Top Ten Tips for Maintaining Mental Health at Magic Cons
Pros and Magic Cons
Magic Cons are perhaps some of the most fun a player can have with the card game, combining unique locales, direct interaction with the community, and a surplus of fun experiences. They are also incredibly chaotic events, taxing a player's mental, physical, and emotional health. As the world emerges from its COVID-quarantine-induced cocoon, these experiences have allowed creators like me, who have grown tremendously during that span, to spread our wings and reveal to the world how beautiful, accepting, and diverse the community has become.
Emerging from the safety of that cocoon can be a scary experience. Because of my current living and working situation, I hadn't been out of the house much between the lockdown in March 2020 and Magic Con Chicago earlier this year. Going to Magic Con Chicago was a scary but liberating experience. I also had to learn some tough lessons about Magic Cons and mental health. During the course of the Con, I suffered a panic attack, collapsed, had issues with cramping, missed a couple of planned events, and spent a good amount of time resting and recovering. Still, I consider the experience a positive one and an important learning experience. Here are 10 lessons I learned:
Define Success
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and one of the most important decisions I made for my mental health occurred before I left. Defining what constitutes a successful trip and setting realistic parameters is key to evaluating whether the event is worth attending in the abstract and whether it was worth the expense in hindsight. As difficult as it can be to apply logical reasoning when dealing with such strong emotions, Magic Cons are expensive, and the juice needs to be worth the squeeze.
When I decided to attend MC Chicago, my goals were to make it there and back safely, avoid thinking about work for an entire weekend, treat myself to foods I wouldn't ordinarily get to have at home, and meet some amount of the people I had befriended online. Having four goals for one weekend is pretty ambitious, but those goals were easy enough to realize and generic enough that they could be realistically accomplished, even if things didn't go as planned.
And things didn't go as planned.
Stay Hydrated
The Friday I arrived in Chicago, I had a panic attack. A bit of background on me: I am afraid of heights. Ironically, I was not afraid to sit next to the window on the airplane, but I was petrified to cross the skywalks over the roads in order to get from the hotel to the convention center. Each time I had to cross one, I had to practice deep breathing (which I learned from my therapist) and slowly, methodically, inch my way across. I got lost on the way over and had to call my roommate (more on that later) to find me and guide me to the center. Once I accomplished what I set out to accomplish, I was going to go to the EDHREC and Commander's Herald dinner happening that evening, as well as the Murders at Karlov Manor party occurring right after.
I didn't make it to either.
How does this relate to staying hydrated? Running around, trying to find my way out, and getting lost took its toll on me, and I wasn't in the greatest physical condition after being in the cocoon for three years. I'm also getting physical therapy for a condition called lymphedema, which is swelling in my legs that can cause cramping. The combination of the condition and hyperventilating made me collapse against the down escalator after being unable to figure out how to direct an Uber to my position (more on that later). I called my roommate again, and they talked me through the labyrinthine hallways and finally out of the convention center, right before I would've had to call an ambulance. When I got back to the hotel, I ordered Uber Eats, including two 2-Liters of Fruit Punch. Why Fruit Punch? Carbonation doesn't help with dehydration and would only lead to more cramping. Because of the Fruit Punch, I went the rest of the weekend without cramping.
Treat Yourself
When I made the executive decision to forego both events I had planned on attending that Friday night, I could have taken it as a loss, wallowed in my room, and consigned myself to having a miserable weekend. For a moment, I wondered if this was a divine punishment I was receiving for hedonistically indulging myself in a weekend of fun instead of continuing my diet of abnegation in the name of maneuvering towards moving. Then, I reminded myself of the goals I had set, none of which required me to attend any particular event, and all of which were still in front of me. While lying down on the couch in sweat-drenched clothes, still catching my breath, I resolved to make a party out of it. I opened Uber Eats for the first time ever and ordered pizza and the aforementioned two 2-Liters of Fruit Punch, cleaned myself up in the shower, and then got some ice in preparation for the Punch. I had the time of my life, and all because I wouldn't let myself be miserable.
