Stress

Stress is the body's non-specific response to any raised demand and, in the psychological sense, the result of appraising a situation as threatening while lacking the resources to cope. A distinction is drawn between useful stress (eustress), which mobilizes, and harmful stress (distress), which depletes. The source of stress is called a stressor.

Acute stress before the start produces a surge of pre-competition anxiety and mobilization, while chronic stress brings accumulating fatigue, irritability and falling motivation, all the way to burnout. It also feeds pre-competition anxiety. The key is not eliminating stress but balancing load and recovery.

Stress and recovery levels are measured with stress-recovery questionnaires and psycho-emotional state scales. You can take a suitable assessment in the tests section. Regular monitoring helps you catch the shift from useful tension to depletion before burnout sets in.

Stress is worked on through breathing, relaxation, planning your recovery, and coping skills for difficult situations. The practices are gathered in the exercises section. It matters especially to build recovery into the training cycle rather than simply enduring the load.

The concept is closely tied to stressor, arousal and pre-competition anxiety. The practical versions are athlete burnout and pre-competition anxiety. With chronic stress and signs of depletion it is worth seeing our specialists.