Posts Tagged "stress"
Nov10

What Happens With Pre-Stress During Competition?

Posted at 12:56 PM • No Comments
Thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewing.

How Stress Effects Your Body

It’s common knowledge that stress can both help and hurt one’s performance.  The extent that stress actual affects you is based on physiological components and how well you can cope.  This post will examine this issue from an evidence based approach.

When considering stress as cyclical process there needs to be a starting point in which a stress level is identified.  Both chronic stress and acute stress can lead to performance related issues, but in the context of athletes, acute stress occurs situationally.  Throughout a competition an athlete will experience highs and lows of performance.  With these up-and-downs, stress levels may be rising and failing accordingly and adding more strain to the athlete’s body.  (It is important to note that stress should not be considered automatically negative for performance. ) The effects on performance from stress occur due to the heart beating faster, rapid breathing, and the tensing of muscles. The athlete may also perspire more, or even feel light headed and shaky. These feelings will not necessarily ruin performance, but if the athlete worries about these symptoms, a lack of confidence may occur and then hinder the performance (Starke, Wolf, Markowitsch, & Brand, 2008).  In performance related situations when this occurs, a potential vicious cycle begins whereas; physical stress triggers negative thoughts and cognitive anxiety, which leads to more physical stress. This cycle distracts the individual from organizing thoughts which causes the athlete to be unable to solve the easiest problems, or even maintain their focus (Giacobbi, Foore, & Weinberg, 2004).  Cognitive anxiety has been found to exert a powerful influence on performance regardless of the individual’s skill level in their respective situation (Anshel, Jamieson, & Raviv, 2003).

With this cyclic process, both before and during competition, there will also be some expected additional fatigue (Turner & Raglin, 1991).  The more stress that is experienced throughout a competition, the more of an opportunity for early fatigue to occur.  To prevent or break this cycle, the athlete needs to cope appropriately. The choice to use different coping strategies is based on a dynamic process that includes both behavioral and cognitive efforts to deal with stressful encounters (Yahav & Cohen, 2008).  Personal appraisal of stress is one of the most important predictors of the level of impact stress will have on performance (Turner & Raglin, 1991).  Having different cognitive appraisals of the stressor, one’s coping process may change or adapt.  With the utilization of different coping skills the main goal is to minimize, reduce, and/or endure the stressful situation (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).  With manageable levels of stress there can be positive effects.  By being healthy, physically and mentally, an individual is better prepared for stress.  If you take good care of yourself and have good coping skills, then the positive effects of low level stress are available.  This concept is based around that someone is not participating in harmful behaviors in order to cope with stress and through chemical changes the positive effects of stress are felt at moderate levels (Baum & Posluszny, 1999).  Positive reactions from low stress levels include increased attentional arousal, boost of energy, and mild pain killing sensations due to a spike in adrenaline production.

So if someone does have high levels of pre-stress?

The importance of appraisal is centered on stress and anxiety influencing performance.  Each individual will respond in a unique way to competitive anxiety and performance will be affected in a way unique to the individual (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).  Physiological arousal can influence performance as a result of the individual’s interpretation of their physiological symptoms. According to the model as cognitive anxiety increases it will be beneficial to performance at low levels of physiological arousal but it will have a detrimental effect at high levels of physiological arousal (Hardy, 1990). Furthermore, when cognitive anxiety is at a low level, changes in physiological arousal have little effect upon performance. However, as cognitive anxiety increases physiological arousal can have either a positive or negative effect on performance depending on the amount of arousal present. (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Hardy,1990). Once physiological arousal levels are too high there is a steep drop in performance, which can only be reversed by a reduction in physiological arousal (Hardy, 1990; Baum & Posluszny, 1999). This interactive approach seems to be the best explanation for observed performance concerns related to changes in stress levels. Based on this concept it is important to understand that proper appraisal and the controlling of one’s emotions is key to managing performance related stress.

Essentially, if you are stressed before competition it is so important to be able to access appropriate relaxation skills during your performance.

Jun9

My Take on the NY Times Article: Putting the Pressure on a Diagnosis

Posted at 5:09 PM • No Comments

A recent article in the NY Times discussed the rise of anxiety cases in baseball.  As you read through the article my thoughts are italicized in orange. Original Article Here

The Dontrelle of Old

The Dontrelle of Old

Putting the Pressure on a Diagnosis

By Jim Luttrell

It used to be that people would question whether a player could handle the big stage in cities like New York and Boston. Now, though, there appears to be plenty of pressure off Broadway as well.

An excellent point here due to technology and media.  No matter where I am in the country I can follow my favorite team and players.  There is so much scrutinizing of these players through channels like ESPN, blogs (I try to always be constructive but I am still critical), and social media sites that have now added pressure to perform.  Somebody is ALWAYS watching.

This season, Dontrelle Willis of Detroit and Khalil Greene of St. Louis have been on the disabled list with social anxiety disorder. Cincinnati’s Joey Votto went on the D.L. last week for a “stress-related issue.” And of course, Zack Greinke of Kansas City, currently having a breakthrough season, battled social anxiety disorder and depression early in his career.

