With the invaluable assistance of the CITs at ADA’s Camp Charm City Diabetes Camp, I had the incredible opportunity to play my new Cards Against T1D live for the very first time. It’s safe to say that the kids had a ton of fun!
The feedback from the 16 & 17-year-olds was overwhelmingly positive. They described it as “so fun,” “very relatable,” and one even said she could “play it all day.” For teenagers, those are some seriously rave reviews! 😲
I must admit, I was quite nervous leading up to the event. In fact, I was downright anxious. Not having experience with teenagers of my own, coaching them, or interacting with them regularly, I really wanted to ensure they had a great time with my game.
The day before the event, I decided to address my anxiety head-on by asking myself some crucial questions. I acknowledged that some pre-event jitters were normal, but my anxiety went beyond that. I couldn’t think straight, and that bothered me.
Upon introspection, I realized that my anxiety stemmed from the fear of unknown variables. I tend to catastrophize when I don’t have a clear picture of what to expect. To counter this, I reminded myself that no matter what happens, I can handle it. Whether it’s 6 kids or 25 kids, I’m fully capable of managing the situation with ease. Just knowing where my anxiety was coming from, I already felt tons better.
To regain even more of a sense of calm, I made a list of things that were within my control. I planned to leave early in case of traffic or if I got lost and brought along a good book to keep me company. Additionally, I prepared a backup game in case more kids showed up than anticipated.
These simple strategies immediately eased my mind, and I felt more in control of the situation. And then I had an amazing day with the kids with a clear mind!
The moral of the story is that it’s entirely normal to experience anxiety, stress, or any other negative emotions. The key lies in equipping ourselves with tools to manage and reduce these feelings effectively.
If you need help learning more of these tools I can help 💗.
be the first to comment