Stress And Stress In Sport

Everyone in the world all have something in common, “it is a natural byproduct of all our activities” caused by many activities that are performed whether that be end of year exam or closing minutes of championship game. It affects overall performance due to the changes in the body, commonly known as stress. Stress is the body’s reaction to any changes that requires a response.

Stress can be positive, keeping us tentative, more motivated to practice or gain a competitive edge, contrastingly too much stress, for example when a person is overworked, can cause performance anxiety which can hurt overall health and arousal and doesn’t allow athletes to play at peak performance. This analysis specifically focuses on how certain techniques allow basket-ballers increased arousal in their sport.

Cognitive stress is a strain in mental function or in processing certain information sent to the brain and through the constant pressures from family/friends, relatives dying etc. all these potential problems puts high demand on you and forces you to change are catalysts for negative symptoms internally. But not all cognitive stress is external; stress can be self-generated, for example putting too much pressure on yourself to succeed or to achieve a goal.

Symptoms associated with Cognitive stress and anxiety:

• Inability to concentrate

• Poor judgment

• Seeing only negatives

• Anxious or racing thoughts

• Constant worrying

Focusing on the activity is important, but the mental side of approaching that activity is important and for competitive basket ballers, there is already a “lot of stress compelled on them (mainly themselves)” to perform at their peak. So finding the right arousal towards that sport can be difficult. Research has i...

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...al levels are low then it means that it is more likely to not perform at the level the athlete wishes. Arousal is both mental and physical so therefore the “correct controlling of certain parts of the central nervous system” will lead to “positive physiological and behavioral changes” , ultimately leading to arousal and thereby improve the functioning of an individual as well as an athlete.

Although cognitive stress can affect a basketballer’s performance in sport, it is important to consider other components of an athlete’s functioning as well. Peak performances are achieved by an individual who possesses the means of being able to control themselves psychologically with high levels of arousal in their sport, along with controlling themselves with low levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion as these will only increase cognitive stresses.