Ask a Scientist: What should I do if I’m scared?

Q2: What should I do if I’m scared?

That’s a great question! Thank you for asking.

• A lot of people get nervous about getting needles, including other people your age, older teens, adults… it’s an all-ages thing, really.
• But there are steps you can take to manage those nerves and make the whole process a better experience.

To do this, you play your power CARDs!

This system comes from Dr. Anna Taddio and her team, and it’s based on lots of studies about the best ways to manage pain and fear of pain from needles.

It involves a little bit of prep work from you, but that’s a good thing. We all experience pain differently, and if you’ve had a negative experience with needles before – or if you tend to build it up in your head – the anticipation of something painful can actually make it feel worse.

So the CARD system helps you counteract all of that by giving you strategies to manage both the fear and the pain. And once you familiarize yourself with the CARDS, you get to decide how you want to play them, based on how you feel.

The cards include:

C: Comfort

This card involves planning ahead to think about what will make you comfortable when you get your vaccination.

A: Ask

It’s easy to get nervous about something if you’re not sure what to expect, so don’t be afraid to ask questions about what will happen. Remember: with this card, you can ask about the process, but you can also ask for accommodation – for example, if you’d rather have privacy for your vaccination (if you’re in a school or large clinic setting).

R: Relax

With this card, you want to think about – and maybe even practice – ways to relax. Believe it or not, staying calm can actually help reduce pain! So think of taking deep breaths and even telling yourself ‘you got this!’

D: Distract

This card is all about shifting your attention to something else. Plan ahead to distract yourself with something. Maybe you can watch a video or listen to music—or maybe just take the opportunity to daydream about something fun.

You can visit CIHR’s website to find links to materials that will help walk you through the ways to use these cards—and then you can use (or play) whichever cards are best for you.