The Student-Athlete & Stress

Being a student-athlete is stressful. You are always busy, and it seems like everywhere
you turn, someone is telling you what to do or where to go. Balancing the demands of
your sport, school, and social life (yes, it does exist) can wear you down and stretch your
sanity to the max.

So what exactly is stress?

Definition of stress, from Wikipedia:

Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the
individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a
situation and the resources of the person's biological, psychological or social systems.

Meaning…..

1) Something happens….
2) You (mind/body/everything) notices something is wrong
3) You (mind/body/everything) scans for resources on hand and, finding none….

You freak out.

A resource is a coping strategy. If your mind can’t find a resource, it sends an alarm to
the body. If the body cannot find a way to adapt or cope, it eventually shuts down.

There isn’t a quick and easy solution to get rid of stress. But there are some strategies to
keep it under control.

Here’s a guide with information about stress and guidelines to help you keep it to a
minimum.
-EXPECT TO BE STRESSED OUT

You might be an ever-competent over-achiever, but you will get stressed out and
overwhelmed at times during college. Expect it.

-FIGURE OUT WHY YOU’RE STRESSED OUT

Something is causing you to stress out. It might be a class where you haven’t done well, a
professor who you think is being unfair, a paper that you have to write and just can’t
seem to start. Or perhaps your stress is more personal—you’re having trouble
communicating with a teammate, your coach is riding you, your body is beyond fatigued,
or your academic advisor is making you sign up for more tutoring.

Force yourself to figure out what’s causing you to stress out—it will make it easier for
you to deal with it.

-MAKE ONE SMALL CHANGE RIGHT AWAY

Once you have a better handle on the cause or causes of your stress, do something about
it right away. This will be a small step, a tiny change, but it will help you feel in control.
If you’re stressing about a paper you can’t write, go to the writing workshop and talk to a
tutor. If you’re stressed about a teammate, write down the things that you want to get
out and why you feel that way. If you need to relax your body, find a quiet place to rest
or take a shower and focus on your muscles loosening. Whatever it is, do something
right away, no matter how small.

-DISTRACT YOUR MIND

While it’s important to do something about what’s stressing you out, in most cases, you
won’t be able to change the situation entirely in a short period of time. After you take the
initial step and make one small change, find a way to distract yourself. It’s too easy to get
caught up, to get more and more stressed out, and then to stress about being stressed out.

Get your mind off the stress. Do something you love, something that makes you really,
really happy. Go to lunch with a friend, read a chapter out of your favorite book, buy that
CD you’ve been eyeing for months, take a walk off-campus. Giving your mind a chance to
chill out will give you more energy to deal with your stress and you’ll be able to see
solutions more clearly.
-CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE/CHANGE YOUR SELF-TALK

Have you ever noticed how the exact same situation can stress one person out, while it
might not affect another person at all? This difference can usually be explained by the
way each individual thinks about the situation. Changing the way you think (a.k.a.
cognitive restructuring) can help you manage stressors in your life. Here's how.

Each time something happens in our lives, the information about that event enters our
minds. We then interpret it; we form beliefs about what the events means, why it
happened or how it is going to affect us. While we can't always control the events that
happen, we can control what we think about the event, which in turn shape our feelings
about them.

Self-talk is an ongoing internal dialogue we each have. Oftentimes this conversation is

overly critical, irrational and destructive. To reduce stress, instead of being your own
worst critic, treat yourself with a gentle touch. Talk to yourself like you would a child
who you care about very much.

Here are some examples of how this works: You can also use the worksheets found in
the Student-Athlete Wellness Screen (under the Useful Links section)

Example 1
Situation: I have a huge paper due in two days.
Irrational self-talk: I'll never get it done. Why did I take that stupid class in the first
place?
Rational self-talk: I've worked well under pressure in the past. I know I can do it again.

Example 2
Situation: I came home to discover my roommate left the kitchen a mess.
Irrational self-talk: She is so disrespectful of me. Can't she think about anyone but
herself?
Rational self-talk: I know my roommate has a lot going on. She would have cleaned up if
she had time.
 Our Ability To Handle Stress Quiz
Understanding our individual capacity for dealing with stress, hard times and
uncertainty is useful in predicting how well we hold up and maintain our well-being
under stress and uncertainty.
Directions:
Read each statement and record the indicated number score for each response that most
accurately describes your thoughts or feelings. Remember that there are no wrong
answers.

1. If someone is on a team and no longer enjoying it …

a. He should stick it out till the end of the season—1 point
b. Quit and find something he enjoys more—0 points

2. When something bad happens to me …

a. I am able to put it behind me and move on—1 point
b. I tend to think about it over and over—0 points

3. Most good things happen in life because of …

a. Good planning—1 point
b. Good luck—0 points

4. I have little influence on what my family decides to do.

a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point

5. When I don’t understand something I usually ask for an explanation.

a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points

6. In the long run I think the bad things that happen are balanced by the good.
a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points
7. I think it’s better to be …
a. Smart—1 point
b. Lucky—0 points
8. Most of the time, it doesn’t pay to try hard because things never turn out right anyway.
a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point
9. I think that wishing hard can make good things happen.
a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point
10. I really get down on myself when things go wrong.
a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point

11. When I have something unpleasant to do, I …

a. Stick to it until it’s finished—1 point
b. Procrastinate—0 points

12. Getting ahead in life depends mostly on …

a. Hanging out with the right people—0 points
b. Working hard—1 point

13. I handle unexpected problems better than most of my friends.

a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points

14. What happens to me in the future is mostly dependent on …

a. Those in power—0 points
b. Choices I make—1 point

15. When I am really upset I have someone I can talk to.

a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points

16. Most days, I find that life is …

a. Predictable and not too exciting—0 points
b. Interesting and exciting —1 point

17. I believe that a Higher Being (who/whatever) has a plan or good purpose for my life.
a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points

18. It is hard for me to change a friend’s mind about something.

a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point

19. I avoid trying to learn new things when they look too complicated or difficult.
a. Agree—0 points
b. Disagree—1 point

20. It is easy for me to say no to my friends.

a. Agree—1 point
b. Disagree—0 points
Results

Resilience and hardiness is about how we perceive and value ourselves, our sense of
purpose and adaptability; our influence on the world and those around us, and our
passion and excitement for life. Our capacity for resilience depends on things like home
environment, age and maturity level and support from others. Total your score. If your
score is:

15- 20 points
Your score suggests that you are highly resilient. When faced with crisis or a serious
problem, you take it on and seldom flinch. You see the possibilities in difficult situations
that others often miss. You are comfortable with who you are, believe that there is a
purpose for your life and seldom let past mistakes weigh you down or keep you from
pursuing your goals. You have at least one special relationship in which you can trust
and confide when the going gets tough. You feel that your opinions count and that you
can make a difference. Under stress you adapt and somehow manage to maintain your
sense of well-being.

11-14 points
You are moderately resilient. When faced with crisis or a serious problem, you take it on
rather than retreat. You have the capacity to find ways to improve difficult
circumstances. You have at least one relationship in which you can trust and confide
when the going gets tough, but you are just as likely to keep your feelings to yourself.
You believe that your opinions count and that your life has a purpose. Under stress you
endure, buckle down and keep going.

0-10 points
You have a lot of questions about how life works and who’s in control. You may feel that
you have little influence over what happens in life. When faced with a serious problem,
you tend to avoid dealing with it directly and may look for ways to escape—healthy or
unhealthy. Under stress you may need the support of others to help you through the
difficult times.