Managing Anxiety

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Contents 1 Managing Anxiety 1.1 Concentration and attention skills 1.2 Mental Rehearsal 1.3 Visualisation 1.4 Relaxation 1.5 Goal Setting

Managing Anxiety

For arousal and anxiety to be at an optimal level strategies need to be developed and practised to ensure that this occurs.

Concentration and attention skills

• Attention is the way individuals use their senses to perceive what is going on around them.
• Attention needs to be:
  • Selective: - What needs to have attention
  • Shiftable: - Can change it voluntary or involuntary
  • Divisible: - More than just one focus

Mental Rehearsal

• Mental rehearsal is picturing in your mind your own physical performance in either training or competition
• Combined with physical practice it can be a powerful tool to enhance performance
• It is used so that the athlete will have competed in the event several times before competition.

Visualisation

• Athletes create a picture in their mind
• Can be internal, what it looks like from their position
• Can be external, what it looks like from a spectator
• Most beneficial if the athlete:
  • Believes it will benefit them
  • Has the time and patience to practice effectively

Relaxation

• Used to calm the athlete, decrease anxiety and control arousal
• Can be done at any stage of a performance for an athlete to gain composure
• Offer done before mental rehearsal
• It also requires patience and practice

Goal Setting

• Needs to be SMART
• Useful to :-
  • Increase motivation
  • Give the athlete direction
  • Commitment
• Allows them to monitor and evaluate their progress
• Should be broken up into short term, intermediate and long term goals

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