Login

Managing Stress and Pressure

Categories: Psychology
Wishlist

About Course

This session addresses stress and performance anxiety, combining theory with practical tools athletes use to excel under pressure. We’ll examine arousal theory—including the inverted U hypothesis and Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF)—to understand how different levels of stress influence performance. Building on this, you’ll learn coping strategies such as breathing routines, progressive muscle relaxation, and mental rehearsal to reduce anxiety and prevent “choking.” We’ll also explore conscious processing and attentional control theories to explain why pressure can disrupt automatic performance, and how athletes can build resilience through training.

What Will You Learn?

  • Stress Theories – Understand the inverted U hypothesis and IZOF, and why optimal arousal differs by athlete and task.
  • Recognizing Symptoms – Identify physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs of both over-arousal and under-arousal.
  • Coping Techniques – Practice relaxation strategies such as box breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
  • Pressure Simulation – Design drills that mimic competition stress to build resilience and composure.
  • Choking vs. Clutch – Explore why pressure causes breakdowns for some athletes and sparks peak performance in others.
  • Applied Tasks – Measure heart rate before and after relaxation routines and develop coping cues for upcoming high-pressure events.
  • Homework – Keep a stress journal before training sessions, tracking which techniques calm you and support focus.

Course Content

Managing Stress and Pressure

  • Lesson: Managing Stress and Pressure
    01:30:08
  • Quiz: Managing Stress and Pressure

Earn a certificate

Add this certificate to your resume to demonstrate your skills & increase your chances of getting noticed.

selected template