Understanding stress: Good stress vs Paralyzing stress
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.