Alternatively use any other type of evergreen tree.

Summary: Take very fine shavings from a fresh spruce bow and keep them in a watertight container.

Look for general tidiness and watch the artists to make sure that they wear sterile gloves and use sterile solutions on the skin. Ask them if they own an autoclave. Don't be afraid to walk out of the piercing studio if you don't feel that they are very hygienic with their piercing techniques. You will likely be asked to sign a paper for legal purposes. If you are younger than 16, you'll probably need a parent to provide consent before the shop will perform the piercing. A knowledgeable piercing artist will help guide you with what type of jewelry is best for healing. On request, expose your belly button and the piercing artist will size up your navel with a felt tip marker. A surgical-type clamp will be attached to the upper region of your navel to stabilize the tissue in preparation for the puncture. Out of the autoclave comes a very long, very sharp hollow needle of sorts, which will be used to pierce the skin for your new piercing. Your jewelry is placed on the end of the spear and guided through your new piercing. Remember to breathe throughout the procedure for maximum calm and comfort.

Summary: Assess the cleanliness of the shop. Be prepared to show identification to prove you're at least 16 years of age. Select the jewelry you would like. Relax in the chair or lean-to. Take a deep breath and relax as much as you can during the procedure.

People who push your buttons and put you into fight and flight mode regularly should be avoided until you learn stronger coping mechanisms. For some people, this may mean avoiding them long-term. All the same, it may be unrealistic to avoid all fear generators, especially if they're your boss or a family member, so practice very non-committal responses when these people begin to create fear situations and quickly and politely remove yourself from their sphere of influence. Don't explain yourself, just simply make excuses to get going. Balance the fear generators with emotional nurturers. For every fear generator, find an emotionally regenerative and calming person you know that you can turn to and unwind around. People who are good listeners, healers, carers, and good humored are generally excellent antidotes to the nastier, darker personalities out there. This isn't a time for trying to find the good side to the person who has generated your fear; deal first with calming down and building yourself up again. Use your eyes and not your heart. Look at people to judge their real intentions and behavior. By learning to better translate body language, you will learn that much of what people say is counteracted by their body, giving you far greater insight into their real motives and even their own fears. Studies have shown that emotion is contagious. How the people you spend time with feel rubs off on you. Fortunately, this works both ways; while spending time with people who are anxious and fearful can provoke your own fear responses, spending time with people who are calm and balanced can foster those feelings in you, too. The four A's are Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept. Different stressors require different responses. Using these techniques, depending on the situation, can really help you fight your fear response. For example, if traffic increases your fear levels because you're worried about time, accidents, and noise, you can choose to Alter or Avoid this source of stress. Find an alternate route to drive to work that decreases your chances of being involved in traffic jams. Read How to cope with rush hour for more details. Or, see if you can take public transportation or carpool to work instead, and avoid that stress altogether. If conflict provokes your fear response, you can Alter how you handle it or Adapt to have different expectations.Learn to reduce conflict by managing it. Instead of avoiding it, find constructive ways to cope and to assert yourself around others. Always remember that you don't have to provide explanations for excusing yourself or for standing up for yourself. You do not have to tolerate abusive people or situations. Some sources of stress you may just need to Accept. For example, you can't control how other people react to stress. If a person in your workplace gets all flustered over missing a big deadline and spreads that stress around your office, you can try to soothe her, but you can't control whether she changes her behavior. You can look at this situation as an opportunity for you to grow as a person, instead. If you're highly sensitive and tend to get overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and activity around you, until it builds up into a fearful crescendo, make an effort to take regular breaks to restore a sense of inner calm. Sit outside for a bit, go for a walk, do a short meditation, etc. In this way, hopefully you will alleviate the build-up of fear that can be triggered through any event during the day that upsets you.

Summary: Avoid the fear generators. Use the 4 A's. Take calming mini-breaks.

This can be a clue that they are feeling stressed. Rubbing the hands against the thighs or the head will also indicate stress. Suddenly crossing arms and legs or looking away is seen as negative body language as well. Avoiding eye contact and staring too long into someone's eyes can be a sign of anxiety and of lying. Eye contact is hard to fake, so if you aren't noticing darting eyes or prolonged stares, the person is more likely to be relaxed. Looking toward a clock, a watch or a phone can mean the person is nervous or bored or they may be used to habitually checking their phone or email frequently. Starting a new task when they are talking to you is a better judge if they are paying attention. An increased blink rate will indicate a nervous feeling. This can be a positive thing, such as physical attraction, or an unconscious manifestation of stress from being the center of attention. People often have micro-expressions that may convey more accurately what they are thinking; however, they flash by so fast, it may only be your subconscious that registers it. Micro-expressions tell more than most body language cues.
Summary: Notice if the person you are talking to leans away from you when they answer. Look for signs of anxiety and nervous or physical tension in clenched jaws or pursing lips. Pay attention to eye contact. Pick out signs of distraction. Count the blinks. Give your gut some credit.