Arousal/Anxiety Management

Strategies
October 8, 2002
Levels of Optimal Arousal
Why are these so important?
Typical approaches
Problems with psyching up?
Milwaukee Brewers example
What kinds of strategies are appropriate?
Matching Hypothesis
Interventions matched to type of anxiety
will be more effective
High somatic anxiety = techniques for
reducing physiological tension, increase
relaxation
High cognitive anxiety = ways to control
negative thoughts and cognitions
Relaxation (Somatic)
Techniques
Some athletes may have low levels of
arousal--more uncommon
Problem with anxiety/stress spiral
Relaxation procedures to stop negative
cycle
Progressive relaxation, autogenic training,
meditation, biofeedback
Progressive Relaxation
Jacobson (1929, 1938)
Cannot be tense/anxiety if muscles are
completely relaxed
Subjects lie on backs, arms to sides
Goal is to relax entire body in minutes
Practice is essential
Progressive Relaxation
Muscle must achieve tension before
relaxing
Gain appreciation for difference between
tension & relaxation
Eventually can relax without tensing the
muscle
Jacobsons protocol follows a specific order
Progressive Relaxation
Effective use requires lots of practice
Must be able to elicit in specific situations
Often used in association with other
strategies to improve performance (e.g.,
imagery)
Autogenic Training
Similar to autohypnosis
Schultz (1959) hypnotized patients reported
heaviness in limbs & warmth in body.
Autogenic training designed to create these
two states
Limbs heavy due to lack of tension
Warmth from dilation of blood vessels
Autogenic Training
First step: six self-statements:
Heaviness in arms and legs
Warmth in arms and legs
Warmth in chest and perception of reduced heart
rate
Calm and relaxed breathing
Warmth in solar plexus area
Sensation of coolness on the forehead
Autogenic Training
Second component: use of imagery
Visualize images of relaxing scenes; focus
on warmth and heaviness
Third component: use of specific themes
Assists with bringing about relaxed states;
use self-statements
I feel quiet, my mind is at ease
Meditation
Individual attempts to focus attention on
one object, thought, sound, etc.
Placed in comfortable, quiet position
Commonly uses mantra
Unclear effects of meditation on athletic
performance
Does reduce anxiety and tension
Biofeedback
Humans may voluntarily control functions
of autonomic nervous system
Biofeedback uses instruments to help with
control of ANS
Cardiovascular system, cerebral activity,
muscular activity, skin temperature
Visual or auditory feedback from measures
Biofeedback
People with chronic anxiety or illness caused
by anxiety may benefit
Indirectly learn to control anxiety/tension
Goal is to lower physiological measures
without help from biofeedback equipment
Review of literature suggests that
biofeedback is helpful in facilitating athletic
performance (Zaichkowsky & Fuchs, 1988)
Problems with Arousal Control
Strategies
Primarily arousal reducing strategies
Do not directly affect appraisal techniques
Various arousal levels are responsible for
peak performances
Relationship among arousal, emotion,
cognition, and performance is complex
Cognitive Techniques
Designed to modify appraisal processes--
see situations as less threatening
Can learn skills to appraise situations as less
threatening, change interpretation of the
situation, abilities to manage the situation,
and control response impulses
Cognitive restructuring and changing
negative thoughts
Cognitive Restructuring
Psychotherapeutic technique, primarily for
clinical populations
Rational Emotive Technique (Ellis, 1982);
Athletes create anxiety or anger based on
irrational thought patterns
Need for perfection, need for situations to be
perfect, belief that others will always treat you
fairly/respectfully, self-worth based on
achievement
Cognitive Restructuring
Clinging to irrational beliefs may lead to
dysfunctional emotions, lower sport
satisfaction/lower performance
Three steps:
Irrational beliefs lead to distorted thinking,
preventing athletes from controlling behavior
Distorted thoughts must be changed
Substitute functional thoughts for distorted ones
Changing Negative Thoughts
Generally classified as self-talk
Similar to cognitive restructuring
Does not assume that self-defeating
thoughts are based on irrational beliefs
Techniques include replacing negative
thoughts, reframing, self-instructional
training
Changing Negative Thoughts
Key step is identification of negative
thoughts
Development of positive statements to
replace the negative ones
This is too hard, I cant do this replaced
by Ive learned hard skills before, I just
need to work through it
Changing Negative Thoughts
Thought stopping - increased awareness of
negative thoughts
Self-instructional training - guides behavior
in stressful situations (3,000m runner who is
having fatigue-related pain in last 400m)
Limitations of Cognitive
Interventions
Extensive research support of benefits
Cognitions are very fast
Occur almost automatically
Difficult to control
Requires extensive practice/application
Arousal Energizing Strategies
(Psyching Up)
Under-arousal levels may be problematic as
well
Playing against weaker opponent (NCAA
tournament example)
Many athletes use inappropriate strategies
for getting psyched
Learning to use the best strategy for each
person is crucial
Arousal Energizing Strategies
Goal Setting
Pep Talks
Bulletin Boards
Publicity & News Coverage
Fan Support
Self-Activation
Coach, Athlete, and Parent Interaction