Anxiety and Sport
While in general, running is often seen as an anxiety reducer, college runners face unique challenges that may put them at risk of suffering from anxiety. As athletes in their late teens and early twenties there are several unique aspects that may make them more susceptible than the general population. First, they have to balance competing at a high level while also performing well in the classroom. Moving from high school athletics to college is a step up and brings added pressure and expectations. Second, college is often where students start to shape their life trajectory. They move from the exploratory phase of establishing their identity and their careers to a more defined path. College athletes often phase a premature ‘cementing’ of their identity around their sport, and are left without the time or energy to explore different majors or future careers. Lastly, the competitiveness of collegiate athletics often transforms athletes’ motivational patterns. They sometimes move from performing the activity out of love or enjoyment to performing it out of obligation. Research has found that obligatory runners suffer from anxiety at a much greater rate (Coen & Ogles, 1993). In addition, a systematic review found that while there was a positive association between mental health and running, an extreme level of running was associated with signs of ill-health, including anxiety (Oswald et al., 2020). The expectations and pressures that these students phase puts them in a vulnerable position for experiencing anxiety.
It’s for the aforementioned reasons that having a plan in place for how to recognize, approach, and help college runners with anxiety is vital.
Recognizing and Dealing with Anxiety
“I don't think you're human if you don't get nervous,” Sidney Crosby, one of the best NHL players in history. When it comes to anxiety all of us are familiar with its close cousin, pre-competition nerves. This is what scientists call trait anxiety, a temporary sensation often tied to an event. State anxiety is a more stable, chronic feeling of anxiety that is tied to one’s personality (Ford et al., 2017).
Anxiety often manifests itself in a combination of behavioral, physiological, and cognitive ways. When we experience anxiety we might have an increased heart rate, sweat profusely, or feel our hands tremble. These are all physical manifestations of anxiety. Cognitively, our attention may dart around, and our inner voice may spiral into rumination or a ‘freak out.’ Behaviorally we may fidget or fall back on rituals as a way to potentially cope with the feelings or sensations. It’s in this combination of thoughts, feelings, and actions that anxiety is experienced.
It’s both the intensity and the duration of the anxiety that determines the severity and the course of action. If the anxiety is particularly severe, bordering on the lines of what we might think of as a panic attack, then even if it is temporary, it should be something that is addressed.
For example, we could have an athlete with particularly bad state anxiety that starts with an increased in arousal that triggers a racing heart. From there, the athlete experiences jittery hands, and appraises the experience as negative, as something to avoid. His or her inner voice may begin to spiral with thoughts of quitting or being anywhere but where they are. The different degree and combination of thoughts, feelings, and sensations impacts how well we can handle anxiety itself.
Whether anxiety should be handled in a performance setting or with a mental health professional, depends on:
- Type (State vs. Trait)
- Intensity of Anxiety
- Impact- Does this interfere with everyday activities or lead to negative mental health outcomes?
Ultimately, it’s a judgement call on whether an athlete should be referred to a mental health practitioner or to a sports professional to deal with their anxiety. It ultimately comes down to how is their anxiety impacting their life and is it beyond just simple butterflies before a competition.
