1️⃣ Understanding stress: good stress vs paralyzing stress

Stress is a normal reaction of the body in response to a challenge or perceived threat. It triggers a cascade of physiological and mental reactions that can enhance or impair athletic performance.

🔹 Good stress: Eustress (positive stress)

👉 Definition: Eustress is an optimal level of stress that stimulates motivation, concentration, and energy, thereby enhancing performance.

🔸 Positive effects of eustress:

✅ Activation of alertness and focus 🧠

✅ Mobilization of the body's energy resources ⚡

✅ Increase in motivation and engagement level 🎯

✅ Improvement in reactivity and response time ⏳

🔸 Concrete examples:

• A sprinter feels a rush of adrenaline before a race and uses this stress to explode off the start.

• A basketball player feels positive tension before a free throw and remains focused on his shot without being disturbed.

🔹 Paralyzing stress: Distress (negative stress)

👉 Definition: Distress occurs when stress becomes too intense or poorly managed, generating physical and psychological reactions that harm performance.

🔸 Negative effects of distress:

❌ Increased heart rate to the point of inducing panic 😵‍💫

❌ Mental blockage and difficulty making strategic decisions 🤯

❌ Loss of coordination and motor skills ⚠️

❌ Feeling of helplessness and decreased self-confidence 📉

🔸 Concrete examples:

• A tennis player in the finals feels intense pressure and loses his technical bearings, making multiple unforced errors.

• A gymnast feels excessive stress before his routine and trembles to the point of compromising his balance.

👉 Key factor: Stress is not the enemy, it is its intensity and how the athlete manages it that makes the difference.

2️⃣ Physiological and psychological mechanisms of stress

🧠 How does stress affect the body and the brain?

When an athlete perceives a situation as stressful, the brain activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which triggers the release of several hormones, including:

🔹 Adrenaline and noradrenaline → Increased heart rate and alertness

🔹 Cortisol → Maintains a prolonged state of alertness, but can inhibit recovery and mental clarity if too high

🎭 Psychological effects of stress

🔸 Extreme focus… or mental distraction : Well-managed stress allows for increased concentration, but excessive stress can lead to overthinking.

🔸 Emotion management : Stress often amplifies negative emotions (fear, frustration) and can trigger impulsive reactions.

🔸 Impact on self-confidence : Too much stress can create excessive doubt, while managed stress stimulates resilience.

3️⃣ Stress management techniques in competition

In the face of stress, the coach plays a key role in teaching athletes to regulate their emotions and transform their stress into a performance lever.

🔹 Quick breathing and relaxation techniques

🎯 Abdominal breathing (heart coherence) :

• Inhale deeply through the nose (4 sec)

• Hold the breath (2 sec)

• Exhale slowly through the mouth (6 sec)

  💡 Effect : Regulates heart rate and reduces muscle tension.

🎯 4-7-8 Breathing :

• Inhale for 4 sec → Hold for 7 sec → Exhale for 8 sec

  💡 Effect : Quickly reduces stress and refocuses the athlete.

🔹 Mental and cognitive techniques

🎯 Reframing (Cognitive Restructuring)

• Transforming a negative thought into an opportunity:

  🔸 "I am going to fail" → "I have worked for this, I am ready"

  🔸 "The pressure is too much" → "This adrenaline will boost me"

🎯 Positive self-suggestions and mental routines

• Repeat anchored phrases before an event:

  🗣️ "I control my breathing, I am calm and focused"

  🗣️ "I turn pressure into power"

🔹 Emotion management during competition

🎯 Express refocusing techniques (quick mental reset)

• Micro-anchoring ritual (clenching fist, tapping thigh, looking at a fixed point)

• 5-second exercise (breathe + refocus attention on a key sensation)

🎯 Express muscle relaxation exercises

• Contract all muscles for 5 seconds then completely relax

📌 Practical exercise: build an anti-stress mental routine

🎯 Objective: Develop an express mental routine to help an athlete channel their stress before a competition.

🔹 Step 1: Identify stress symptoms (increased heart rate, negative thoughts, muscle tension…)

🔹 Step 2: Choose a management strategy (breathing, self-suggestion, micro-ritual…)

🔹 Step 3: Plan the routine (exact moment when it will be applied)

🔹 Step 4: Test in training situation and adjustments if necessary

💡 Example: Routine for a stressed swimmer before a start

• 3 deep breaths

• Internal repetition: "I am fluid and fast, my body knows what to do"

• Tapping on the right shoulder (positive anchoring)

• Focus on a key word ("Power")

📝 Conclusion

📌 Key message: Stress is not an obstacle, it is a tool. When used well, it can boost performance, but if poorly managed, it can destroy it. The coach must educate their athletes to channel their stress into a strength.

"It is not the situations that stress us, but how we react to them." – Hans Selye