I literally went 50 years without having a needle stuck in me. Age 11 to 61. I volunteer at the local hospital, and they require flu shots or wear a mask whenever you work in the hospital.

My wife is a retired RN and coached me on how to relax my arm muscles and breathe slow and easy before getting the shot. Unless I get someone giving the shot who just isn't very good at it, I don't even feel it. I got my shot today and my arm isn't even sore. The needles are very tiny, not like when I was a kid.

I have a running joke that always gets a laugh from the nurse. I say "I make drinks that hurt more than that."

But I understand your anxiety. But if you let your anxiety tighten you up, you are not helping the problem, you are creating it. Oh, and also, I never look at it. Have you ever had your dog or cat get a shot and they never feel it? That's because they didn't go through all the anticipation and worrying beforehand. In the hours leading up to it, whenever you start thinking about it, just tell yourself it isn't happening right now, so why worry about it? Best of luck to you and let us know how it went.