1. Carole Seheult www.sportpsyclive.co.uk

2. Negative consequences of pressure Some famous examples: World Cups; taking penalties, representing your country, specific pressure points in your sport, etc Win-at-all costs mentality High level performances and pressure inseparable Fear of failure Being a leader or manager!

3. Types of Pressure Potential Sources of Stress Travel, extra bureaucracy, boredom, unfamiliar accommodation, spectators, organisational hiccups, the media Internal pressures – When you create pressures on yourself which need not exist; “mountains into molehills”, high expectations where none exist; perfectionism and pessimistic personality traits

4. Thriving on Pressure Some people actually thrive on pressure! E.g. Cricketers who don’t mind being on the receiving edge of sledging Steve Backley during an interview described pressure as being very positive. Felt that it improved his performance 10% Several times came through to win on last throw What is it about people like that? Mental toughness

5. Mental Toughness may show itself by: Maintaining belief against nagging doubts Remaining focused despite distractions Keeping going when all seems lost Threats into opportunities Finding motivation when struggling to keep going Harness thoughts and feelings so that they work for you rather than against you Make choices when there appear to be none available Remain in control and even enjoy pressure

6. Coping with Pressure Four pillars: Keeping your head under stress Staying strong in your self-belief Making motivation work for you Maintaining your focus on the things that matter

7. Tackling and controlling stress 1. Identify the sources of pressure that can result in stress 2. Recognising when you are stressed 3. Develop suitable coping strategies and techniques

8. The Stress Process Behaviour X Negative appraisal Physica l Mental Pressure Stress Predispositions

9. Pressure: What gets to you? Predispositions – Are you your own worst enemy? Beliefs and attitudes Past experiences Personality Anxiety Optimism- Pessimism Perfectionism

10. How does stress affect you? Mental – doubt, worry, poor memory and recall, frustration, confusion and panic Physical – muscle tension, pounding heart, sickness, butterflies and sweaty palms Behavioural – fidgeting, pacing, becoming quiet and withdrawn or maybe loud and outgoing, being short-tempered, drinking excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol, disturbed sleep

11. What to do: Mental symptoms: Meditative relaxation– deep, intermediate and quick Imagery based relaxation Physical Symptoms: Progressive muscle relaxation Abdominal breathing Behavioural Symptoms Develop awareness of what you do Identify those that are unhelpful and try to change them

12. Challenging the thinking that causes you stress: Catastrophising Over-generalising Discounting the positive Mind-reading Negative predictions Black and white thinking Taking things personally

13. What will help Set and achieve stretching goals Take and learn from criticism Establish a balanced perspective on strengths and weaknesses and tackle weaknesses head- on Take risks Make decisions without fear of being wrong Control fear Bounce back from setbacks with renewed focus and effort Create a positive future