Part 4: Sources of Stress & Anxiety (sources = demands)

• Sources of Stress & Anxiety (sources = demands)

  • Lots of potential sources that could be perceived as stressful & lead to state anxiety 
  • Most clustered down to 2 key issues/situations
  • Situational & Personal
• Situational Sources of Stress

  • What we can’t control 

  1. The importance placed on the outcome; the more important the outcome is perceived to be, the more aroused/anxious the athlete will become 
  2. Uncertainty about outcome, capabilities, and relationships with others: the higher the uncertainty, the higher the arousal/anxiety 
• Situational Sources of Stress

  • What we can’t control 
  • The importance placed on the outcome; the more important the outcome is perceived to be, the more aroused/anxious the athlete will become 
  • eg Money for your country, or their family (example = football ferns)
  • Expectations from country (creates pressure)
• Situational Sources of Stress

  • What we can’t control 
  • Uncertainty about outcome, capabilities, and relationships with others: the higher the uncertainty, the higher the arousal/anxiety 
  • Think about all potential stuff that could go wrong 
  • But if expect & plan for unexpected helps reduce the uncertainty & those thoughts 
  • Example in cricket: loses technique due to stressful thoughts from bouncers throw
• Personal Sources of Stress

  • How we can cope

  1. Trait Anxiety -- predisposition to perceive competition & social evaluation as more or less threatening
  2. Self-esteem -- low self-esteem leads to low self- confidence and: higher levels of state cognitive anxiety
• Personal Sources of Stress

  • How we can cope
  • Trait Anxiety -- predisposition to perceive competition & social evaluation as more or less threatening
  • Can learn to manage & cope with trait anxiety 
  • Learn some skills 
• Personal Sources of Stress

  • How we can cope
  • Self-esteem -- low self-esteem leads to low self- confidence and: higher levels of state cognitive anxiety
  • If have doubts about self challenges on how you will cope 
• Personal Sources of Stress

  • How we can cope
  • Example RWC: honest, know have to accept the pressure, Just go to learn how to cope