Stress is everywhere, we all experience it from time to time, and there’s little chance of escaping it. However, stress is something that many professionals in their respective careers have learned to embrace, overcome, and conquer. Athletes constantly have to battle the weight of performance while scrutiny from players, coaches, fans, and themselves. The pressure is enough to cause an overwhelming amount of anxiety and hopelessness, leading to poor performance. 

In the past recent years, more athletes have been open about their mental health struggles. Initially, for many people, this was a surprise to hear. Although, it shouldn’t be a surprise at all. Many aspects of how athletes deal with the pressure of performance may translate to how anyone can effectively deal with stress. 

Here are some ways athletes learn to adapt to stressful environments, control their physiological arousal symptoms, and embrace the moment for peak performance. 

1. To enhance confidence, successful athletes practice specific plans for dealing with adversity during competition.
2. They practice routines for dealing with unusual circumstances and distractions before and during competition.
3. They concentrate wholly on the upcoming performance, blocking out irrelevant events and thoughts.
4. They use several mental rehearsals before the competition.
5. They don’t worry about other competitors before a competition and focus instead on what is controllable.
6. They develop detailed competition plans.
7. They learn to regulate arousal and anxiety.

(Weinberg, 2015). 

Summary

“Stress is a process that occurs when people perceive an imbalance

between the physical and psychological demands on them and their ability to respond. Arousal is the blend of physiological and psychological activity in a person that varies on a continuum from deep sleep to intense excitement. Anxiety is a negative emotional state characterized by feelings of nervousness, worry, and apprehension associated with activation or arousal of the body. It has cognitive, somatic, trait, and state components” (1). 

Interestingly enough, these methods may be implemented by non-athletes as well. 

For example, whenever someone experiences a stressful situation or is experiencing a pressured environment, they may add these guides as potential ways to battle stress.

• To enhance confidence, people may practice specific plans for dealing with adversity during weekly activities. Techniques like rehearsing, planning, or organization for those stressful meetings, intense exams, or intimidating conversations may help relieve that anxiety and provide additional forms of confidence. 

• People could practice routines for dealing with unusual circumstances. Using visualization routines allows people to feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations because they have already imagined themselves in those scenarios. 

• Planning too far ahead could make anyone overthink. Planning day to day or week to week allows people to use their energy reserves for the most critical activities in front of them. 

• It may be helpful when planning for a big meeting, test, interaction with someone, or any stressor to rehearse before the moment. You may practice with a friend or practice in the mirror how the situation may play out. In other words, it’s essential to visualize the problem and rehearse the outcome. 

• Much of anxiety comes from imposter syndrome or the comparison of self to others. The most significant gift anyone may implement is not comparing themselves to anyone and concentrating on controllable circumstances. 

• Journaling is a great way to write out plans. Also, putting short-term goals in places most seen is helpful for the brain to pick up on what is essential. 

• Regulating physiological symptoms of arousal and anxiety may be the most important. The simple trick that athletes, surgeons, or even army militia do is immediately enforcing breathing techniques before, during, and after the anxiety. Learning to regulate these systems helps anyone to deal with stress and anxiety. 

Disclaimer: 

If you are experiencing anxiety, stress, or hyper-arousal, please check in with a mental health professional as soon as possible for mental health intervention and symptom reduction. We may not think of ourselves as athletes, but all of us are playing this life game, which may be incredibly frustrating, devastating, or disappointing. Therefore, we all need to utilize our mental health coaches to prepare us for what’s next and how to be successful with what life throws at us next.