Year 11 - Physical education
Stress management techniques
Sports psychology: mental preparation for performance
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit develops understanding of how to best prepare our mind for competition and explores strategies like mental rehearsal, visualisation and imagery to support peak performance.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify and use a range of stress management techniques.
Key Notes
- Mental preparation techniques help people improve their performance by beneficially managing their emotions.
- Mental rehearsal involves imagining a successful performance to improve confidence and focus.
- Positive self-talk is a method of thinking positively about an upcoming performance and your ability to be successful.
- Visualisation and deep breathing are stress management techniques used to lower anxiety and arousal levels.
Vocabulary To Learn
- mental rehearsal: a relaxation technique which involves the performer picturing themselves performing the skill perfectly or imagining positive outcomes before attempting it
- visualisation: a relaxation technique to control mental thoughts which involves the performer imagining themselves in a calm, relaxing place
- deep breathing: a relaxation technique which involves a performer exaggerating their breaths in and out
- positive self-talk: developing cognitive positive thoughts about your own performance
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Mental preparation is just for elite athletes.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Mental preparation techniques help people improve their performance by beneficially managing their emotions. Mental rehearsal involves imagining a successful performance to improve confidence and focus.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'mental rehearsal'
a relaxation technique which involves the performer picturing themselves performing the skill perfectly or imagining positive outcomes before attempting it.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Mental preparation is just for elite athletes. Correction: Students should understand that everyone can benefit from mental preparation techniques and that performers in many fields of work practice them. They too could benefit in their own pursuits.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Physical education guide library.