Step-By-Step Strategy For Handling Stressful Dentist/Doctor Appointments

In my opinion, one of the extreme stressful times is going to the dentist or an oral surgeon. I'd agonize over the prospect of setting up an appointment and stressing out until the Big Day. But now, I train myself to avoid doing all of that and resorted to training myself to remain calm.

FIRST STEP: Making an appointment. To handle this, figure out whether you prefer a morning or afternoon appointment and how soon. If you're considering a dental appointment, figure out whether the following day or week works best for you. Then call. I know that doing this is extremely stressful, but it must be done. And it is up to you to do it. To get through this, promise yourself a treat right after you get the work done. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just something to look forward to once everything is done.

SECOND STEP: Reduce the stress from in-between aggravations, such as paying bills, getting a necessary repair done in the house, writing a letter, etc. At this point, you want to minimize little stressors so that they don't ultimately increase to bigger stresses. Find something that relaxes you, such as enjoying music or a favorite TV situation comedy.

THIRD STEP: As the Big Day draws near, take care of everyday chores, such as supermarket shopping, laundry, and the like. Once these chores are done, their completion frees up your time and reduces stress. Remind yourself that you have a treat of your choice after your appointment, even if that treat is a cup of coffee at a nearby diner. Imagining how good you'll feel once it is all over will help you reduce a lot of stress.

THE BIG DAY: Plan to get out of bed a little earlier than usual this morning. Have some breakfast and listen to music. Deal with smaller chores, such as cleaning up litterboxes, washing dishes, making the beds, and so forth. Be aware of the time you'll need to leave the house. Remember to allow enough time to drive or get public transportation. This morning, you're focusing on taking things one step at a time. Having a plan and implementing its steps will help to relieve a lot of stress. In your mind, visualize yourself as having the procedure completed and walking out of the dentist's or doctor's office on your way home. And as soon as possible afterward that same day, reward yourself with that long-awaited treat! You deserve it.

Dorothy Zjawin is the author of a number of Instructor articles that inspired her published book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker/Prentice-Hall). She has used the strategy explained in this article successfully many times.

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Need Help Handling Bad Days? Use the Release Technique

Every once in a while, all of us could use a bit of help handling bad days. It is women who complain of having stress and bad days more often than men. Some reasons for this may be due to menopause or other hormonal factors, but in addition to these issues, many women today work full-time outside of the home. Once the day ends at work, it is home to cook dinner, throw in some laundry, help with homework and get things ready for the next day.

When stress begins to overwhelm and get the best of you, it is a good idea to have tools in place to help and cope with those bad, stressful days.

Unless you can find a way to deal effectively with mounting stress, you are opening yourself up to the possibility of more serious problems. Too many "bad days" can add up to becoming depressed, sick, cause ulcers and migraines, just to name a few.

If you could find a way to release the stress and negative feelings, you would find yourself in a much better frame of mind and therefore, better able to cope with those bad days. Not only that, but the seemingly bad days would become less and less frequent.

You may have heard or read about the benefits of meditation, yoga, journaling or other stress reducing tools. In my experience, one of the best methods of turning those bad days around has been to use the release technique.

The release technique is a great program to actually release the negativity we tend to carry around and hang on to for a lot longer than we should. Once you practice the technique, you will experience a "lighter" feeling and be in a much better place to make better decisions and deal with day-to-day issues.

It can give you the opportunity to learn how to finally take control of your emotions instead of feeling like a helpless victim at the mercy of your current circumstances. With practice, the effects and effectiveness of the technique increase for better results.

You can continue to have bad days and experience various levels of stress, or you can decide to learn some tools and techniques to change your outlook and subsequent results. Using the release technique is a great tool for gaining clarity, setting goals and being in control of your emotions. The release technique helps you to get rid of old thoughts, emotions and the negativity that often comes along with them.

This method of releasing negativity can help you focus on goals and change how you feel about any situation. By thinking about only what you want, you are lining yourself up to be more likely to receive it. Setbacks and disappointments will be far easier to bounce back from, and you can learn to be more accepting in order to have better relationships, prosperity, break bad habits and live a more productive life.

If you need help handling bad days, try using the release technique. Any tool that can help you focus more clearly on where you want to go instead of where you are feeling stuck or trapped is worth a look. This year, turn those resolutions into realities.

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