Anxiety and arousal

1. Anxiety and arousal By MAHLEA and will

2. Trait anxiety • This form of anxiety is a relatively stable aspect of the personality. In their behaviour, individuals who present an anxiety trait will tend to have an attitude reflecting their perception of certain environmental stimuli and situations as dangerous or threatening. • Those who show a more developed anxiety trait are much more prone to reacting to a large number of stimuli and will tend to worry also in situations which for most individuals would not see any threat. These individuals are more likely to present state anxiety in circumstances with low anxiety-generating potential, such as normal day-to-day activities, and will probably experience higher levels of state anxiety in the presence of anxiety-generating stimuli.

3. State anxiety • A person experiencing ‘state’ anxiety will feel tension or worry or might enter a state of restlessness. In such moments, the individual may feel very tense and easily react or over-react to external stimuli. State anxiety involves activation of the autonomous nervous system and triggers a series of physiological reactions and conditions. High levels of state anxiety are particularly unpleasant, disturbing and can even be painful.

4. Sources of stress • Stressors can be categorized as follows: 1. Significant Life Adjustments • Any critical life changes, both pleasant and unpleasant. 2. Daily Routines • Daily routines such as fighting the rush hour traffic or meeting the deadline on an important project zap your energy. You become accustomed to your daily activities and easily overlook their effect on you. 3. Unrealistic Self-Expectations • While positive self-expectations motivate you to realize your goals, unrealistic expectations can lead to setting yourself up for failure and a lowering of self-esteem. 4. Interpersonal Relationships • Both personal and professional relationships require a significant amount of effort to maintain. Poor communication leads to conflicts that can escalate into increased frustration and open hostility

5. Common things the make people stressed have been identified as: • Family problems • Mental Illness • Elder Care Issues • Child Care Issues • Financial Issues • Legal Issues • Grief & Loss • Communication Difficulties • Work • Addictions • Health Concerns • Balancing work & family • Time management • Change management • Anger management

6. Optimum arousal • While anxiety is mostly a psychological state, arousal refers to a physiological state. Arousal can be described as the degree of energy released and the intensity andreadiness of the performer. There are levels of arousal that can produce optimal performance depends on the sport and the individual. Arousal is a necessary ingredient in sports performance, although its level can wither, facilitate or hinder the execution of specific skills or task components. Arousal levels vary on a continuum from deep sleep to high excitement.

7. Optimal arousal does not mean maximal arousal. Both over-arousal and under-arousal can contribute to poor performance. An individual will perform a skill most successfully when the level of arousal is optimal for that particular task. A poor performance may be due to low level of arousal, perhaps resulting from distraction, or a depressed level of motivation. The other end of the spectrum is a state of over-arousal, where the athlete is unable to perform the required movement with precision because he/she is excessively tense and unable to concentrate.

8. Levels of arousal change considerably between people and they respond to different stimuli to raise or lower their levels of arousal. Arousal has drive properties, meaning that the changing of factors that affect anxiety can increase or decrease arousal. Generally, athletes who have a high disposition towards anxiety require less arousal than those who have a low disposition towards anxiety.