Arousal Regulation

Why regulate arousal

stress is part of our daily lives

pressure to perform has increased in sport

athletes who don’t effectively cope with stress may have decreases in performance as well as mental and physical distress

athletes need to be able to regulate arousal to stay focused and in control

anxiety reducing techniques

somatic anxiety reduction

cognitive anxiety reduction

multimodal anxiety reduction

somatic anxiety reduction

breath control

progressive muscle relaxation

biofeedback

congitve anxiety reduction

relaxation response

autogenic training

systematic desensitization

multimodal anxiety reduction packages

stress inoculation training

The matching hypothesis

an anxiety management technique should be matched to a particular problem

some crossover effects occur (somatic anxiety relaxation techniques produce cognitive anxiety relaxation as well)

predictions of matching hypothesis

cognitive anxiety should be treated with mental relaxation

somatic anxiety should be treated with physical relaxation

if you are not sure what type of anxiety is more problematic, use a multimodal technique

somatic anxiety reduction - breath control

purpose: to regulate breathing (pace and depth) to trigger a relaxation response

when to use it: before and or during competition

how to do it: deep breathing, fill lungs hold release 1:2 ration. 6 breaths/minute

somatic anxiety reduction- progressive relaxation

purpose: to learn difference between tensed and relaxed muscles + to efficiently relax tension out of body

when to use it: before competition (night before or TO)

how to do it: tense and relax specific muscles in a systematic way until body is completely relaxed

biofeedback

this helps you become more aware of your autonomic nervous system and learn to control your physiological and autonomic responses by receiving physiological feedback not normally available

cognitive anxiety reduction - relaxation response

like meditations (takes practice and time)

when to use it: during down time

four elements to effective relaxation response

• quiet place

• comfortable position

• mental device

• passive attitude

cognitive anxiety reduction - autogenic training

purpose: to relax the body by focusing the mind on producing relaxing sensations in the body

when to use it: during down time

how to do it: focus attention on

• heaviness in extremities

• warmth in extremities

• regulation of cardiac activity

• regulation of breathing

• abdominal warmth

• cooling of the forehead

cognitive anxiety reduction - systematic desensitization

aims to reduce anxiety responses to stimuli by trying to have a response antagonistic to anxiety at the same time of the anxiety provoking stimuli

multimodal anxiety reduction- stress inoculation training

an individual is exposed to and learns to cope with stress (vio productive thoughts, mental images, and self-statements) in increasing amounts, thereby enhancing his or her immunity to stress

stress inoculation training steps

prepare- prepare for the stressor

control and handle - control and handle the stressor

cope- cope with feelings of being overwhelmed

evaluate- evaluate coping efforts

five phases of stress management training

1. pretreatment phase (assess skills and deficits)

2. treatment rationale phase

3. skill acquisition (training in muscular relaxation, cognitive restructuring and self-instruction)

4. skill rehearsal

5. post-training evaluation

Pressure training

specific strategies designed to create and expose athletes to pressure in practice so they are better able to cope with pressure in actual competition

• demands of training

• consequence of training

effectiveness of anxiety reduction techniques

programs have shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and increasing performance, although performance improvements are less consistent

multimodal approaches seem to be the most effective in terms of performance enhancement

coping and coping basics

coping is a process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s resources

• athletes must learn a broad spectrum of coping strategies to use in different situations and for different sources of stress

problem-focused coping

efforts to alter or manage the problems that are causing stress (time management, problem solving)

use problem-focused coping when stressful situations can be changed

emotion-focused coping

regulating the emotional responses to the problem that causes the stress ( through relaxation, meditation)

use emotion-focused coping when situations are not amenable to change

coping techniques used by athletes

thought control (blocking distractions)

task focus or narrowing

rational thinking and self-talk

positive focus and orientation

social support

precompetitive mental preparation and anxiety management

time management

training hard and smart

resiliency

resilience process is the use of a variety of coping strategies

mental toughness and person resources are keys to successful coping

social support was seen as critical to successful coping; and although coping can at times be unpleasant, positive outcomes like gaining perspective can result

resilience training

can improve not only personal resilience but can also enhance mental health and subjective well-being and reduce anxiety and increase performance

tips to build resilience

develop a core set of beliefs that nothing can shake

try to find meaning in whatever stressful event has happened

try to maintain a positive outlook

take cues from someone who is especially resilient

dont run from things that scare you, face them

be quick to reach out for support

learn new things as often as you can

find an exercise regiment you can stick to

dont beat yourself up or dwell on the past

signs of underarousal

moving slowly, not getting set

mind wandering, being easily distracted

lack of concern about how one will perform

lack of anticipation or enthusiasm

heavy feeling in legs, no bounce

arousal inducing techniques

increase breathing rate

act energized

use mood words and positive statements

yell or shout

listen to music

use energizing imagery

complete a precompetition workout

guidelines for coach’s successful pregame talk

give them a plan

make them believe they can win

do not lie

be yourself

use humor