Stress management

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

Individuals physical response that prepares the body for action when a threat is precieved

Question 2

What is a stressor?

Answer 2

Cause of a stress response

Question 3

What is eustress?

Answer 3

Positive response to a stressful situation

Question 4

What is distress?

Answer 4

Negative respons to a stressful situation

Question 5

What are the cognitive responses to a stressor?

Answer 5

• anxiety
• negative thoughts
• reduced concentration
• attentional narrowing
• poor decision making

Question 6

What are the somatic responses to a stressor?

Answer 6

• increased heart rate
• blood pressure
• sweating
• adrenaline production
• muscle tension

Question 7

What are the stress management techniques?

Answer 7

Somatic
- biofeedback
- breathing control
- centering
- warm-up
- progressive muscle relaxation
Cognitive
- psychological skill straining
- mental rehearsal
- visualisation
- imagery
- positive self talk
- negative thought stopping

Question 8

Describe the somatic stress management techniques

Answer 8

• biofeedback using equipment to generate physiological data which shows which situations cause the most stress and which strategies are most effective
• PMR concentratin on each muscle group and tensing and relaxing each group
• breathing control concentrating on rate and depth of breathing so performer can focus on the task
• centering chanting words or phrases reflecting how you wish to perform to maintain focus on yourself
• warm-up controls arousal and allows a performer to acheive a state of readiness to fully concentrate using selective attention, reduces stress and anxiety

Question 9

Describe the cognitive stress management techniques

Answer 9

• PST individualised programm that uses mental strategies specific to the performer to increase confidence, motivation and lowers stress
• mental rehearsal go over performance in mind before action begins
• visualisation performes imagine what the performance should look like to be completed successfully, linking to previously successful performances, internal or external
• imagery imagening a calm place away from competition to reduce anxiety or create image of previously successful performances to recreate feelings and emotions
• positive self talk verbally remind yourself of key points in movement and telling yourself that you can achieve, mantra
• NTS replace negative thoughts with positive ones by using a cue, action or word

Question 10

What is Nideffer’s model of attentional focus?

Answer 10

• suggested that different activities require different types of attentional focus
• invasion games require a broad focus
• net/ wall games require narrower styleperformers have to able to apply a variety of attentional styles
• best athletes can switch from one to another
• having the correct attentional styles will reduce stress so therefore performance is improved

Question 11

What are the two dimesnions of focus from Nideffer’s model of attentional focus?

Answer 11

• broad - narrow how many cues are being focussed on
• broad involves many cues, narrow involves one or two
• internal - external where the focus is being placed
• internal involves thoghts and feelings of performer, external involves focus on environmental cues

Question 12

What are the 4 attentional styles from Nideffer’s model of attentional focus?

Answer 12

• broad - internal many cues regarding performer themselves
• Eg/ footballer planning team strategy
• broad - external many cues in the environment
• Eg/ center in netball focussing on teammates they may pass to
• narrow - internal one or two cues regarding performer themselves (used to calm nerves)
• Eg/ swimmer mentally rehearsing dive
• narrow - external one or two cues in the environment
• Eg/ basketballer focussing on net in a free throw