Part 1: Defining Arousal & Anxiety

• Defining Arousal 

  • “A level of physiological & psychological activation”
• Arousal Continuum:

  • Deep Sleep → sleep → drowsy → relaxed→ alert → excited → intense excitement → feelings of discomfort/concern (anxiety)
  • Anxiety connected to arousal, but doesn't mean one always leads to the other 
  • Can manipulate/control arousal levels to help us perform well 
  • Arousal is always there (is a continuum)
  • Arousal is momentary motivation - intensity part
• Arousal Components

  • Physiological component 
  • Increases or decreases in the body’s level of activation (eg.,HR, breathing, muscle tension…)
  • Is connected to psych component
  • Psychological component 
  • Either positive feelings such as excitement/confidence, or negative feelings such as fear/sadness or discomfort/concern
• Arousal Components

  • Both are connected as by reducing/increasing psychological component can reduce/increase physiological component
  • High arousal can lead to anxiety, doesn’t mean it will/does
  • Everyone gets nerves, depends on our control/cope/perceive them 
  • Harness them 
• Arousal Components

  • Shouldn't ignore physiological component as also influences performance 
  • Key cause is psychological
  • But actual action is physiological - acts/behaves
  • Psychological influences our physiological performance
• Arousal/Anxiety 

  • Anxiety = High arousal states that produce feelings of discomfort & concern 
  • High arousal doesn’t always result in anxiety 
  • Why does it sometimes lead to anxiety or excitement?
  • What gets in the way 
  • When you’re anxious is tied w/ high levels of arousal
• Anxiety = A perceived threat

  • Threat is real to us, doesn’t mean it is to everyone else
  • Not an objective threat to wellbeing, or health
  • Not actually a threat
  • Threat to work put it, family, winning (motives)
  •  May not be able to achieve
  • Bc/ you care about it 
• Anxiety = A perceived threat

  • "A tendency to perceive competitive situations as threatening & to respond to these situations with feelings of apprehension & tension"
  • Tendency = part of personality 
  • Threatening in your perspective 
  • Arousal not same as anxiety
• Anxiety = A perceived threat
• Stress Definition 

  • A perceived imbalance between demand & capabilities
  • "A substantial imbalance between environmental demand [physical &/or psych demands] & response capability, under conditions where failure to meet the demand has important  consequences."
  • ===>  stress leads to state anxiety
• Stress Definition 

  • A perceived imbalance between demand & capabilities
  • Your perceived capabilities to meet those demands 
  • I can do it, I can’t do this
  • Situation can override personality, & cause you to be stressed 
  • Is a thought process (psychological)
• Stress Definition 

  • "A substantial imbalance between environmental demand [physical &/or psych demands] & response capability, under conditions where failure to meet the demand has important  consequences."
  • It matters to you (important)
  • Way not to stress, is to not care 
• Stress Definition 

  • =====>  stress leads to state anxiety
  • If start to worry can lead to state anxiety
  • Anxiety incorporates physiological performance