Social anxiety disorder may be a misdiagnosis.  It sounds more like generalized anxiety disorder.  Semantics, but none-the-less important from a professional viewpoint.  Dontrelle Willis completely imploded last year and has worked his way back to the majors.  Of course he’s feeling more pressure.  He went from one of the best pitchers to almost being out of baseball to being back.  That’s scary, frustrating, and anxiety inducing for anyone.  Let’s not forget that athletes are people too.  Think about your own job and if you were in a similar position, how would you psychologically respond?

While few doubt the pressure of playing at the major league level, at least one mental-health professional raised an eyebrow at the growing number of social anxiety disorder diagnoses.

“I’m very suspicious of that diagnosis,” said Dr. Allan Lans, a psychiatrist who practices in New York and has worked with athletes throughout his career, most notably as a member of the Mets’ staff. “It’s not like catching the chickenpox; there has to be a history.”

Wrong. You can develop it at any age. While Dr. Lans is correct about not catching it like chickenpox (bad analogy by the way), it can develop through changes in one’s life.  The players might be dealing with off-field things we don’t know about. They could be having marriage issues, family fights, issues with team management, etc.  It’s not simply about baseball.  Again, THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO!

Lans said social anxiety was a real ailment but was being overdiagnosed. Once a player reaches the majors, Lans said, the issue should not be a surprise.

Why not?

“What happens in baseball is that players, day after day, are performing in front of varying size crowds,” he said. “At a certain point, they blank out all that stuff and concentrate on their jobs. Repeated exposure is one of the most successful treatments. So for a guy who has been in the public eye to suddenly have social anxiety disorder is a little off the wall, in my book.

See the last 3 comments above.

“In baseball, you don’t hit most of the time and you make errors some of the time. You learn to deal with it. A person with social anxiety disorder would never have played to begin with.”

That’s inaccurate again.

A spokesman for the Tigers said the team could not discuss details of Willis’s case because of privacy laws. The Cardinals also declined to comment on Greene. But Brian Britten, the Tigers’ spokesman, said that Major League Baseball has its own doctors and will not allow someone to be put on the disabled list without cause.

Three recent cases involved players who were struggling, possibly for the first time in their careers. Greinke had had only one dominant season in the minors when he was rushed to the majors at 20. Willis, 27, has been unable to duplicate 2005, when he was one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers. Greene, 29, a former first-round draft pick, is in his second season with an average in the low .200s.

Players could be “finding an excuse for why your performance isn’t what it was before,” Lans said. “Look, there are certain instances where it is a real issue, and you’d probably find it’s been there all along — going back to childhood, 7 or 8 years old. So I don’t want to say it doesn’t exist. But you can’t suddenly develop it because you’re not having a good year.’’

Why is it an excuse?  There is so much stigma still attached to mental health you would think a psychiatrist would say “yeah mental health is a real issue, athletes are susceptible too”. Need more examples of athletes dealing with mental illness read this. There is no study that says anxiety issues have to develop as a child.  If that is the truth then why can’t some players play in bigger markets? (I’m looking at you Edgar Renteria.)  I’ll tell you why, added stress which leads to more anxiety!  It’s disappointing for me to be part of the psychology field and still deal with peers who fall into this old school way of thinking.  It’s time to start looking at situations for what they are and accept athletes as people not some strange mutant that is immune to life.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Mar26

Rethinking Anger: Anger Doesn’t Equal Intensity

Posted at 4:01 PM • No Comments

 

Are You Angry or Intense? There's A Difference.

Are You Angry or Intense? There's A Difference.

Getting pumped up, excited, intense, or focused are all great qualities for an athlete. Being angry isn’t one. Often athletes (and coaches) equate anger and aggressiveness with intensity. Intensity is a positive attribute, anger is a negative attribute. Intensity is based on being focused and in control; anger comes from frustration and losing control. Anger almost always has negative effect on performance. Anger causes a shift in attention, the focus becomes on what you’re angry about and not what is happening in the moment. This break in concentration causes your performance to suffer. This experience is similar to the effects of stress.

 

For example, if a basketball player thinks he/she got fouled but doesn’t get a call from the referee the focus may be on the non-call. Their focus becomes the non-call and not the current situation causing performance levels to drop. The use of concentration techniques would be helpful in breaking the cycle of anger and poor performance.

