Impact of Stress/Anxiety on Athletes

• Stress and performance anxiety is a part of everyday life for athletes.
• The good news is that not all stress/anxiety is bad. In the right amount, stress/anxiety helps you focus better and achieve what you want.
• Positive stress/anxiety can help athletes be more alert, motivated and gain a competitive edge.
• Positive stress/anxiety can help us meet challenges.
• Positive stress/anxiety can help us get in our Optimal Level of Performance.

Signs & Symptoms of Stress

• Sleep disturbance or change in sleeping habits
• Muscle tension, muscle aches, pains, inflammation, lower bone density, tightness in shoulders, neck, and back
• Headaches/migraines
• Gastrointestinal problems (ulcers, cramps, nausea, weight fluctuations)
• Fatigue Nervousness, anxiety
• Changes in eating habits – overeating or under-eating
• Loss of energy, fatigue, loss of enthusiasm
• Mood change – irritability and/or depression
• Unhealthy behaviors – excessive use or abuse of alcohol and/or drugs
• Poor nutrition (Overeating/Undereating)
• Skin problems (acne, psoriasis, eczema, etc.)
• Suppressed or ineffective immune system to battle and recover from illness and performance
• Issues with moods, anger, depression, irritability, lack of energy, concentration problems, panic attacks
• Dampened sexual behavior and loss of sexual desire

Stress Management – How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

The simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems and stressors.

1. Identify the Sources of Stress in Your Life

• Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:
  • Do you explain away stress as temporary ("I just have a million things going on right now") even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather?
  • Do you define stress as an integral part of your life ("Things are always crazy around here") or as a part of your personality ("I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all")
  • Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
• Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.

2. Unhealthy Ways of Coping with Stress

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Drug use or using pills to relax
• Overeating or under-eating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV, computer, or your phone
• Withdrawing from friends, family, teammates, and activities
• Sleeping too much or lack of sleep
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
• Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

3. Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

• Learn How to Say "NO" – Know your limits and stick to them. Taking on more than you can handle is a sure fire recipe for stress.
• Avoid People Who Stress You Out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
• Take Control of Your Environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If roommates are being too loud, express your needs to them.
• Avoid Hot-Button Topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when its’ the topic of discussion.
• Pare Down Your To-Do List – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts". Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

4. Alter the Situation

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

• Express Your Feelings Instead of Bottling Them Up – If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
• Be Willing to Compromise – When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
• Be More Assertive – Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
• Manage Your Time Better – Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.

5. Adapt to the Stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

• Reframe Problems – Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a long line, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite music, or enjoy some alone time.
• Look at the Big Picture – Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.
• Adjust Your Standards – Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with "good enough".
• Focus on the Positive – When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

6. Accept the Things You Cannot Change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, an illness, or a coach’s decision. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are.

• Don’t Try to Control the Uncontrollable – Many things in life are beyond our control – particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control, such as the way you choose to react to problems.
• Look for the upside – As the saying goes, "What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger." When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
• Share Your Feelings – Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a Therapist. The simple act of expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation. Opening up is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make you a burden to others. In fact, most friends will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only strengthen your friendship.
• Learn to Forgive – Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

7. Start a Stress Journal

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down:

• What caused your stress (make a guess if you are unsure)
• How you felt, both physically and emotionally
• How you acted in response
• What you did to make yourself feel better

Look at how you currently cope with stress. Think about ways you currently manage stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive?

8. Make Time for Fun and Relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge:

• Go for a walk
• Spend time in nature
• Call a good friend or family
• Write in your journal
• Take a long bath
• Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea
• Get a massage
• Listen to music
• Watch a comedy

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

• Set Aside Relaxation Time – Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
• Connect with Others – Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
• Do Something You Enjoy Every Day – Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, playing a video game, or singing.
• Keep Your Sense of Humor – This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

9. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

• Be Sure You Give Your Body Time to Recover & Don’t Over train – Overtraining often leads to fatigue and injury.
• Eat a Healthy Diet – Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
• Reduce Caffeine and Sugar – The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
• Avoid Alcohol, Cigarettes, and Drugs – Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get Enough Sleep – Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS:

Set Goals - What are your goals academically and athletically? Write them out and break them down into small, manageable steps. A feeling of control and a healthy balance in your schedule is a necessary part of managing stress. Learning how to manage your responsibilities, accomplish your goals and still have time for rest and relaxation. Is your PIE balanced?

