I had a dentist appointment yesterday and, man, I was a nervous wreck the whole morning. I mean, I've always been kinda anxious about dental stuff, but lately it's gotten worse. So this time I tried something new—I put on my headphones and listened to this calming playlist I found online. It sorta helped, but not as much as I'd hoped. Then I tried deep breathing exercises in the waiting room, which felt kinda awkward with people around, you know? But it did help a bit.
I'm curious if anyone else has little rituals or things they do to calm down before going to the dentist. Like, do you have a certain song or podcast you listen to, or maybe some weird superstition or habit that helps you relax? I'm open to trying anything at this point, haha.
"Then I tried deep breathing exercises in the waiting room, which felt kinda awkward with people around, you know?"
Haha, yeah, I totally get the awkwardness. Honestly though, I've found that trying too hard to relax sometimes just makes me more aware of my anxiety. Weirdly enough, distracting myself works better—like scrolling through funny memes or texting a friend about something completely unrelated. Might seem counterintuitive, but getting your mind off the dentist altogether can sometimes be more effective than actively trying to calm down.