The most effective ways to do this are:

• Cue Words or Phrases (Self-talk)
Cue words/phrases can be used to trigger a particular competitive response. They help athletes narrow their focus when necessary. Cue words/phrases can be either instructional (i.e.; follow-through, relax, watch the ball) or motivational (explode, do it now, strong) to help focus on the task at hand.
• Take a personal time out
As soon as you can take a few seconds and remove yourself from the situation. Take a second to take a deep breath and think objectively about the situation that just occurred. Once that is over take another deep breath and think about what you need to do next.
• Use Performance Routines
Use pre-competition or pre-situation routines help you get focused and prepared for what is about to happen. Using routines when concentration breaks will help athletes refocus and performance will improve.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Mar23

Before The Event (Elitetrack.com Post)

Posted at 9:54 PM • One Comment
Using A Routine Will Helps Performance

Using A Routine Will Helps Performance

In my last post I wrote about the importance of stress reduction.  One area of importance I mentioned was how you prepare for your competition. The time leading up to an event is arguably the most important part of the act of competing. This time can be stressful and potentially problematic. Athletes who experience anxiety may exacerbate the situation through:

· Remembering poor performances

· Doubting one’s ability

· Pressure to perform from coaches, teammates, or self

· Not having a routine

While all of these affect your performance, by addressing the last point, routines, you can combat all of the other mental hang-ups. During your physical warm-up and preparation you can begin to install a mental preparation that will keep you focused and confident. Leading up to the event your preparation should include the following in some form:

1. Feedback/evaluation – the use of video to critique past performance, coach’s evaluation, etc allow for better and more objective feedback. It forces you to be honest with yourself and not be too negative.

2. Create and use a competition plan – use visualization to experience goals and outcomes, have expectations besides winning.

3. Create and use a pre-competition routine – have a plan of how you will get ready, review your goals and expectations, go through focus exercises, and relax.

4. Control for unnecessary distractions – find time to be by yourself, listen to music, or go through some extra relaxation techniques to calm your mind.

While you cannot control everything you can work on making sure you are prepared for competition. There are many different mental skills to use it is recommended that you package them as listed above. This will allow you to control as much as possible and not be affected by uncontrollable circumstances such as: event time schedule changes, transportation problems, and illness. An athlete who is prepared will have a better chance to handle changes, distractions, or setbacks prior to or during competition.

The key to all of this is practice. You need to practices these steps and practice your mental skills regularly. Just as with any physical skill you need to practice and use these skills every time you compete.


For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Mar20

It’s All About Stress Reduction (Elitetrack.com Post)

Posted at 9:55 AM • One Comment

Often different athletes I work with bring up many of the following issues before a race or competition:

  • Muscular tension
  • Raised heart rate and blood pressure
  • Shallow breathing
  • Upset Stomach
  • Longer than normal recovery times

All of these issues affect performance by causing the athlete to be fatigued earlier and lose strength and energy. So my first question to them is always “are you stressed?” and the answer is always mixed. Some say “yes”, some say “no”, and some are not sure. Regardless of their answer the reality is the athlete is facing some amount of stress. Controlled amounts of stress provides many benefits to the athlete. From the adrenaline boost that our body produces we gain short-term pain killing, increased focus, and a boost of energy. Although when we experience too much stress then the above symptoms occur.

Chronic high stress levels can also lead to many long-term issues such as a weakened immune system and hypertension. Both of these outcomes can be significantly problematic for high level athletes. For example, athletes who train regularly at a high intensity already may have a weakened immune system due to the physical strain they put on their body, with the addition of mental stress there is even more strain being put on one’s immune system. So what should you be doing?

  1. Schedule 20-45 minutes a day of relaxation time (watching TV doesn’t count, make it purposeful relaxation)
  2. Create a simple relaxation routine to use before competition and training/practice
  3. Try to physically and mentally relax after competition and training/practice

Adding in simple yet purposeful relaxation can make a big difference in how you feel and how you perform. Try it today!

More Information On Life Stressors In Sports

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Jan11

Burnout – Is it happening to you? Or is it too late?

Posted at 9:54 AM • No Comments

Do you feel like you’re losing motivation? You might be approaching burnout. Burnout happens when you have previously been highly committed to a sport or activity and then lose all interest and motivation. Burnout mostly happens to highly-committed, passionate, hard working and successful athletes. Keeping this in mind, being aware of burnout is something all athletes should consider.

Two important parts of burnout are: exhaustion and disillusionment.

As an athlete you may have worked so hard at something, for so long, that the easy things become difficult and maybe the sport loses its excitement. These are times when rest helps us to approach the situation with a new focus and enthusiasm. The real issue of burnout comes from the sense of deep disappointment based on our own expectations.

Many athletes get our sense of identity and meaning from our performance.

EVALUATING & PLANNING FOR BURNOUT

List the things that give real meaning to what sport you play.

1. Write down what attracted you to your sport in the first place.

  • List the things about it that you find fulfilling now.
  • Include what excites you about it.
  • Think about what you want to achieve within it, and what you think is important to doing the job well.
  • This will give you a long list of things that are good about what you do.

2. From this list, identify the five things that give the greatest meaning to your sport.

3. Next, write down the things that frustrate you most about your sport.

4. Now work through the list of things that give you meaning item-by-item.

  • For each item, look at the list of frustrations.
  • Think these through carefully, and plan in advance how you will handle build-ups of stress in these areas.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the left of the page.