Prevention of (psychological) stress in youth athletes

DE

Written by Stephanie Weber, Reyk Albrecht, Urs Granacher,
Holger Gabriel & Christian Puta

Background. Youth athletes are faced with manifold challenges during everyday life such as school, training, competition, and social life. This may cause the feeling of being overwhelmed with an increased likelihood of producing stress reactions. Results from the so-called KINGS-Study (Resistance Training in Youth Athletes) clearly illustrate how stressful youth athletes’ everyday life can be. Between 10–15% of all participants showed subclinical scores for anxiety and depression.

A study conducted by the Technical University of Munich (Division of Sport Psychology) shows that three competences are important in the prevention of depression and burnout: i) stress management; ii) individual attitude, and iii) sufficient recovery.

Therefore, the question arises as to how the development of anxiety and depression can be prevented and how these competences (e.g., stress management) can be promoted.

Answer. During a stress reaction, the “fight or flight” response inside the body is activated which leads to a shift in physical and mental balance. The stress triggers and the following stress reactions are individually different. The individual perception and evaluation of the situation plays a key role for the stress reaction.

These reactions can be found in physical, mental or emotional reactions and may even be detectable in behavioral traits. Again, this is individually different. Stressors can be any kind of strains or demands such as intensive training, school, exams, competitions and problems with family or friends.

Often, we do not differ between triggers and reactions and overlook the possibility of an alternative reaction to possible stressors or not even perceive them as stress triggers. It is important to realize, that stress triggers and stress reactions are not automatically linked and that there are possibilities for actions(s) which are illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 1. Stress management scheme

Recommendations. Our recommendations for action and exercise have been developed in collaboration with the division of applied ethics at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. Three main competences (stress management, individual attitude and sufficient recovery) were identified that should be addressed. These recommendations are a first means. Nevertheless, in severe cases, direct contact to a psychologist or a specialist is adviced. Contact information are listed at the end of this entry.

Recommendations for action:

In accordance with Kabat-Zinn (2013), there are four important means which help us to improve our stress management: i) sleep, ii) movement, iii) meditation, iv) human relations. These lead us to the following recommendations:

• Try to get sufficient sleep (between 7 and 8 hours per night).
• Eventhough you exercise, a walk in the park or forest might help you to relax.
• Practice meditation and mindfulness (examples are listed below).
• Find a trustful person you can talk to about your situation and emotions. Go to the movies, for a walk or listen to music with your friends. Everything that you like doing in company can help solve your problems.

Recommendations for exercise:

The following exercises have been proven within several stress prevention programs and strengthen our options for action in potentially stressful situations (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). If you are suffering from acute psychological problems, talk to a practitioner to clarify if these exercises are helpful.

• Perceive and monitor stress triggers: practice perception of your stress triggers and your reactions. Write them down on a daily basis (see table 1). Observe how these reactions change.
• Rest: Take time for yourself on a regular basis. Rest briefly, feel how you are and what you are perceiving. This exercise can be integrated into daily life (see “Attentive Rest”).

• Breath observation: The breath observation is a good exercise to learn how to calm down and to concentrate on the moment by being attentive. Follow up on your emotions and how they feel and change over time (see “Breath Observation”).

• Relaxation: Find a place of quietness and sit or lie down in a relaxed position. Select music that calms you down. For example sounds of nature or singing bowls (see MP3 “Entspannen mit Klangschalen”).

• Daily practice: Find a method that is suitable for you (rest, breath observation, relaxation) and practice it daily. Realizing these routines on a permanent basis is more important than the length of the exercise. Just a few minutes a day can help you to cope with stress.

Table 1. Weekly schedule to analyze stress triggers and their reactions

Emergency Contacts

Counselling telephone service in Germany (free)
+49[0]800 111 0 111/ +49[0]800 111 0 222

Children and adolescent telephone service (free)
+40[0]800 111 0 333

A list with all registered psychotherapists and specialists near you can be obtained from your health insurance.

References.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Bantam Dell: New York.