Tip of the Month -- March 2007

Stress 

Stress is defined as demands that exceed the resources of the human body for an extended period of time.

No matter how hectic life can be, few endeveavours will generate the tension and anxiety college athletes and coaches internalize and endure year round. Few walk into the office to a rain of boos or are subjected nightly to the possibility of public humiliation and failure. Pressure can be built up and unleashed pressure converts to stress. According to Dr. Hans Selye, stress is non specific and up to a certain point stress is beneficial. Up to that point we perform with greater awareness and greater intensity. If pushed to far negative effects will arise. Athletes and coaches have many stressors (time stress, competition stress, training stress, emotional stress, psychological stress, everyday stress) the mistake many make is to try to improve quality and quantity of our work at the same time. We essentially burn  the candle at both ends. In the latter parts of this paper we will discover what stress is and explore effective ways to handle it.

Types of stress:

Eustress- good stress that arises in any situation or circumstance that a person finds motivating or inspiring.

Neustress- neutral stress that is not directly in environment, removed from the situation

Distress- Bad stress that has a negative effect on all the body systems. 

Distress can be either chronic or acute. Acute stress arises quickly, very intense,  and disappears quickly. Chronic stress is not so intense, but lingers for prolonged periods of time.

Body signals of being over stressed include increase in, or loss of appetite, dry mouth, increases constipation, rash or skin irritation, facial blushing or paling, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, nausea, indigestion or upset stomach, muscle tension, headache from tension, fatigue, rapid or irregular heart beat, and cold hands and/or feet. 

Behavioral signals include nervous habit, such as nail biting or tapping one’s fingers or feet, Restlessness or pacing, irritability or short temper, jaw clenching, withdrawing from social contacts, increased eating or drinking, too much sleep or loss of sleep, crying, depending on medications such as pain pills or tranquilizers.

In some cases you can:

Prevent or avoid the situation.

Change as much of the situation as possible

Change the response

These are some of the ways to minimize stress in your life:

Meet your body’s physical needs: get enough sleep, follow a well balanced diet, exercise regularly and avoid stimulants.

Take frequent relaxation breaks: Plan leisure activities, be good to yourself.

STRETCH

Cultivate positivism: Work with affirmations

Effective Ways to Handle Stress

1.      Look for causes:  who or what is the bottom of the stress? Dealing directly with the person or issue may be the best approach.

2.      Examine your relationships:  What can you do to support them.

3.      Evaluate: Not every argument is worth trying to win. Defend values that are important. But learn to ignore lesser issues.

4.      Be positive:  If you fail, do not concentrate on failure. Deliberately recall past successes. It helps self-esteem.

5.      Seek advice:  Confiding in a friend can uncoil the tightly wound spring of tension. Seek professional assistance when necessary. Your worth it!!

6.      Do something for others:  Reaching out can occasionally take the focus off self and reduce the stress caused by brooding.

7.      Do one thing at a time:  The seconds pass in single file. Yet how quickly they become minutes and hours. You’ll get more done with less hassle when you concentrate on each job as it comes.

8.      Learn to pace yourself:  You can’t operate in high gear all the time. And you just can’t “sit there” all the time either. Take a break. Go for a walk, Do something else.

9.      Exercise:  Physical exercise can help refresh you after heavy emotional strains. Reading a book can help you relax after physical action.

10.  Create a quite place:  Train yourself to relax. A quite place does not have to be a physical place but it can be a mental place.

11.  Laugh, Play, and lighten up!!!!

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