Stress Flashcards
What is stress? Give an example
A negative response of the body to a threat causing anxiety
Eg feelings of apprehension and anxiety during the warm up of a show jumping final
What is eustress? Give an example
A positive response of the body to a threat or a challenge once it has been overcome
Eg extreme sports such as sky diving, challenging yourself to jump from a higher height
What is a stressor? Give an example
The cause of a stressful response
Eg local derbies
What does eustress do to a performer
Makes them want to achieve
Tests their abilities
Provides an adrenaline rush
Heightens emotions
Enhances performance
Gives them intrinsic satisfaction
Boosts confidence
What does anxiety and stress do to a performer
Increases arousal
Makes them lose concentration
Creates a feeling of apprehension
Forces attentional narrowing
Decreases performance levels
Creates a fear of failure
Sweating, muscle tension, nausea and increase HR
What are some examples of stressors in sport
Frustration
Fear of failure
Nature of crowd
Media pressure
Attitude of coach
Importance of event
Status of opponent
Extrinsic reward
Injury
What does somatic stress cause
Increased HR
Increase in sweating
Nausea
Muscular tension
What does cognitive stress
Negative thinking
Feeling of inability to cope with the demands of the situation
Loss of concentration- attention narrowing
What is attention narrowing? What can this lead to
As arousal increases, the ability to take information or cues from the environment is reduced
This can lead to information being missed and fear of failure and worry being felt by the performer
How can a warmup impact/reduces stress
Reduces cognitive and somatic stress
Focuses the performer on the activity
Improves concentration
Controls HR
Reduces muscle tension
What are the somatic stress management techniques
Progressive muscle relaxation
Centring
Biofeedback
What is progressive muscle relaxation
Using recorded instructions, the performer alternates between a state of tension in a group of muscles and a state of relaxation in those same muscles
Where does progressive muscle relaxation work from and to?
The periphery of the body to the core
What is centring? What is it used for?
A form of breathing control where the performer learns to relax the shoulders and chest whilst concentrating on the slow movements of the abdominals when taking deep controlled breaths
Used to divert attention from a stressful situation
What does biofeedback use? Give examples
Uses a measuring device to help the athlete recognise the physical change that will happen under stress
Heart rate monitor recognises an increase in HR
Galvanic skin response measures an increase in electrical activity when sweating
Electromyography measures muscle tension
What do the devices help the athlete with during biofeedback
It helps the athlete to recognise changes in their body without the measuring device so they can use stress management techniques to reduce physiological responses
What is imagery? What is it used for
The performer can recall the actual movement in the mind
Used to recall a successful image of the action from the past
How do some performers avoid stress using imagery
Some performers use imagery to avoid stressful situations by imagining a calm place
What is visualisation
Uses a mental image of the skill
The image is relived when the skill is performed for real
What can visualisation and imagery both be? How are these defined?
Internal and external
Internal - looks at emotions and feelings of a skill
External - focuses on the environment almost as if the player is watching themselves on television
What are the cognitive stress management techniques
Thought stopping
Positive self talk
Mental rehearsal
Psychological skills training
What is thought stopping? What triggers thought stopping?
When negative thoughts occur a learned action is used to remove them
The physical action or cue can be a simple movement or rehearsed action linked to the thought used to redirect attention eg pinching yourself
What is positive self talk?
Player replaces negative thoughts with positive words
What can positive self talk be used for
To help with focus or to overcome weakness
