When I turned 40 and it was time to schedule my first mammogram, I was hesitant to do so. I’ve heard many frightening stories about how painful and terrifying they can be, and I had a lot of questions.

Should I take a day off of work to mentally prepare? Should I not take a shower or wear deodorant the day of the appointment? Am I mentally prepared to accept the test results? Should I practice yoga poses before the procedure? &...