Need help managing stress induced heartburn

[HorseGallopingOnATomato]

Hi all! I’m really, really stressed at the moment and I can’t change the things causing the stress (think terminal illness of close relative etc) but I do need to do something. I’ve had horrendous heartburn which I’m 100% sure is caused by anxiety. I really need some coping strategies to get through this and be a bit more resilient! Emotionally I feel stable and I’m sleeping and eating well, exercising, no caffeine or alcohol. But my body is telling a different story so I need to get my stress levels down. Any coping strategies?

To help with stress levels:

Have you tried the Headspace Mindfulness meditation app? I think you can get a month's free trial.

There are also NHS relaxation exercises you could try on YouTube.

Are you able to distract yourself for a bit by immersing yourself in a favourite hobby or TV show?

To help with the heart-burn directly:

Sleep with your head elevated (you can buy special wedge-shaped pillows if you want).

Eat small meals and nothing within 2 hours of bed.

Avoid any trigger foods e.g. citrus, tomatoes, chilli, fatty foods.

You can get over- the-counter gaviscon, ranitidine and esomeprazole which help.