How to Mentally Prepare for a Shot or Injection

Shots and injections, whether an occasional event or a chronic situation, can be tough on the nerves. Even if you must inject yourself once or more daily, you can work on strategies to psyche yourself up and positively experience an injection. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• An open and relaxed mind
• Positive thinking
• Things that soothe you (music, a favorite meal, a good book)
• People who empower you
• A numbing agent such as lidocaine

1. Do an uplifting, calming activity prior to shot time, such as reading a good book, doing yoga, meditating, eating something you love (if allowed by your doctor) or spending time with a positive person.
2. Give yourself plenty of time for the shot. If you inject regularly, block out a regular time or times during the day when nothing else can be scheduled. If this is a one-time event, arrive early to the doctor's office or shot location.
3. Either bring someone you trust to the doctor's appointment for the shot or have them with you when you self-inject. If shots are a regular thing for you, you may not have another person at your disposal for every injection, but if you're feeling particularly down or pessimistic, it's great to have someone around to boost your morale.
4. Know the ins-and-outs of the procedure. If in a doctor's office, have the shot administrator tell you what will happen and why. If self-injecting, know the potential side-effects and correct areas to inject.
5. Remember during the injection, you are doing something positive for your health and at this moment, you are very brave.
6. Post-injection, do something you enjoy, including any of the activities listed in Step 1.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to numb the injection area, ask your doctor for a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine. This is also available by prescription for continuous injections.