Anxiety is no fun. It’s unhelpful when trying to accomplish things. It wreaks havoc on our health. But most of all at Willow Dental Care we think life should be fun. And no one is having fun if they are anxious.
You may have noticed that Willow Dental Care takes special interest in your comfort and our staff is trained to help you if you struggle with dental anxiety. In that light we want to share with you a few tips to help you deal with anxiety no matter what the situation.
1) Deep breaths. 30 deep breaths are often suggested, but we suggest as many long slow breaths as you need to help you lean towards a sense of well-being.
2) Exercise. Often if you are nervous about a big day, it feels like a good excuse to skip the gym. If nerves or anxiety might come in to play for your big day, we suggest getting your sweat on. Not only will you work off some of that nervous energy but the calming after effects can last at least 30 minutes.
3) Don’t skip breakfast! Unless your doctor or dentist has told you otherwise, a comforting healthy meal will make you less prone to irritation and nerves.
4) Ask yourself: Is this thought helpful? There are a lot of thoughts you can have around an anxiety ridden event, the question is, what you are thinking right now – is it helpful? And if it’s not, what is the next best thought I can think of? It might be actively changing the subject to something you like to daydream about or something else that can easily envelope your focus. Or simply altering the story you’re telling in your head to one that might feel slightly better.
5) Distract. Distract. Distract. Watch or read anything that will take over your focus. At Willow Dental Care we offer tv’s in the waiting room as well as above each one of our dental chairs. Just ask for the remote and headphones and lose yourself in entertainment.
6) Meditate or pray. Meditation and prayer have shown to have similar effects on the brain. If you already do this regularly in your life you may find it an easy way calm down before stressful situations. If not, simply close your eyes and count your breaths as you breath deeply. This simple task can often help you towards feeling calm.
Now that we’ve shared our tips for handling anxiety, what are yours? How do you deal with stressful situations? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
