Distraction is not a good idea for exactly the reasons that you describe.

You need to accept that other normal people feel anxiety too but they don't fear it. It is normal to feel anxiety, the problem we have is that we don't react to it in a normal way. Adrenaline and cortisone are a friend there to help us in times of stress. Try not to fight the anxiety, try to accept and let it happen. Over time it will lose its power over you and you will slowly stop thinking about it.

[PanchoGoz]

I'm having this trouble too...it's hard not to check in when every other object I look at reminds me of my fears. It's like trying to sleep with a ticking clock by your ear.