Waiting Room of a Doctor’s Office – Photo Courtesy: Gerd Altmann
Doctors’ offices are notorious for making people nervous. It’s practically a fact of life. If you’re one of the millions who panic when you have to make an appointment to see your doctor, there is no doubt that you wish you could find a way to relax. Well, there is a way. Read on for four great natural relaxation techniques to try before your next doctor’s appointment.
1. Breathe Deep
One of the best ways to relax is breathing deeply. Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Because your eyes are closed, you’ll be less likely to get distracted by the people and things around you. All you have are the thoughts in your head and your other senses.
Take deep breaths—in through the nose, out through the mouth. Make your inhalations and exhalations as even as you can, and then lengthen the time between each breath. Don’t let sounds, feelings, or thoughts take your focus away from your breathing. After a few minutes, your body will relax and your mind will be more at ease.
2. Stop Your Water Intake
If your blood pressure has a tendency to skyrocket before a doctor’s appointment, try to not drink as much water before your next visit. Most people don’t realize it but water increases your blood pressure. Normally this doesn’t matter much, because of all the other benefits of water. Plus, it doesn’t increase blood pressure significantly. But when you’re worried about a doctor’s appointment, every little bit that you can do to lower your blood pressure helps.
3. Notice the Room’s Colors
The waiting room is the place your nerves are likely to spike. To keep your mind off of all the horrifying scenarios your brain concocts, study the colors of the wall. Say the name of the color—or as close to the name as you can think—to yourself. Repeat it over and over. Then mix in other colors you can see around the room. By focusing on one thing so studiously, you take your mind away from the appointment, making you less likely to freak out.
4. Be Aware that You’re Not Alone
Finally, when you take a look around that waiting area, you’ll find there are others in the same, if not worse, predicament as you. Illness or sickness is a fact of life and almost all of us have to go through some kind of medical challenge during our lifetime. It is a strong possibility that at such occasions, you may be able to observe little children who are sick and are accompanied by their parents. Despite being sick, many of these kids would still like to play or fiddle with things around the doctor’s office! So, we, as adults, surely must be able to do more to calm ourselves. Right?
You don’t have to go into full-panic mode before your next doctor’s appointment. There are ways for you to relax, and those ways don’t have to involve medication. Use these natural relaxation techniques, and stop worrying about your annual visit to the doctor.
Drew Kobb, in addition to studying civil law, loves long distance running and considers himself a health and fitness enthusiast. His interests range all over the medical field, and Drew highlights that range on his blog, Dr. Ouch. He is a part-time consultant for NovaRad, and he enjoys learning about new health programs, procedures, and products, like radiology pacs.
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