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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI work with my sports psychologist really closely, and I tell her, sometimes I go into my most difficult jumping pass or my most difficult element, and all I can think about is the times I wasn\u2019t successful, and just a million thoughts going through my mind,\u201d Chen said during a virtual talk about mental health on June 1, 2022. \u201cSo self-doubt is something that I\u2019ve faced and that I\u2019ve had to really try to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen shared these and other thoughts on prioritizing mental health via Zoom during the talk, which was titled \u201cKaren Chen on keeping calm under pressure\u201d and offered by Connections Academy<\/a>, the fully online public school where she earned her high school degree.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a way, I\u2019m hoping that opening up about this can help somebody out there. Even if it is just one person, that would absolutely mean the world to me,\u201d said Chen.<\/p>\n When self-doubt creeps in, Chen said, \u201cWhat\u2019s really helped me is to learn to just trust myself. It\u2019s very hard, but you\u2019ve got to just believe in yourself. Know that you\u2019ve done all the work, you\u2019ve done whatever it is you can \u2014 whether that\u2019s studying for a test or getting ready for a competition. You\u2019ve put in all the work and now you just gotta let it happen, and trust that everything\u2019s going to turn out just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to differentiate my skating accomplishments and my identity. I always get those two mixed together,\u201d said Chen, who is also a student at Cornell University. \u201cSo when I don\u2019t have the best skates, I feel like I let myself down. I feel like I let my family down. I feel like I let my coaches down. I feel like I failed as a student, I failed as an athlete, I failed as a daughter. And that\u2019s something that I\u2019m still working on \u2014 to learn to differentiate my self-worth and identity [from] my success as an athlete.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, I\u2019m just so happy and thankful that I\u2019ve been able to stay so dedicated in the sport and have Chen also talked about how competing got more difficult as she got older and the nerves increased.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember when I was younger, I would get so excited when there\u2019s a competition. I got to put on my makeup, wear my dress and perform in front of my friends and family and obviously the judges,\u201d she said. \u201cBut there came a moment where that kind of shifted. Perhaps I realized I had a shot at making the Olympics. I don\u2019t know what it is exactly; it probably just has to do with me growing as a human and the thought processes have changed. So I definitely had to start to learn how to manage pressure and how to perform well under that. What really helped me is taking a step back and getting perspective, knowing that it\u2019s just skating and it\u2019s not going to be the end of the world if it doesn\u2019t go the way I want it to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many Asian American figure skaters that have been so successful in the sport. The Olympic team, we had so many Asian American skaters, which is something that I really value,\u201d Chen said. \u201cAnd I find it really helpful. With my family, I\u2019ve always struggled a little bit; I feel like if I don\u2019t skate well, I let my family down. Mentally, it\u2019s been a really big thing and a huge struggle of mine. So communicating that and reaching out to other Asian American figure skaters, and just to know that they\u2019re also facing the same things, for me, made me feel connected and supported, to just know I\u2019m not alone in this battle. And that\u2019s helped me open up about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn certain situations, where I\u2019m not in the comfort of my own home to do the self-care activities, I will take a second \u2014 let\u2019s say I had a rough session and I know I have another skating session later in the day and I\u2019m not feeling my best. I\u2019ll make sure to take a second to do my breathing exercises. I really enjoy finger breathing, that my sports psychologist showed me, and you just take your hand and you trace up your finger and inhale and then exhale [and trace] all the way down. And I just feel like it really helps me stay grounded and in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\nPrioritizing Her Mental Health<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>During the 45-minute talk, which was open to the public and moderated by Connections Academy head of counseling Morgan Champion, Chen was candid about mental health struggles in figure skating in general and in her career specifically. She said she wished that she had prioritized her mental health sooner, but that with the athletic mindset comes a desire to push through challenges, rather than addressing them or getting help.<\/p>\n<\/a> been able to have the support I need to face all these obstacles, especially the past two years leading up to the 2022 Olympic Games. I definitely really learned to prioritize my mental health and reach out to my support system, whether that be my friends and family or professional help. My sports psychologists and therapists, they\u2019ve truly helped me gain that awareness and really helped me grow as a person and as a skater. And that\u2019s kind of where I am today, I\u2019m still on this journey. But I am just so proud of everything that I\u2019ve accomplished and gone through, all the good and bad.\u201d<\/p>\nConnecting with Fellow Asian American Skaters<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>The talk took place just after both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American Pacific Island Heritage Month in May. Chen shared that she has bonded with other Asian American skaters on Team USA because of their similar family experiences.<\/p>\nHow She Handles Stress and Anxiety<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Chen also shared specific tactics that she has used to manage stress and anxiety, including journaling, stretching, listening to music, bubble baths and the finger breathing technique, which she demonstrated on video for the audience.<\/p>\n