Before a Doctor's Appointment

Hi, it's Eve here. Welcome to this 10 minute guided exercise on calming nerves before a doctor's appointment, a procedure or even surgery. I want to reassure you that it's normal to feel nervous in a medical setting. I get really nervous. They can feel like pretty scary places. A lot of anxiety and apprehension can be present and the mind might be flooded with many what ifs. And we can end up creating many storylines in the mind that only add to that apprehension or anxiety. It can be helpful to remind yourself that these feelings are coming from a good place. We want to be safe and healthy. That's a good thing. My intention with this exercise is to provide a safe space in which the mind and body can calm down and help you feel clearer about advocating for yourself. It can be overwhelming to make sense of a medical diagnosis or to feel confident requesting clarification. I've designed this exercise to be used in the moment when you need it. That could be before you leave for an appointment, it could be waiting in the car, or even whilst you are in the waiting room or a hospital bed. In this exercise, we'll go through a series of anchor points where you can focus your attention. So this is a point or object you can return to when distracting thoughts or difficult emotions overtake the mind. And then you can choose which one feels most supportive to you, which can then serve as an anchor for you as you go into your appointment. So you can do this exercise sitting upright, or if you prefer and it's available to you, you can also lie down for this. So taking a moment to get comfortable, adjusting your posture if needed. Maybe rolling out the shoulders if that helps. Even shaking out the hands and resting them in your lap. If you'd like to, you can close the eyes or simply rest your gaze downwards or focus on a point in front of you. And just a small note here. If you need to pause at any point or let go of my guidance, you can do that and come back when you feel ready. As we settle into the practice, taking a moment here to feel the different points of contact, the body pressing down, and maybe noticing where there are no points of contact. Perhaps you can feel the sensation of fabric against the skin. So inviting you now to focus on a point in the body that feels safe and supportive. This might be the sensation of the feet on the floor, that sense of connection. Or it might be the hands in the lap. Perhaps you feel the warmth, or there is a sense of energy flowing in the hands and you can even hold your hands together. Maybe there is a light breeze going across your face that feels comforting, and the breath...