Theres virtually nothing comforting about the inside of a gynecologists examination room.
Its sterile. Its white. Its cold.
Youre wearing a flimsy gown and, wait, did the doc say that thing should be open in the front? Or in the back? GAH, THIS IS THE WORST.
Its totally natural to be nervous at the gyno. I mean really, whats more vulnerable than sitting under harsh and overexposed fluorescent lights while you spread your legs for someone you hardly know?
But, in order for you to live up to your full potential as the totally kickass girl boss you are, you have to make sure youre as healthy as can be, and that definitely includes your lady parts.
Here are 10 ways to calm yourself down the next time you find yourself stuck in the stirrups.
1. Ask your doctor to talk you through every step.
A huge part of your anxiety might be attributed to a general feeling of the unknown. You know you can trust your gyno, but you still dont exactly know what theyre prodding and poking at down there.
Any decent gynecologist wont mind at all if you ask them to elaborate on everything theyre doing, especially if they know itll help you feel more at ease.
2. Or, on the flip side, chat up your gyno about literally anything else.
Maybe knowing exactly what the doc is up to down in V-town isnt ideal for you, and perhaps it only exacerbates your anxiety.
If thats the case, engage in some light small talk with your gyno, kind of like you would with your hairdresser.
Talk about the weather, upcoming vacations, what you do for work whatever will take your mind off of the dreaded speculum.
3. Remind yourself to breathe, because youre probably forgetting to.
Sometimes, when your nerves get particularly overwhelming, you kind of just forget youre a human being who requires oxygen to function.
Take deep, indulgent breaths in through your nose, and breathe out slowly and steadily through your mouth. If you can manage to focus on this throughout the whole exam, itll be over before you know it.
4. Listen to music.
Theres no shame in bringing a pair of headphones to the gyno if itll help you relax a little.
Or, if you feel weird shutting your doctor out like that, simply ask if you can play the music aloud on your phone. Theres no reason why you cant, right? And maybe the two of you will actually bond over the music you like.
5. Dont talk at all, and instead, immerse yourself in something to read.
Whether its a book you cant put down, a fascinating article you havent gotten around to reading, or even just your never-ending Twitter feed, any distraction can help.
6. Avoid caffeine before your appointment.
Caffeine will only make you more jittery and nervous, and if your knees are already prone to quivering from the sheer fear of exposing yourself to the gyno, the last thing you need is to add fuel to the fire.
Replaceyour usual caffeine fix with some chamomile or green tea, or anything decaf.
7. Read the entirety of an obscure informational poster on the wall about womens health.
And focus on that sucker until your eyes start to burn.
If youre sitting inside an exam room of a gynecologists office, Im willing to bet theres at least one sort of obscure, but highly informative poster about vaginas, STDs, the anatomy of your boobs, the Gardasil shot, or almost anything else you can think of related to womens health.
Study that thing as if youll be tested on it. Youll be distracted, youll learn something new in the process.
8. Plan ahead by scheduling something really fun for immediately after the appointment.
Not only do you deserve to treat yourself after a stressful experience, but youll have something else to think about (and look forward to), other than how weird it is for someone to poke at your cervix like theyre ringing a doorbell.
9. Come prepared with mints or other types of hard candies.
Treat yoself with a tasty candy to suck on while your gyno gets to third base with you.
Im personally all about mints, because the flavor is intense enough to distract me from an uncomfortable situation like this, and who can say no tofresh breath?
10. Think about how much worse it would be if you were giving birth right now.
OK, hear me out. I promise Im throwing no shade whatsoever at parenthood, or the idea of having babies, or any of that.
But I think we can all agree giving birth looks and sounds painful AF.Just put it in perspective, you know?
Overall, you should be proud of yourself for making it to the gyno and surviving all the awkwardness and anxiety that go into it.
Being the best version of yourself is definitely no easy feat, but its worth the hustle.
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