Stress management Flashcards
Define stress
A negative response of the body to a threat causing anxiety.
Define eustress.
A positive response of the body to a threat.
Give a sporting example of eustress.
The euphoric feeling that a rugby player will receive when they are in the final minutes of an important match and they are winning.
What is meant by stressor?
The cause of stress.
Give three examples of a stressor.
Injury, playing an important game, playing good opponents.
What is cognitive stress?
psychological effects such as irrational thinking.
What is somatic stress?
physiological effects like an increase in heart rate.
What are the six cognitive stress management techniques?
Thought stopping, Positive self-talk, Imagery, Visualisation, Mental rehearsal, Attentional control.
What is meant by thought stopping?
When an athlete removes negative thoughts.
What is positive self-talk?
Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
What is imagery?
Imagining past successful experiences to recall the kinaesthesis.
What is visualisation?
Visualising the skill and trying to recreate it successfully.
What is mental-rehearsal?
Going through the movements and process of the skill mentally before performing the skill, ideal for a sequence.
What is attentional control?
Changing the attention style to suit the situation.
What are the 4 attention styles?
Broad, Narrow, External, Internal.
What is the broad attention style?
When a number of cues can be identified.
What is narrow attention style?
When it is best to focus on one or two cues.
What is external attention style?
When info is drawn from the environment.
What is internal attention style?
When info is gained from within the performer.
What is attentional narrowing?
As stress and arousal increases, the ability to take in information increases.
What is cue utilisation?
The ability to process information is directly linked to the level of arousal.
What is attentional wastage?
When important information is missed due to attentional narrowing.
What are the three somatic stress management techniques?
Biofeedback, Progressive muscle relaxation, Centring.
What is Biofeedback?
Helping the athletes recognise the symptoms of stress via technology so they know when to use techniques.
What is progressive muscle relaxation?
Creating tension then relaxation in different muscle groups to reduce muscle tension during stress.
What is centring?
Controlling breathing to a slower rate to divert attention away from the stressful situation. This is used during isolated skills like a penalty.