Avoid Procrastination - Putting off assignments or responsibilities until the last minute can create more mental and physical stress than staying on top of them. Procrastination can affect many aspects of daily life, such as the quality of your work, the quality of your sleep, and your mood.

Prioritize Your Time – Practice time management skills. Review and consider what you have to do, then prioritize what needs to be done first, second, so on. Break things down into manageable steps. Do this on a daily and weekly basis.

Schedule Time to Study – Plan every day to set aside time to study. Know where you study the best and are most productive. What time of the day are you most productive. Don’t let anything interfere with your study time – make it a priority.

Work Ahead – When you can, work ahead to reduce your stress level. Staying ahead helps during the times you may have forgotten something, when you travel for competitions, or when something unexpected comes up.

Use Your Calendar – At the beginning of the semester, write down when all your readings, assignments, papers, and tests/exams will be for the semester. Take each syllabus and write out your semester. It takes a little time, but then it is done and easy to keep track.

Use Your Time When Traveling - It’s tempting to sleep or talk, but use your time traveling to get homework done.

Take Time to Relax – Purposely build into your schedule time to rest, nap, or do something fun. During breaks from class, studying, and athletics, spend time walking outdoors, listen to music, or just sit quietly to clear and calm your mind. You need time to relax in your busy schedule.

Utilize Your Resources When You Need Help – Seek out your Professors, Academic Advising Staff, Counselors, Tutors, Coaches, Athletic Trainers, and other campus resources when you are struggling. Seek the support of friends, teammates, and family when you need to "vent" about situations that bring on stressful feelings. But make sure that you don’t focus exclusively on negative experiences; try to also think of at least three things that are going well for you, and share those experiences. The sooner the better – don’t wait until it’s too late.

Introduce Yourself to Your Professors – Take time to get to know your Professors and to tell them at the beginning of the semester when you are going to be missing class. Plan ahead – your Professors like that and respect that you have come to talk to them. Make a plan with them for missing class, when to turn in assignments if you will be gone, and plan for missing tests/exams. Communication, Cooperation, and Responsibility are key.

Stay Motivated – The season and academic year can get long. Be sure to manage stress and conflict, make good decisions, say "no" when you need to in order to get your work done, stay organized, and work ahead whenever possible.

Schedule Your To Do List – Plan in your schedule time to eat, sleep, do your laundry, clean your dorm/apartment, etc. These things need to be done too. Making a plan and putting them into your schedule helps you stay organized and reduces your stress level.

Practice Good Sleep Habits – Sleep deprivation can cause many physical and mental problems and can increase stress. Lack of sleep reduces your ability to pay attention, concentrate, process information, and ultimately learn. It also negatively impacts your performance athletically and your ability to be the best you can be.

"Fuel" Your Machine (Body) – Not only will this prepare your body to withstand the physical effects of stress, practice workouts, and competition, but it will also strengthens your mind to cope with stress and stay on an even keel. The "engine can’t run without enough high octane gas and oil".

Breathe – When you feel stressed, deep-breathing exercises can help melt away the tension. Try this exercise: Inhale slowly through your nose for a few seconds – really fill up your lungs, then exhale through your mouth – very slow and long, and repeat as needed. This helps prevent the short, shallow breaths that often accompany feelings of tension.

Be Mindful

Have FUN!! – Remember, you only get to do college once – enjoy your experience. Find the humor in situations. Enjoy all of the new experiences. Laugh – laughter can be a great stress reducer. Check out some of the Apps Listed in the Resources Page! – These are great for managing stress at home or on the go.