Enjoy Unique Experiences
One of the pieces of advice my dad imparted to me is, "When you order food from a place you've never been before, get what they're known for." Getting a hamburger from a place that specializes in fish might be passable, but it'll never be as good as a hamburger from a hamburger place. Even if you don't like fish, if a place is good enough, it should be able to make you a convert, otherwise the place probably wasn't worth going to in the first place. Culinarily, I had two experiences I was looking forward to in Chicago: have an Italian beef sandwich and have a deep dish pizza.
While it took a while for me to get going on Saturday, I accomplished both of these. Having understood how Uber Eats worked, I ordered the Italian Beef through the app and enjoyed a leisurely start to Saturday. When I felt comfortable, I returned to the Convention Hall, but went about it a different way and with a better plan. After accomplishing what I set out to accomplish, I impulsively asked one of the creators I set out to meet IRL if they wanted to get deep dish for dinner. As fate would have it, they also wanted to accomplish that, and also hadn't done so yet. Mini-lesson here: shoot your shot. There are enough people there that someone will likely agree, even if it's not the first person you ask, and even just being asked can be seen as flattering.
Note Transportation Locations
One of the things I made sure to note as I left the Convention Center after finally escaping the Tournament Hall on Friday was where Ubers pick people up and drop them off. When I figured this out, I realized that I would only need to cross one skywalk to get to the tournament hall, so I could minimize the part that scared me. I would need to take an Uber there and back, or walk farther than I was comfortable walking, but noting the Uber pickup spots made it so I could come and go as I felt comfortable without getting lost again.
Control Entrances and Exits
Knowing how to get to and from the Uber dropoff points made it so I felt comfortable coming and going from the Tournament Hall. As a result, I could arrive at the Hall when I felt like it, stay as long as I wanted, and leave any time, even at night. This allowed me to relax, enjoy the presence of those around me, and really enjoy myself. Unless you need to be somewhere at a specific time, for a specific reason, maintain your own schedule, and don't be beholden to anyone. You can surely find a game just about any time you want one, so prioritize your health and happiness.
Take Calculated Risks
Going to events is a pretty big risk in and of itself. Before taking on any additional risk, make sure to review the goals you set for yourself and check to see if it accomplishes any of them. While I could have tried to push myself to attend the Karlov Manor event, I had already suffered a panic attack and was clearly worse for wear. That risk would have been unnecessary and could have led to another panic attack. While it would have been a unique experience, having a pizza party in my hotel room, complete with enough fruit punch to keep me hydrated all weekend, was plenty.
Find/Take a Buddy
One of the reasons MC Chicago was such a major undertaking for me was that it was the first time I had undertaken a trip like this as an adult completely on my own. While I had roommates I would meet once I got there, I went to the airport on my own, flew on my own, and came and went mostly on my own. Previously, I had attended Grand Prix and my first Pro Tour with a friend or a couple of friends, so I was never in the situation of being on my own and always had someone who I could turn to for help. While I'm not writing off the possibility of traveling on my own again, I do intend to do a better job of coordinating with my roommates next time so I don't wind up in the situation I was in Friday night.
Maintain Lines of Communication
Another piece of advice my dad gave before I went to Chicago was to get the cell phone numbers of my roommates before leaving. While we were already friends on social media, relying on them checking that social media while doing meet and greets, playing games, or eating meals would have been a dangerous gamble. When I couldn't find my way to the tournament hall on the way in on Friday or to the Uber dropoff spot on the way out, I needed that direct line of communication. This lesson may well have saved my life.
Be Willing to Flex your Budget
When I made the decision to go to Chicago, it was with the knowledge that my Pass was given to me by a creator friend, my roommates were reducing the cost of the hotel room, and, if needed, I could drive there cheaply. I had also planned it out so that I could use Friday and Sunday as travel days, and not miss any work. I would still have to spend money on food, but this could have been a very cost-effective trip.
But while it would have been cost-effective, it would have been much less comfortable. Instead of a five-hour drive, I chose a one-hour plane ride with a ride to and from the airport. Instead of leaving after work on Friday, I took a day off. Instead of walking the scary skywalks, I took Ubers to and from the center. There were plenty of opportunities to cut costs, but the trip wouldn't have been nearly as wonderful if I had.
Magic Cons are expensive. Accept it. Embrace it. Have the time of your life. But always look out for your physical, mental, and emotional health.
