Effective Strategies to Set Appointments When You're Anxious

Strategies for setting appointments have become important to me. This is because when it comes to setting appointments for the doctor, dentist, etc., anxiety can hold me back from getting it done. It seems like such a simple task, but it can be extremely overwhelming. I can't let anxiety keep me from doing what needs to be done, so when it comes to managing anxiety and setting appointments, here are my strategies. 

Reasons I Need Strategies for Setting Appointments

The first step to managing my anxiety is to find out what is causing those feelings. A few things I worry about when setting appointments are: 

• Sounding stupid on the phone
• Finding childcare
• Having to drive to the appointment (See my previous article about anxiety and driving.)
• Experiencing physical or psychological discomfort in the appointment (For example, going to the dentist causes me discomfort, and taking my kids to the pediatrician and worrying if they are judging me as a mom also causes me discomfort.) 
• Picking a convenient date and time for the appointment
• Not being able to hear what the receptionist is saying 

All of these reasons combined make my anxiety skyrocket when I have to call and set an appointment. When I use positive strategies for setting appointments, though, I can make myself call. 

I Set Appointments Using These Strategies

The most successful strategy I have found to get past my anxiety and make the call is to make an appointment for myself to set the appointment. I tell myself that on a certain day and time, I will call Dr. So-and-so and make the appointment. I also tell my husband this plan to hold myself accountable, and then I make it happen. I use this same strategy when planning to call someone for any needed childcare or rides. 

To assure myself I won't sound stupid on the phone, I role-play what I will say before calling. For this strategy for setting appointments, I practice the conversation several times until I feel confident. I go to a quiet room in my house to make the call. I have trouble hearing sometimes, which makes me more anxious when I have to talk on the phone. Setting myself up for success by calling in a quiet environment lessens my anxiety around this factor. There will seldom be a convenient time for an appointment, as scheduling conflicts often arise for anything, so I just accept that fact. 

Sometimes, accepting that some things are outside of my control and moving forward is all that I can do to manage my anxiety. When I pair this with other strategies for setting appointments, like those listed above, I can function and even move out of survival mode into thriving. I can set and attend my appointments with confidence and without anxiety getting in the way.