Managing Healthcare Anxiety
Author: Dr. Vrolijk | Updated: August 23, 2025 | Disclaimer | Review Process | References
Feeling anxious about medical appointments doesn’t mean you’re overreacting or being difficult. Medical anxiety is a real challenge that many people face – and there are concrete ways to manage it.
Whether you avoid appointments because of worry, your child cries at checkups, or you just want to feel more comfortable during visits, the tools on this page can help.
On This Page:
You're Not Alone
Feeling nervous about a medical appointment? Or anxious while waiting? You’re not alone. Even doctors sometimes worry when they’re the patient!
We’ve collected ways to deal with medical anxiety that have helped people. Most people find the tools work better the more you do them. It’s like any other exercise. You get better at it the more you do it.
Everyone is different, so you might find some work for you while others don’t. Or one might work at home whereas another works at medical appointments.
Do you have a tool that you think we should include? Let us know! It could help other people too.
For Adults
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
Wherever you are find:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Fidget Item
Bring something that you manipulate with your hands like a fidget spinner. Pick something that requires attention but not much mental effort. It can help with feeling calmer and more present.
For Kids
Butterfly Breathing
- Hold your arms out like wings
- Breathe in → raise your wings up
- Breathe out → lower your wings down
- Do this 3 times
Works great anywhere – even right before getting a shot!
Toy or Comfort Item
Pick something that your child likes to play with or feels comforted by. For older kids, this might be a fidget spinner. A younger child might prefer a toy like a stuffed bear.
Pick something that will engage their attention. This can help by:
- Distracting them
- Give them a place to focus their nervous energy
- Help them feel more grounded
The Science Behind These Tools
These tools help many people feel calmer. Everyone is different, though, so you might have to try more than one to find what’s right for you.
What the Research Suggests
- Slow breathing for more than 5 minutes seems to tell your body to relax
- Relaxing your muscles also tells your body it’s safe to relax
- Focusing on what you see, hear, feel, etc. can interrupt anxiety by bringing your attention to the present moment
- How you think about a situation can change how your body responds
- Most techniques work better with practice when you’re already feeling safe (like at home)
While these specific techniques are widely used by therapists and healthcare providers, more research is needed to fully understand how they work.
Let us know if you found another tool useful. We would love to share it. It could help someone else.
What to Read Next
Resources We Used
Clinical experience from multiple clinicians
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