I think that I have come to terms with my anxiety, and I would say that a number of things have helped me to do this. I guess the most important way to conquer my anxiety was a change in my mindset and there has been one activity that has helped me do this. It is a particular card game, called Speed.
When you play card games you want to win. When you run, you also want to do your best. But with card games they are quick, they finish quickly, and you can start a new one again very quickly. Before every game, I had some short feelings of anxiety, just like at the start of a running race. After playing many games, over and over again, I started to forget the anxiety and just play the game. Therefore, it definitely helped me to overcome the pre-race nerves. But it also taught me more.
There were times that I didn’t play well. I would often get to the point of being annoyed and accused my opponent of not playing the game properly. When I started to feel this way, I realized that it is just a game. The more I play, the more I feel happy with wins, but also comfortable with defeat. I know that defeat doesn’t happen every time, but when it happens it is not something to worry about.
A main difference between my running sport and card games, is that I don’t invest a lot of time in training. But I can still learn a lot about reflexes, as the game that I play is all about getting rid of all of your cards as fast as you can. It keeps you sharp, and that is also important in competitive sports as well.
Another great benefit of playing cards is that you get to put your phone down, turn the TV off and reconnect with your family and friends. I can recommend it to anyone. The game is called Speed and you can find plenty of information online on how to play it.
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